Both breasts must be pumped twice at each pumping session. This ensures a more adequate emptying of the milk ducts and is easier on the nipples. 

Both breasts should be pumped her every 3 hours by the clock. Once during the night if you awaken or are uncomfortable. The obtained milk is poured into a sterile bottle labeled with the name, date, and time and refrigerated. The refrigerated milk may be kept for 24 hours. If not used, it should be discarded. Once warmed for use, the milk must be used at that feeding or discarded.

The woman who has already been nursing her baby and must temporarily stop nursing may begin pumping at the day number 4 level (See Table 3-3, above) and maintain it until finished with pumping. She may pump at intervals as needed to relieve her filling breasts, every hour if needed. She must pump during the night to prevent overfilling of her breasts.

If the mother is sending her milk to her hospitalized infant: Every intensive care nursery has different procedures for storing the breast milk. Some hospitals want refrigerated milk, other frozen. Some hospitals want milk collected in glass containers, others in plastic. Call the intensive care nursery and get specific instructions for the storage and collection of breast milk. (Consider entering this information in a Plan of Care notebook.