If you plan to breastfeed exclusively, or pump and give only your milk in a bottle, you should strive to produce at least 600 to 750 milliliters (about 20 to 25 ounces) of milk each day. Eventhough this is more milk than your baby will take during the NICU stay, it is the amount you will need at the time of her hospital discharge. Your goal should be to make this amount by the end of the second week after you give birth, when your body is primed to create plenty of milk. Your daily milk volume may decline a little from this levelwhile your baby is in the NICU, but this is common among mothers who must pump for several weeks. You’ll still have an adequate volume of milk after her discharge.

Some mothers have different breastfeeding goals, especially if they had not originally intended to provide milk for their babies. For example, they may want to provide mother’s milk exclusively for the first month and then alternate these feedings with infant formula until the baby is discharged from the NICU. Thesemothers may choose to pump frequently (eg, six to eight times daily) during the first month, and thus make more milk than their babies need. The extra milk can be frozen for use at a later time, and the mothers can stop pumping at the end of the first month or so.