Struggling to collect colostrum
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I’m 38+4 and have tried every day, sometimes twice a day since 36+6. Most days I see nothing, I’ve occasionally had wet looking nipples and last night for the first time had 1 droplet. It wasn’t enough to do anything with but it was progress. Don’t be put off by others! I think the statistics are that only around 40% of people produce colostrum of enough quantities to collect before birth x
I used my haakaa manual breast pump when I first started collecting colostrum. I did this around 35 week as my boobs were just leaking constantly which isn’t advised, I know, but I just felt like it was going to waste. I just suctioned it on (not super tight) and massaged my boobs. I looked online and they advised to cup in a c shape then sort of squeeze your nipples. You push the colostrum from your ducts when massaging and then squeezing the nipple releases it. I collected 1ml syringe at first and everytime I did it I kept getting more and more going up by 0.5ml each time. To get this I just constantly massaged one boob then moved onto the other. I always had a warm bath before and relaxed. I always noticed the more your relaxed the more you get out. I now use my electric pump (hoping to also induce labour due to me being 39 weeks) and I get around 1oz a day and this keeps increasing by bits each day. It is stressful but you will get there!
I've been trying for about a week and I'm not getting anything. Just tried again tonight after a bath and still nothing. Going to take a break from it now as its disheartening and try again mid next week when I'll be over 38 weeks
I'm 38+2 have been trying for 2 weeks and I can't get anything, tho I do have pcos so I'm not sure if that's affecting it.
I tried for the first time tonight and it was literally a case of collecting it drop by literal drop in the syringe. Don’t pull back on the syringe too much, but if you pull back on the plunger slightly it creates a bit of suction then when you place the end next to the drop it’ll suction it in. You then just have to keep dispelling the air. I actually had two hands on my boob and my husband did the collecting straight from the nipple, otherwise I don’t think I’d have managed it.
Thank you all 🙂 just want to try my best for my baby. But I am going to stop beating myself up.
i find it easier to express into a spoon/into a pot and then syringe it up from there. it can take a few attempts to get any so don’t give up and keep trying! i find being upright and slightly angled forwards helps too😊 also know not everyone is able to collect colostrum so this is completely normal x