Colostrum harvesting

Wow so happy for you😊😊

Pure liquid gold💃🏻🥳🥳🥰

Wow how did you get so much!!🤩

Did you use a pump? I start tomorrow!

@Pippa no I’ve hand expressed but now my body will know to make more I’ll probs start using a pump from next week. Depending on how much I’m producing

@Grace I think mine is down to prolactin levels. I collected about a litre last pregnancy from 37/39 weeks so I think it’s just my body’s normal.

Wow that is amazing how on earth did you do that I only got about 10ml in my last pregnancy after expressing for like 4 weeks🤣😩

Almost 34 weeks is there something to do to start expressing. Looking to start around 37 weeks too

@Mercy just once you hit 37 weeks massage your boobs and try to express but don’t put any pressure on yourself

@Eve I really think it’s to do with my prolactin levels been so elevated. I don’t do anything special. Game plan is to express as much as I can and same as last time donate to nicu

This us alot I'm also 37 weeks n hardly getting anything

@Alannah everyone is different and honestly it’s not a reflection of future milk supply. I get amazing quantities of colostrum but then my milk when it comes in is fine for 6 weeks then tanks to almost nothing so it’s a win loss. Don’t put pressure on yourself at all

Will you put it into freezer and thaw when baby is out?

I’ve started using Medela pump this week as I’m 37 weeks now and the most I got is 3ml in one go 😅 hoping it will bring on labour haha

Hey, I’m just 20 weeks or so but I have no idea about colostrum and breastfeeding as of yet as I’m a first time mum. So is this what we give the baby at the hospital for a few days after birth until our milk comes in? So do we freeze it after 37 weeks and thaw it out when we go for delivery and is there a process to get the colostrum out? Thanks heaps for all your help.

The idea is to start expressing after 37 weeks - 3 to 4 times a week. Ask your midwife for collecting the colostrum and freeze it. Once you are in labour carry half the quantity of collected colostrum tubes/syringes in a freezing bag and hand it over to the midwife to freeze immediately. It would be easier if birthing partner takes care of this job as there will be a lot going on with us! They use it in case you don’t start to feed immediately for whatever reason

@Apeksha thank you Apekshya that is super helpful 😊, at 37 wks do I just store it in the fridge or the freezer? Does it not go bad after a few days?

@Alannah don't worry! 🥰. I got absolutely nothing when I was hand expressing between 37-39 weeks and I'm now exclusively breastfeeding my 3 week old with no issues. X

@Alannah I didn't have a single drop until right after giving birth! I'm not exaggerating not a single drop and EBF my baby he's almost 8 months and I always had a nice supply.

Why are you doing this though?

@Ashley mainly to have a store as I use colostrum beyond the newborn phase up till 6 months as a shot should they get sick as it’s linked to been beneficial nutrient wise. Also should my newborn have BF issues I have a supply in the freezer for early day blunders for bottles. Usually I donate as well so colostrum is hardest for them to recieve. Also the links that colostrum harvesting will dilate your cervix and help go into labour for those looking for a natural inducing approach.

@Yusra absolutely this will be frozen and used within the next 6 months of baby been here x

@Dominika if you feel your having a low input switch out the pump and hand express for more input and also cus sterilising the pump each time after is tedious. Hand expressing will get the body into producing more then you can bring the pump back out

@Divyana Poudel heya so yes colostrum is the first milk our body will give to baby as it’s super high calorie especially since most babies will typically up lose 10% of their birth weight after birth so the colostrum steps in. It’s a very personal choice should you decide to collect and freeze as it depends if you would need/use that supply collected for baby at birth as establishing a good bond with breast is so important at birth. However yes you can thaw out some at birth incase of emergency should baby not take to breast or you would like to introduce bottles. Since a newborn baby’s belly is so small they only drink a few ml at a time so I could suggest collecting in 1/5 ml syringes. I only have collected as such as I’m intending to use in baby in future months as a calorie dump or sick day top up shot. To collect gently massage boobs and in the shape of a c squeeze and pull the nipple looking for droplets to come out and collect the drops in whatever you plan to store it in x

@Suzie thanks (:

@Divyana Poudel store in freezer at -18 degrees Celsius at all times for a shelf life of 6 months. It’s easiest when collecting to pop a label with amount and time of expressing to keep an idea on shelf life expiry