Antenatal colostrum :(

[EggBobbin]

Hi,

I’ve been advised to express colostrum due to predicted low birth weight.

Day 1: 0.7ml
Day 2: 1.3 ml
Day 3: .... hardly any. Under 0.5ml.

Not sure what’s going on here and now worried I won’t be able to feed when she’s here breastfeeding never really got off the ground with DC1 who was also low weight and jaundiced so I was really hoping to nail it this time. Felt super confident yesterday!

Any idea what’s going on?

[twinklespells]

Plenty of women can't express any colostrum pre birth. The volume collected is not linked to how well you produce milk either.

How are you collecting it, and how far along are you? I think I read you can do a few sessions a day, and if you're using a sterile syringe you can top up the same syringe for 24 hours then freeze.

[FlingingFlangingHardToOpen]

That’s quite a lot for pre natal expression. Keep going! Think I went into the hospital with about 8ml total and it really helped with getting things going.

[twinklespells]

Ask I found if I was stressed my body basically gave up and I couldn't get anything. Some days were much better than others. They say after a shower or bath is often easier too. Are you happy with your technique in terms of not always expressing from the same ducts, ie. shifting your hand position?

[Twinmammma]

Keep going! How far along are you?
I was in hospital from 36 weeks and spent my 3 days on antenatal harvesting colostrum. I did it every 3-4 hours (saying this as I think little and often helps). Good luck!

[TheBoots]

You're doing fine!! You only get small amounts of colostrum at this stage, it doesn't reflect how you'll do at breastfeeding. I'm expressing colostrum too and was worried the first few days that I was barely getting anything, but it did pick up and even if it hadn't, you only need tiny amounts to make a difference! Just a few ml will be great, don't pressure yourself. Check your technique that you are using the pads of your fingers to squeeze from the knobbly bits in your boobs towards the nipple and hold it for a moment. I do it in front of the TV, switching between boobs until I've got the amount I want or I get bored.

[EggBobbin]

I’m just confused why it’s tailed off today? It seemed to be much easier yesterday and Monday.

Thankyou- I feel a bit tearful reading your kind words.

I’m a bit hungry I don’t know if that might affect it. I do get more after the shower but today my nipples do feel a bit bruised.

I’m 37 weeks and hand expressing into syringes, which I’m then freezing.

DH keeps telling me it’s OK if I can’t feed but I really want to.

[LividLoving]

Honestly, that’s amazing amounts for prenatal expressing.

I got similar amounts and by birth had a few syringes that everyone scoffed at but did come in useful when he was too sleepy to latch and had low sugars.

Relax. Being stressed won’t help it. I did most of mine in the bath to start. You need to be fully hydrated and well fed, so look after yourself first.

If it doesn’t work for whatever reason, leave it a couple of hours, have a drink and try again later.

Any amount is valuable.

[Bigredriding]

They’re really good amounts! I had some days where I’d get 0.7ml and others where I’d struggle getting 0.2ml. I bf my daughter for a year and had an oversupply of milk initially. Take it day by day and try not to overthink each ml. The stimulation alone is what helps.

[EggBobbin]

I’ve eaten a huge bowl of porridge and drank a few pints of water and in between numerous tiny-bladder-toilet -trips have now got 0.5ml :)

Gonna keep eating and resting- I’m wondering if maybe last time with my eldest I ran myself a bit too ragged early on to produce much

[twinklespells]

If you get sore have a break for a couple of days then try again. It won't stop you being able to express more a few days later, but it shouldn't hurt then!

[Terracottasaur]

I never got a drop before my baby was born and he breastfed fine from the start - don’t worry too much, it’s not a predictor of breastfeeding success.

[PeggyHill]

Wow, that's loads!

I just had my midwife yanking on my boobs for over an hour and we only got .4mls... nothing the day before. Hoping to get something tomorrow.

I breastfed my first and had great milk supply, but was unable to get even a drop of colostrum before the birth. Absolutely nothing came out.

[EggBobbin]

@PeggyHill oh no- that sounds... intimate! I’m getting about 0.3ml each time now, and usually 1ml a day. I really want to be able to feed the baby but I suppose even if I can’t this’ll see her through the first few days now.

Just want her to come now!