AIBU to try and harvest colostrum at 37 weeks ?

[mummypregg]

Did anyone do it ? Is it necessary? My boobs hurt so much already. I can see drops, but not enough to collect them yet.

I've only sat down and done it twice. Via hand expressing ( so painful ) and I've also used a manual breast pump. ( hurts less ). Now my boobs are stinging a bit, like they're starting to engorge or something like that.

I wasn't particularly successful with feeding my first baby, so trying to get a head start.

Try hand expressing after a nice hot bath or shower, I have some syringes in to collect the drops I'll hopefully start next week (38 weeks) ...
i wouldn't be using a pump until baby is here anyway

I've been advised to start attempting to harvest colostrum from 36 weeks, but warned to do it by hand only as the pump can cause 'issues' if its used too early. No idea what those 'issues' are but both my obstetrician and midwife have been very clear on not using a pump until after baby's arrival. My midwife showed me how to do it and gave me some special syringes for collection. I was advised it shouldn't hurt although for me due to other issues I do find it a bit uncomfortable.

It shouldn't be so painful. I find a lot of women "slide down" towards the nipple when expressing which can cause a lot of soreness. Were you shown how to do it? There are some good videos about explaining. Start with massage all the way round then bring your fingers into a C shape, press into the chest wall slightly then squeeze fingers together WITHOUT sliding towards the nipple.

It's definitely not "necessary" but hand expression is a skill like any other and the thinking is, it's easier to learn it antenatally than postpartum with a crying baby. Anything you do collect is a bonus

Also - the drops are very tiny to begin with. You collect them in a 1ml syringe and it can take some time to collect even half this amount. That's OK and normal. Good luck!

I think the reason they say not to use a pump before birth is there is a small risks of contractions starting labour, but I wouldn't do it if it hurts. Collecting 5 ml of colostrum beforehand is just going to be a pain to store and relaxing now will be much better for your bonding and feeding with baby (though I know that is hard)!.

I harvested colostrum from 38 weeks for DC2. You can get syringes free from your midwife or buy them on Amazon. There are plenty of YouTube videos demonstrating good technique but you could ask your midwife for a demonstration. I stored my colostrum in the freezer until I went into labour and then my DH transferred the syringes into a cool bag to take to the hospital, where they were stored in a staffroom freezer. We only ended up using 1 or 2 but knowing I had them was helpful because it took the pressure off. Also, I could hand express really effectively by the time DC was born and that’s a useful skill to have.

I would definitely recommend it. I knew I wasn't going to be able to fully breastfeed my second, so I harvested about 100ml of colostrum over the 4 months before the birth. Kept in 1 and 2ml syringes in the freezer. DS had all of it over the first 4 days or so (I brought some to the hospital) on top of the breastfeeding. It was absolutely fantastic, he lost almost none of his birth weight waiting for my milk to come in. He was perfectly content, slept beautifully, never cried. I think it made bonding easier for me, because I wasn't worried about him starving. It was such a difference to the first time round.

I did this and started contractions and baby came :( so be very careful. Did not do it with my second but she still also came early so maybe it was a coincidence and I’m just an early popper, it was just weird how they started literally as I was doing it. A quick Google told me it’s a technique for when babies are overdue

Sorry just wanted to say I’m not trying to be a negative Nelly and it’s great that everyone else who’s posted have managed it with no issues :)

I’ve always been unlucky!

I started at week 37 and was invaluable when I went in to have emergency c-section at 40 weeks. Took a good few days for my milk to come in but it totally took the stress away, I knew I had something to tide LO over, his weight didn’t drop too much and I felt a huge relief at the breathing space I felt it gave me. Be prepared for the odd loooks and judgment when you tell people though x

I started at 38 weeks occasionally and more regularly at 39 weeks. My midwife advised not to do before because I was exhausted from work and needed a break before the baby came, as there’s a risk of bringing on labour by hand expressing.

I had a neighborhood frighten the life out of me when I was pregnant with my first child. She had recently had a baby and she said I absolutely had to express colostrum while still pregnant. I spoke to my midwife and she said, as a PP has also said, it can start labour so I ignored the neighbor (who kept asking me about it... very annoying) and never did it. Luckily DC and I had no problems breastfeeding so I guess no, it's not necessary but some Mum's do fine it was useful for them. It's your choice - no right or wrong.

You don't have to do it at all if you don't want to. This is a recent thing,I'd never heard of it when I had my children in the 90s. I wouldn't have wanted to anyway, the thought makes me squeamish. I couldn't hand express either (pump was fine) and I breastfed without a bother. The risk of it triggering labour would put me off too.

What's the thinking behind doing this? Just to have some stored up in case you're ill afterwards? I'm 36 weeks and have had colostrum ready to go for weeks already (merest touch in the shower and it oozes out!). I assumed you shouldn't "encourage" it as heard it can bring on labour. This is DC3 and I fed the others myself but it was a while ago.

I tried from 37 weeks before my planned section. It made me feel really sick and horrible so I stopped. I managed to get about 1ml and didn’t even bother taking it in in the end. I had a rough time establishing breastfeeding with DC1 after an EMCS due to a bad tongue tie, but this time we had no issues at all. I think if it works for you, good to have some if you need it, but if it’s stressing you out then I wouldn’t worry.

@kalidasa

What's the thinking behind doing this? Just to have some stored up in case you're ill afterwards? I'm 36 weeks and have had colostrum ready to go for weeks already (merest touch in the shower and it oozes out!). I assumed you shouldn't "encourage" it as heard it can bring on labour. This is DC3 and I fed the others myself but it was a while ago.

Well, lash time it took days for us to be able to get any colostrum after the birth. So we gave her formula as she was starving. So I wanted to get in front of it this time.

Also, I have GD and have read that it can help to have some colostrum ready.

I was just about to say it's only really recommended if you have diabetes. Just saw your update that you have GD, in which case it's not a bad idea to!

Ah OK thanks @mummypregg; with DS1 my milk also took a while to come in and he was born very hungry so he had a couple of bottles in hospital but had no probs after that. DS2 no difficulties and I seem to have had colostrum pretty much from conception this time round (!) so not too worried there! Technically I also have GD, but I'm in France where the diagnostic threshold is very low and I only had one blood test 0.02 over it. They diagnosed it anyway and I have been dutifully doing the diet for the last 8 weeks and testing my blood 6 times a day as they tell you to do here but I haven't had a blood sugar above any of the (lower than UK!) guidelines for weeks and weeks now so to be honest I'm not convinced I really had it in the first place. I don't really mind as the diet is pretty healthy at least even if a bit boring so it's not that big a deal. Reckon I'm going to be quite slim once I've had him though, I haven't put on any weight for nearly 8 weeks! (Baby is fine and growing as normal.)

Anyway, re: the expressing, I never managed to express with a machine, but could hand express OK if necessary. Agree with posters above to try straight after a bath / shower when you are warm and relaxed. Also try to imagine you are breastfeeding / remember what it was like if you have fed successfully before. (But maybe don't think about that if the whole thing was just really stressful first time round!) Good luck!

Ah I have only done it twice now and my boobs are stinging all over. No idea why ? Maybe they've been activated or something ?

I harvested colostrum from 36-37 weeks in 3 of my 4 pregnancies as I had tiny babies and Gestational Diabetes. It really helped in those first days. Helped with their sugars post birth and feeding as they were very sleepy and not interested in feeding. I would get a pack of syringes from my midwife or purchase them and after a bath or shower just sit and express a few mls then pop in a dated zip lock bag in the freezer. I did also also pop into an ice cube tray too. I also found looking at baby stuff helped before trying to express. I did plan to start with Dc1 but he arrived too early. DH would bring them in to the hospital for me to use, midwife would store them as they were labelled and dated.

My first pregnancy I started at 37 weeks and struggled my proverbial tits off to get three measly syringes full.
My second pregnancy I couldn't be arsed until five days before C-day and got loads. I firmly believe the more relaxed I was the better it went. But saying that I don't know anyone who's totally chill at any stage of a first pregnancy :)

I know this was a while ago but i case anyone else reads it.

Hand expressing is positive pressure and pumping is negative pressure which is why pumping shouldn't be encouraged whilst still pregnant