Expressing and Freezing Colustrum

[EenyMeenyMaya]

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and my boobs have been leaking for a week or two now. I'm not quite at the stage where I need to wear breast pads, but I do hand express to soften my boobs before bed otherwise I am quite uncomfortable.

My MW has suggested that I should express and freeze this colustrum. Does that sound right? And how would I practically do this? I was thinking of expressing into a very small plastic cup and then freezing that cup, if I did this, could I then just express again into the same cup the following evening, basically buidling up to a full cup of mixed days worth?

Does any of this make sense? Really hoping someone can help. Thank you in advance!

EenyMeeny lucky you, I couldn't express with DC1 at all.

Have a look at Express Yourself Mums. They should have some advice and you should be able to buy some freezer bags from them.

Hope you have a lovely Christmas and the birth goes well

you can express colostrum straight into a small syringe (the 5mg syringes are good) and then store straight into a freezer bag.

tbh if you have a complication free birth, it is better if you put your baby directly to feed from the breast but I understand wanting to have a freezer stash of something to feed your baby just in case.

if you are leaking a lot of colostrum would you consider donating it?

Agree with everything that KellyBronze said, especially the bit about putting the baby directly to the breast.

A newborn only needs something like 7mls of colostrum per feed, so small syringes are a good way to go, and there's no waste trying to get it from a bag into a suitable receptacle. But really, you want the baby to be on the breast as much as possible and only use the stash in a complete emergency.

Great idea re: the syringes! I am planning to exclusively breastfeed and put baby straight on the breast ASAP, it just seems silly to waste the good stuff now if I can store it in anyway, just in case.

It took a while to fully establish BF with DS1 as he was severly jaundiced and just soooo sleepy, so I expressed colustrum and gave it to him for first few days. I guess knowing that I have a back up is reassuing, even if I never use it.

Kelly - I wouldn't have considered donating it actually, but if I seem to be producing a lot, I will now! Thank you.