Colostrum Harvesting - please can I have some advice?

[cupcakemumma]

Hi everyone, I hope that you're all well.

I'm now 38 weeks pregnant with our first baby. As I have gestational diabetes my midwife has suggested that I try colostrum harvesting to use incase our baby has a dip in blood sugars when she is born so that there is some colostrum there at the ready.
I went to a session at the hospital where a healthcare assistant showed me and some other mums to be what to do, though it was a very brief 15 minute session. Problem is I've tried hand expressing for the first time today using the method that was taught to us but not a drop came out.

Has anyone else tried doing this from 38 weeks? Any success? Any tips or advice would be really appreciated, I really want to do all that I can to successfully express but at the moment I am now worrying that this isn't going to be possible. I don't feel confident at what I'm doing and I don't want to cause damage to my breasts by trying to get something going that isn't ready yet.

Thank you in advance for your help ladies. x

cupcake - best not to mess about before you have another chance for some one on one instruction. You could bruise your breasts. You will have colostrum, that's for sure, but you may need a bit more help to work out the best way for you to get it. Call the healthcare assistant, or a midwife, or the diabetes midwife, and ask for another session, perhaps?

I expressed from birth for three days because DS was briefly in SCBU. it took 24 hours before anything came out.
Are there other options for treating low blood sugar levels?

Antenatal expressing of colostrum is the best way to treat a drop in blood sugar, Iggly.

Those who I know have done it have used an electric pump, but perhaps that is not considered the best way anymore

I tried antenatal expression for similar reasons and ended up cracking my nipple as tiktok warned above. My community MW was unsupportive of antenatal expressing but with hindsight I should have stuck to my guns and asked for a referral to a B-F counsellor or infant feeding specialist at the hospital.

A friend of mine did manage it very successfully but she said it can take several sessions to get the hang of it.

Also there are good videos on you-tube which I found helpful (after my first dodgy attempts).

Thank you all for your help and advice - ouch about the cracked nipple - how terrible that your midwife wasn't supportive!

I managed to get an appointment today with another maternity nurse who gave me some more tips and spent more time with me to go through some massage suggestions which could help things along. Will give it another go tonight and we'll see what happens.

Hello,

I had to pump from day 3 cos DD would not latch. First time I tried I got 3 ml so a slow start is very normal. Try a hot bath before hand as well as veing very very relaxed - this could be a funny DVD or whatever. Actually some people swear by expressing in the bath could be worth a shot.

I'll be doing this next time round in case I get another poor latcher! We did go on to EBF though.

Right, I did this about 14 months ago and now have a very healthy 13 month old.
I got tiddly amounts to start with, 0.2ml per breast, which after 10 days was up to 2.5ml per breast. I worked up - started with trying only once a day after a hot shower, then 2, 3, and finally 4 times a day just using a hot flannel to wash the nipple when I got good at it. I needed tiny syringes to suck it up from my breast - dropping into a cup would have been ridiculous and wasteful for me.
I found the beating of hot water onto the breast in the shower helped to get a start, and would express straight after the shower initially. Later I'd express when I was relaxed and sat down. I'd try for a maximum of 5 minutes and if nothing happened, well, try again the same time the next day. If you have a scan photo of your baby, try looking at that.

Bumping because I was supposed to be on a course for this and I've just been told that they no longer run them. It would have really helped with DD2 and, as it looks like I might have GD this time I was desperate to get ahead of this so that DD2 isn't forced onto formula the way DD1 was.

As my antenatal team seem to be a bit clueless about it all, is it something that I can research online and then practice?