Colostrum Harvesting When Pregnant and Nursing?

[midori1999]

I'm only 12 weeks pregnant at the moment, but have Gestational Diabetes again. I plan to harvest colostrum antenatally and wonder if there's any harm in doing this prior to 36/37 weeks in terms of the colostrum being suitable for my newborn? I haven't yet experienced any change in supply, but assumed as I'm still nursing my DD that it would be easier to get larger anounts of colostrum this time? (when I tried when pregnant and not nursing I struggled to get a few mls)

Thanks.

Just bumping for you,

Congratulations midori.

Everything I've read doesn't recommend harvesting colostrum prior to about 35 weeks but I don't know why!

I'm guessing you see a diabetes nurse so you could ask them for their view on it.

Thanks for the reply and congratulations. (and bump! )

I'm not sure the hospital I am at have even heard of colostrum harvesting, the last one hadn't. I will ask at my next appointment though.

Everything I have seen about colostrum harvesting assumes no current breastfeeding and seems to suggest that expressing prior to 36 weeks ish could cause premature labour, but as I'm already breastfeeding, that seems a bit, well, silly, if I'm honest.

Do you have any links to info at all crikeybadger? It seems quite thin on the ground.

This is from the International breastfeeding Journal and is quite good.

I see what you mean about expressing prior to 36 weeks - it's obviously a guideline due to the possibility of breast stimulation inducing early labour but in your case you are already getting that.

I can ask on a 'lactsupporters' facebook group if you want some more views.

Thankyou for that.

Interesting regarding the SCBU admission rates in mothers who expressed antenatally, seeing as I'm fairly certain the same doesn't apply in breastfeeding Mothers, but I could be wrong on that.

I don't want to put you out without needing to, so I'll ask at my appointment on Monday and if no luck I'll try the hospital infant feeding advisor, who is also involved with LLL and if still no luck, I may come back to you.

Thanks again.