Boobs have been leaking since 18 weeks but now it's yellow...

[shouldIbecrossaboutthis]

I'm guessing this is colostrum? I'm getting a bit worried I'll be overdue and have to be induced (for some reason, really worried about this, think it's cos a friend just had a horrible labour bless her).

Do you think that producing colostrum could be a sign that I wont go too past DD; or is that wishful thinking?

Any by leaking I mean, changing my Tomme Tippe breast pads 2/3 times a day. If I sit up with no top on it literally just runs out!

I don't think it's an indicator of due date, never heard that one before. I went 12 days over having been leaking from about 20 weeks with dd.

wishful thinking then! I just hoped that given the change in colour it meant things might be more likely to happen sooner rather than later!

I have no idea from personal experience as I got no colostrum until after DD was born but have a look here.

I had colustrum leaking, mine was almost orange! Went 14 overdue, failed induction and ended up with a cs. Sorry op. but I have heard that if you express off while still pregnant it can be a natural induction method. Not sure how correct that is though.

Yes it's colostrum. If you are beyond 37 weeks then try expressing it regularly, it stimulates oxytocin, which in turn stimulates labour. I was part of a study where I colostrum harvested before I had dd because I had GD and they were trying to bring down induction rates (induction at term for diabetics) and provide extra supplies, which GD babies often need. Dd was born at 39 weeks.

That's really interesting happy. How often did you have to express just out of interest? Do the babies of those with GD often need extra coliseum because of blood sugar levels?

Every night in the bath from 37 weeks. I squeezed the drops in to 1ml and then 5ml syringes and froze them. Poor DH had to hold them for me and catch the drops!

The problem for the babies is that if mum has GD then they produce extra insulin to cope with higher sugar levels. When the cord is cut that high sugar supply is cut off but they still have the high insulin, which can lead to hypoglycaemia. It's why something like 1 in 3 GD babies end up in special care. They used to top up with formula but obviously if you have colostrum in a cool bag then you can top up with that.

Bfing rates in GD mums are lower because they have higher induction and c section rates and generally feel awful after labour because their blood sugar is all over the place so everything helps.

In the end we used the expressed colostrum the first night I was home so DH could feed dd and I could sleep.

Brilliant, so it really worked for you! I have a friend with GD about to be induced with her third baby. She did struggle with feeding too, and would love to be allowed to go into labour naturally but at the same time is obviously worried about risks to baby.

Just noticed my previous message had been autocorrected, obv you knew I meant colostrum!!

My diabetic midwives said it could do no harm. She could ask them for the syringes to store the colostrum in. We froze it and took it in a cool bag when I went in to labour. I exclusively fed dd for more than a year. Those first feeds are really important, I fed dd straight away, before the cord was cut but I was lucky becaus my mum was a midwife and delivered dd and then coached me with feeding from the very beginning while the NHS midwife tidied up!