Hand expression for preterm birth 33+4

[pinkie1982]

My waters broke on Tuesday 33+2 and I've been in hospital since then. I've had two steroid injections. Baby and I are ok. Am on antibiotics now. Being sent home today and to come back Sunday for an induction. I want to formula feed (personal choice) but thinking it may be advisable to try to hand express colostrum now and freeze to give baby a better start a will be prem. is it too early to express?

I was in a similar situation. (Waiting to be delivered pre term).
Normally they don't advise expressing before 36w as will induce pre term labour. When I pointed out that this was being done anyway, and that I wanted cholostrum ready for my baby to have via the tube that he was likely to need (didn't, but was ready), they told me to go right ahead.
Ask your mw, they will have advice and a pre expressing pack to give you.
Milk can be frozen in syringes and taken in with you when they deliver you.
God luck. Thinking of you x

Wishing you all the best OP. I'm not sure if you've been on already but there's some great advice about expressing etc on the premature birth section of mn, under 'becoming a parent'
Formula wise the hospital will probably advise one for premature babies e.g. nutriprem, which they'll have, it's prescription only. Your baby might also need to be tube fed, although they might not, it depends on their suck reflex. My 36 weeker could manage a cup but not a bottle or a breast initially, but they're all different.
On a slightly different topic, the Tommy's charity book 'Having a Premature Baby' is excellent and they'll post to you for free

Thanks both. I forgot to write this on the list of questions I asked the Dr just now. I will ask the midwife when she puts me on the monitor. They have now lost the bloods and urine tests I did Tuesday and they need to be redone

Midwife said was a good idea and gave me syringes to come home with so am going to try.
Two steroid injections later and only three days until induction so not too worried if I do start off earlier.
Think I'd rather go into labour myself than be induced so body isn't shocked into it. I get the impression the mat ward think it may be fairly quick once contractions are regular as I will be admitted straight into delivery if I start on my own

I have never managed to get any out that early. You can get going as soon as baby arrives. Now had two premmies (33+5 and 34+2 and one full term) delivery of the placenta is a very strong stimulant for milk production and then Kangaroo care for premmies works wonders! Even then 1ml on day 1 is good going! DS3 only had sugar water initially due to sugar levels to they didn't need my milk right away anyway. Don't stress about having the colustrum ready, that isn't normal, there is time...

dont forget you can get donor milk, many hospitals have milk banks, but rarely ofepfer it as its expensive!

I have plenty of leakage and have done for weeks, I wake in the night and it's running everywhere so will try to collect if I can! I don't want to breast feed anyway or express breast milk longer term I just want to start it off with this if I possible can

I hand expressed colostrum for my 34 week ds, you don't get loads out! I vaguely remember hand expressing and hoovering it up with a syringe for him.

You may or may not be able to get any before birth, but you definitely will after,and you could certainly supplement bottle feeds with colostrum

Good luck x

Well that is good. Just be careful to follow guidelines for breast milk storage as they are super strict with this in neonatal. Here is a useful linkkellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/milkstorage-preemie/ particularly note labeling with date and time expressed. Hospital provides labels.

I had to use a pump to get anything for DTs (31+3) but it did work and I managed to get the colostrum. My milk never came in but I had always decided to FF. You'll prob be more successful at hand expressing at 33weeks+.

I had syringes and had to keep them in the fridge, transfer to SCBU and straight into their fridges. I think they kept it for a total of 48 hours so every syringe was labelled with date / time.

The provided syringes and labels to bring home. I am to label and freeze what I collect, if any, then bring in a Tupperware tub with a cool bag on the day.

Hand expressing - it's a two man job is my experience. Get your partner involved! (My DH turned out to be very good at it, you can borrow him if you like).

Ohh definitely not. I'm funny about that! No one is touching my boobs! That's part of the reason I can't stand the idea of actual breast feeding. I don't think I could physically do it