What to do with breast milk...

[toomuchtimereadingthreads2016]

Hi ladies I'm 20w pregnant and milk is dripping out of me! Colostrum droplets from about 17w but now its uncomfortable and each time I go for a wee I have to hand express a little to relieve the discomfort. It comes out in a proper squirt (sorry for TMI!) not just drip drop...

I tried expressing into a measuring cup just to prove to my mum that it wasnt just drops as she was insisting lol and had 15ml in minutes.

What shall I do with all of this? Looked online and seems its not worth storing until the last few weeks, and with my DD we EBF anyway so didn't need to have any stored.

Can I donate it to a milk bank? Premature babies? Seems like a massive waste to be expressing down the sink... Will having lots now affect the "quality" of first feeds when baby is born?

thanks xxx

[TriJo]

Get some syringes, fill them and freeze them for just after the birth.

[gallicgirl]

Yup, freeze just in case. It's good for 6 months.

[toomuchtimereadingthreads2016]

I know the internet is full of strange advice, but am pretty sure I read not to before 36 weeks? Or is that just because they dont expect there to be anything of substance to store before then? Thanks for replies x

[drinkyourmilk]

I was told 36 weeks by my midwife simply because there is some evidence to suggest that harvesting colostrum beforehand could cause uterine contractions.
However I can't see that applying when it's literally dripping from you. Harvesting usually involves simulating feeding and encouraging supply.
Why don't you mention this to your midwife and see what they say?
If I were you I would collect, label and freeze.

[drinkyourmilk]

Missed a bit out there- and the contractions could obviously end up with a premature birth.

[drinkyourmilk]

Oh- and I had drops of colostrum a few weeks back (I'm 32 now) but it's all stopped now. So maybe this will just be temporary