How long did it take for you to get a decent amount of colostrum?

[BeMorePacific]

Hi, I’m just coming up to 37 weeks, so have been doing a little bit of hand expressing. But getting next to nothing.
I’ve been trying once a day after a shower.

How long did it take for your supply to increase? How frequently did you express for and for how long?
Did you find it painful at all?

Thank you ♥️

@Avery7 thank you that’s really helpful.
The pain is due to hormone changes, my breasts are back to being hyper sensitive. I’m hoping they calm down soon. Really good tips, thank you!

Don't worry.
I expressed before birth with my second DC. You get very little colostrum with expressing as baby only needs a little for a very short time. I froze some just in case. I then went on to donate milk whilst feeding. Expressing means you will always have more milk than needed.
Be gentle with yourself, but preparing for the baby is a good thing and you will be fine. Remember the most important thing is that baby is fed, not how or by whom.

That must have been tough with DC1 OP, I can see why it would be nice to have some colostrum ready. But don’t panic if you can’t get any. Chances are your milk will come in faster with DC2, and if not you know what to do this time and can add a bit of formula until it does.

When I had to express colostrum I used a pump every two hours as my body wasn’t ready (very prem csection). It took an age but I got there eventually. Maybe try hand expressing for a couple of minutes but more often, and hold or smell something that reminds you of newborns. Being relaxed and feeling maternal is very helpful to get the milk flowing.

Hope it all goes well.

I’m having no luck harvesting colostrum, despite leaking a fair bit at random times! Very frustrating

I didn't bother with #1. I'm going in for a planned section this time and following issues with the anesthetic last time I wanted to be prepared for worst case. I'd read using a Haakaa (or other silicon pump) could help with colostrum harvesting. I'm 38+2, started at 37+1 and have 10 x 5ml syringes to take into hospital plus 3 x 50ml bottles I'm keeping at home in the freezer. It is worth noting I was still BFing my toddler when I fell pregnant and did have an oversupply then but dried up when I stopped feeding at 17 weeks so others may not get as much however other people I've suggested it to have had good results too x

@FirstTimeBumps well done what a brilliant amount to have.
I have a Hakka so I’ll give it a go!

@SpikeStoker thank you for your response, you’re so lovely. I do think knowing what I know now will help me. We did combi feeding last time, and it worked brilliantly. I just want to be confident in my feeding, even if we use formula.

@FizzingWhizzbee123 I had a go in the bath today (not collecting) and seemed to get more than ever before.

@peakotter thanks so much xx

I started harvesting colostrum around 37 weeks because I was leaking it anyway. I mentioned it to my midwife and she suggested collecting it and freezing just in case. I only produced a tiny bit at a time, maybe 0.5mls and some days far more than others. I think I did it a couple of times a day although more once I was overdue as I wanted baby to come

Best advice I can give you is squeeze around the nipple, not the nipple itself, and try to do it when you're nice and relaxed. I always started leaking when next door's baby was crying so maybe borrow a noisy baby but don't worry if it's only tiny amounts, it really was a case of collecting just a few drops.

I was glad I did it in the end as DS ended up in SCBU for a while and I couldn't BF him at the beginning, but the midwives at the hospital were a bit baffled when I turned up with my frozen colostrum and asked me why I'd collected it. Tbh it gave me something to do in the evenings.

I've been harvesting twice a day since 37 weeks (now 38) I found that the first couple of times I was only getting collectively (both boobs) 0.5ml but after a couple of days I could almost do a full 1ml from each boob, then ran into a couple of busier days and feels like I'm starting all over again, make sure you massage your boob well first and don't squeeze too hard but I tend to express closer to the nipple, can take like an hour but really happy with my growing collection as I've heard so many useful ways it can be used once baby is born. Also like to put warm compresses one before I start expressing as it soothe the nipples as the first could of times made them a bit tender.

I'm 41 weeks and tried so hard still no colostrum. It varies hugely some ladies have lots of it

@shreddednips I hope you’re little one is doing ok now. So good that you had some supply back up for him. Thank you for the tips.

@27andcounting thank you! I’m going to properly start this week.

@Viletta as previous posters have said, it’s not a concern if you can’t get any before baby is born. It won’t impact your milk supply. Good luck with the birth, it won’t be long now ♥️

Those with gestational diabetes are asked to do this in case baby has low blood sugar and needs immediate top ups to avoid formula.
I'm being induced today and have managed to get 12ml. Not sure it will be enough. And I only stopped feeding my first around 20 weeks ago

oxytocin is the hormone that causes milk let down, also increases when you go into labour. So I can only imagine that harvesting so far out means your body isn't ready to let go yet. Stress also causes milk let down issues. (last birth C section etc might have added more stress than you think). Sounds like a relaxing bath is what you needed
I work as an animal nutritionist so know lots about colostrum and milk but not much about human births. Find all this quite interesting because I definitely want to make sure my baby has plenty of colostrum so might consider doing it in case something goes wrong.

I expressed a little in the shower from about 37 weeks with first birth and 36 weeks with second. I was expecting C-sections so I wanted to stimulate my supply. I didn't harvest though, just looked for the yellowish drop of liquid on my nipples. Both times when babies were born they fed well and my milk came in quickly (within 2 days). I found hand expressing easiest - there are helpful videos online.

Our Trust now advises that all mothers try colostrum harvesting from 36/37 weeks, GD or not.

Although this had been the recommendation in certain cases like GD for some time it's a recent move to recommend this across the board as wasn't mentioned when I had my first DD 2.5 years ago. My midwife gave me all the info at 32 week appointment and will provide a kit at 36 week.

I'm going to try this although won't be too worried if it's only a little. It would be a helpful back up - I struggled to latch my DD at first and was having to express onto a spoon to feed her at the time.