GD and antenatal colostrum expression

[Cat1990]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience? I am 38+1 and was diagnosed with GD at 28 weeks.

The midwife has asked me to express some colostrum before DS arrives because of the risk of him having low blood sugar when he is born. I have tried for a while but it doesn’t seem to be happening for me. The most I’m able to get is a few drops on some days and some days none. On the days I have managed to collect I’ve attempted to put the colostrum in the syringe and stored in the fridge after each interval of collection throughout the day. However, by the time I come to put it in the freezer at the end of the day the little I’ve collected just seems like it’s dried in the syringe.
Has anyone got any tips to help with making my milk flow a bit easier? I’ve tried massage, nipple stimulation and a hot compress on the breasts but it doesn’t seem to help.

I’m also worried about going into labour with no colostrum and DS’s blood sugars are low at birth, presumably they would give him formula or do I need to pack it?
Sorry if these are silly questions? FTM here and so much I don’t know! Planning to give the midwife a call again on Monday if nothing happens but it’s always good to get feedback from other mums.

Thanks x

I packed a starter pack of formula the box of 6 mini bottles and sterile teats as had GD but couldn’t express as was at high risk of rupture so we would have used formula if needed

Thank you! That’s really helpful to know

They checked my baby about an hour after she was born then a few hours later on the ward. She was ok but they said if the level was low formula would work quick

Keep trying with the colostrum collecting it may start to increase in amount over a few days as you have started trying to do it good luck x

I think it's normal to get nothing at first, if you're getting even a few drops that's a good sign!
I did it for DC2 as I wanted to be prepared after a bad experience being unable to feed DC1. Started at about 38 weeks, hand expressed every night before I went to bed for the duration of one episode of the box set I was watching. Used 1ml syringes with plastic caps which I bought on Amazon.
For the first few days I got barely anything but by the end of the first week I could easily fill a 1ml syringe in 30 mins. I shoved them in a bag in the freezer and then when DC was born and was too sleepy to feed, my DH brought the bag to the hospital and I had about 20 little syringes full of colostrum to give her.
I found expressing the colostrum and sucking it up with the syringe weirdly satisfying, like squeezing a spot

Thank you all for your replies!

Really encouraging to hear you got a decent amount out after a few days as it can be so disheartening when you only get a little! :) will keep trying

Haha @GingerGetThePopcorn it’s the little things

I have GD and asked about this recently though I am not at the point of trying yet, they did say it can take a few days trying before you get anything much coming through so keep going. They also said that a midwife would try to help you express some at the hospital if when you arrived you hadn’t managed.

They can use other things though, formula and also they can rub a glucose gel on the inside of the baby’s cheeks to raise blood sugar.

Not sure if I will try or not as I am also at risk of pre term delivery, but will wait and see what they advise.

Wish you lots of luck with it, it’s a lot I know! On the plus side the diabetes midwife I spoke to said most babies whose mothers have GD don’t actually have any blood sugar issues after the birth, they just have to check and be ready just in case.

Hi OP, I struggled to be able to do this and was a bit worried about it. Luckily my DS passed all his sugars but when I thought he looked a bit too sleepy I asked the midwives to use the hospital breastpump and that worked fine.

I guess my point is, if you can do it that's great but if not don't worry as there' are other options and you might not need it anyway.

Keep trying. It builds up. I have DT and was advised to start hand expressing at 36 weeks. When they were in neonatal intensive care I used a pump and was getting over a litre a day. Even the midwives were shocked. I truly think the hand expressing beforehand set me up for this.