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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Harvesting colostrum

9 replies

wjg65ka · 15/07/2021 10:43

Hi,

I'm 35 weeks pregnant, I've picked up my colostrum harvesting kit to start at 37 weeks. DS2 is due via csection at 39 weeks so not long to go now.

Do I bring the frozen syringes to the hospital with me on the day of csection and defrost a couple? How many do I feed the baby over the 24 hour stay and how often? Also can I still put baby on the breast too?

I didn't do this first time round, I breastfed exclusively and four months in baby was hospitalised as my milk was not calorific enough and even with topped up expressed milk and regular feeds he couldn't gain weight.

Naturally I'm anxious about breastfeeding again, so would like to make sure I give them enough milk

OP posts:
KentishyTown · 15/07/2021 10:51

Just get as much as you can over the week or so before your c-section. Take it gradually but then it should start to come. I think they recommend doing it twice a day once you're up and running? Don't quite me on that. Get as many syringes as you can in your freezer and then bring some into hospital in a cool bag labelled with your name and hospital number. Yes of course you can put baby in breast. The surrounded are there as back up if baby has trouble latching.

Jellyfishnchips · 15/07/2021 14:03

See how you get on once you start at 37 weeks, as I think how much you can and want to give baby will be easier to gauge once you know how much you’ve been able to harvest. I haven’t found it the easiest to get very much, just a few drops per session (been doing it since 37 weeks) only twice a week as when tried more often just didn’t get any. The midwife told me it is only produced due to hormones prior to birth in small amounts, and the real production kicks in once the placenta has been delivered after birth.

Original poster
wjg65ka · 15/07/2021 14:36

Thanks! I've been leaking quite a lot, lots of orange fluid but avoiding hand expressing until 37 weeks as suggested. I never knew anything about this first time around

OP posts:
KentishyTown · 15/07/2021 15:21

Use a hot flannel on each breast first and do a massage to help things along. At first you will only get tiny amounts so don't be disheartened, but just remember even a drop is like gold to the baby. Good luck!

LifeBeginsNow · 15/07/2021 15:46

I had my csection 5 weeks ago and had the same questions. I expressed roughly twice a day until I went in and some days had about 2ml and on a rare occasion hit 8ml!
I labelled each syringe with my name, NHS number, the date expressed and how many ml were in each syringe (this was in case the midwife wanted to keep track for any reason).
All were stored in the freezer until the day when I took 6 out and put them in a ziplock bag (with the above information on the outside) and took them into hospital in a little lunch cool bag with an ice block. The midwife took it off us and put it in their fridge when we arrived and knew to pass one to my husband when the baby was born (my csection was done under a GA so I couldn't breastfeed straight away).
They defrost quickly under warm water (the midwife can help with that). Just keep the others in the freezer at home and if there's a problem, your DH can pick them up but I'd go in assuming you will be breastfeeding and won't need the colostrum.

sarah13xx · 15/07/2021 15:52

I’m doing this too for a c-section. Planning to put each syringe in a labelled zip lock bag saying the date, my name and date of birth. Going to take a very small cool bag with freezer blocks in it to the hospital with the syringes. My understanding is the feeds on day 1 should be 5-7ml each so if it was 1ml syringes maybe take 5 out first and see. It jumps up quite a bit the next day but I’m just going to use whatever I have then maybe try and express a bit more and if I can’t il just move to formula, that’s what I’m planning anyway

Original poster
wjg65ka · 15/07/2021 20:19

I had a try out of curiosity and managed to fill 6 syringes! Was tough going as was sucking it up from a spoon into the syringe but the milk is there!

I'm just hoping it'll be enough for baby. I know it's a little bit earlier than intended I just wanted to see if I could and then didn't want to waste any.

I've frozen them and will make sure my midwife gets them on the day of my csection

OP posts:
SpamIAm · 15/07/2021 20:23

That's good you managed to get so much, but please do leave them alone until 37 weeks now. The stimulation can bring on premature labour. Fine to catch anything that's dripping out, just don't express :)

KentishyTown · 15/07/2021 22:13

Yeah, I was way too scared to start trying earlier than 38 weeks as I didn't want to go into labour early.

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