Did colostrum harvesting actually put anyone into labour?

[sarah13xx]

Really want to harvest my colostrum but booked for a c-section in a week and I’m so worried it causes labour to start before then. I did it this morning for the first time and I’m now paranoid at every tiny pain 🙈 what’s the chances of it actually causing labour to start early? Have most people managed it for weeks and been fine or has it caused anyone to go into labour? Thanks 😬

It's theoretical. I did it daily from 35 weeks and didn't labour until 40 weeks with both of my babies. I'm a midwife and recommend it all the time and haven't had anyone labour from it. If it worked then we wouldn't have so many inductions! Given you are booked for a C/S, I would say give it a go but stop if you get any regular cramping.

Following as would like to get started on Monday but DH wants me to wait until Wednesday just in case :o

I did this from 36 weeks Pre ELCS and it did not cause any concerns. Delivered at 39 weeks and was feeding within an hour of birth so definitely worth it for me. My milk supply increased a couple of days before after having a cuddle with a friends newborn and was having a few cramps then, so the oxytocin definitely made a difference!

@stopchewingeverything thanks! I asked my midwife at my last appointment, knew I wasn’t going to start early even if I did it (just in case) but she really wasn’t very reassuring. She said she’s had one person do it and it’s been fine but I maybe better not just in case 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m low risk, don’t have any health issues. If you’ve had lots of people doing it and it hasn’t started anyone off I should be safe enough to do it once per day for a week!

@SingingWaffleDoggy crazy how strange our bodies are that they can do this stuff 🙈 I think a lot of people must manage it before a section and have no issues. I just keep seeing one thing then another online and can’t decide whether it’s worth the risk or not but it seems it’s very unlikely to do anything!

Guidance is that it's OK from 37 weeks and that's what I recommend for my patients...I just had heaps at 35 weeks so just started collecting. If you are 37+ weeks I would totally go for it

I harvested from 35 weeks, and whilst it didnt put me in labour, it gave me constant painless contractions (not BH) from 37 weeks until i was induced

I started at 35 weeks and it was invaluable. Didn’t labour until 41+5!

@stopchewingeverything I’m 38 and a half so have left it a good bit later than most people but it was just to give me the best chance of getting my section asap if anything was to happen 🙈 I will give it a try this week

@Frustration21 that’s interesting. They do say that can happen but it should stop when you stop, would still scare me though! I don’t think I’ve ever had BH unless I’ve just thought it was baby moving instead

@BloodyCreateUsername thanks, one tally mark in the ‘doesn’t cause labour’ column 😂

38 weeks and my plug had gone, we were waiting around for 7 hours fo things to kick off. So i started squeezing and 5 mins later pop went my waters. 2 hours later baby was here.

I harvested from 37 weeks and was at risk of premature birth the whole pregnancy due to a crappy cervix, so once I made it to term I started to collect baby arrived at 39+1

@Imonlydoingwhatican hmmm interesting one! Suppose you’ll never know whether your waters would have gone themselves but it could have helped it along 😕

@boymum88 that’s still a good two weeks at least! My section isn’t til 39+4, I think I’d be more confident if it was bang on 39 weeks 😂

I wish!! Did all I could to bring it on and nothing worked.

I pumped and my labour started within 24 hours with my DS2. I was overdue though so could be a coincidence

@Nuuktown possibly! When I looked into it a lot of things seemed to say it will only cause it if you’re ready to go into labour anyway. The team doing my planned section only work week days so maybe I just do it Monday to Friday then don’t do it next weekend 😂