How many 1ml syringes of colostrum do I take to the hospital?

[jbtk]

Hi,
I am on day 3 of trying to harvest colostrum. Not getting very much at all and my boobs are already hurting from trying. How much did everyone take into the hospital with them? My midwife is really unhelpful and I am just hope she isn't the one at the birth. She is really abrupt and just wants you in and out of the appointments as soon as possible. It is really getting to me because she is the one that told me to start collecting colostrum (like everyone just is expected to do it) and then gave me no information at all. Luckily I saw a different midwife the next time and she gave me a pack but nothing it say what amounts are usually taken into hospital. I only managed 0.3ml on my first attempt.

Thank you everyone for your advice and experiences. It's really helpful to know. My midwife is crap. I am being induced at 39 weeks (so next week) I don't have GD or any other issues currently, just that I am higher risk because of my age, past complications and because baba is an ivf baby so it has been recommended to me that I be induced. I am going to stick with it and get as much as possible before we go in just in case baby needs it but I am going to stop stressing now after reading all your posts! Thanks so much for taking the time to reply, really appreciate it! X

Midwifes couldn't get mine to latch on so I expressed colostrum into a syringe and which did actually help. However it took so damn long and barely anything came out

@wombatspoopcubes

Will everyone saying that it's pointless please stop. Plenty of women with diabetes do this because the hospitals tend to want to give their babies formula in the beginning and by harvesting colostrum you at least know that they will receive that.

I agree. There are good reasons for suggesting it and trying it, though it is by no means essential. Stop saying it is pointless just because you have no experience or understanding.

As BertieBotts says it is being given out as advice without context or support and it’s no good if it becomes something that causes more stress just when you need to be resting at the end of a pregnancy.

I didn’t do this with my first - no one mentioned it to me and I didn’t know about it. But it would have been helpful for me - I wanted to breastfeed but my DC didn’t latch for the first almost 24 hours, despite the best efforts of midwives etc. I had to try and hand express and use a syringe to feed in the meantime, but having never hand expressed before, I wasn’t getting much out. It would have been really useful to have had a back-up supply. In the end DC had a small formula top up after about 14 hours. But we did manage to get breastfeeding to work for us and fed for more than 2 years. Pregnant again now and think I will try to build up at least a small supply, just in case as would rather avoid formula if possible. But haven’t spoken to my midwife about it yet.

Harvesting has never worked for me before birth. After birth it will come in!

Is there a particular reason like GD she wants you to do it for?

This just sound like something else to stress people out. Fine if midwife isn’t helping those who need to for x reasons, but if you can’t at home then people will panic.

FYI Ds didn’t really latch first 24hrs. Then only fed tiny bit the next 48hrs. He was fine and midwifes said it’s perfectly normal. My milk didn’t come in until about day 3 I think. Still feeding now at 15 months. I have never managed to express anything, but Ds was 4kg born and happily grew on just breastfeeding the first 6 months.

All the people saying it’s pointless have obviously been very fortunate in their births.

My baby had a post natal diagnosis of CHD (I had two 20 week scans and I’m young, fit and healthy and was considered low risk all the way through) and my baby was taken to hospital 4 hrs after birth with all my colostrum so she has the very best nutritional start. It also made me feel like I was still able to give her some benefit.

I will never not do this for future children.

If you want to bring some with you, then just whatever you can get - theres no need / no pressure to do it.

I tried but couldnt get any so gave up and we didnt miss it!

I agree you don't need to, but to assume that baby will just be able to latch on and suck instantly is a bit naive. DD was physically unable to latch at birth and those little syringes of colostrum we had in the freezer took the pressure off expressing a little bit. I know quite a few women who have had issues with getting BFing established and had to express early. The midwives were really happy I'd done it. I also think it helped my supply in those first few days: I was able to express a lot of colostrum right off the bat.

But yes don't do it if it stresses you or makes you sore. It's not mandatory. But i just did 15 mins a day while watching TV and didn't find it onerous at a time I was on mat leave anyway.

It's actually not pointless for some mums, I have gestational diabetes and rather than risk dangerous blood sugar levels in my newborn I have been advised to express colostrum to help stabilise blood sugars soon after birth. It took 4 days last time for me to even begin producing colostrum.

Yep for lots of women and babies it can be hugely helpful to have some colostrum ready, babies who are big or small, born to mums with GD or who've been on labetolol, babies with suspected infections, can all really benefit from a bit of extra colostrum in the first few days whilst waiting for your milk to properly come in

It's also helpful if you're having a section as it can take longer for your milk to come in, or if your baby has a tongue tie and can't latch (I had both of these with DS).

It isn’t pointless at all. My hospital recommends this to all women routinely but particularly to women with GD or who are having a section, and has done for ages. I have a friend whose son was taking straight to SCBU and put on a feeding tube and she was so glad she’d expressed colostrum.

That said, I didn’t have any luck doing it in my first pregnancy. I want to try again in this pregnancy but I’m having a planned caesarean and I’m paranoid it could bring labour on before my c-section date.

Hi chasingaftermidnight, I'm a GD mum and have my planned section next week at 38+4. I was a little slow in starting as it took 4 days to get any colostrum at all, In the last few days I've managed to express x4 1ml of colostrum and I haven't had any signs of labour. Quite a few braxton hicks but that's standard for me this far along. I also desperately tried nipple stimulation in my first pregnancy to get my son out as he was overdue, it didn't do anything for me. If you are worried and get any sign at all or cramping etc you can stop to consult with your midwife/Dr.

I'm sorry to hear your midwife hasn't been helpful, but each droplet is a win so well done! My midwife gave me 4 syringes and I've read everything from "it's not necessary", to "take between 5-40ml to the hospital," so I'm just giving it a go and hoping for the best. I've found a nice bath, podcast on and gently squeezing towards the nipple helped to collect a few droplets before switching to the other side. It's soothing to then use a warm flannel or if you can, move your boob into the warm water for a couple of minutes, then just repeat until you have a whole syringe. It took me a good while but take your time and relax and it'll come eventually x

@RLV10 I think op might have had the baby by now.