Collecting colostrum

[beepingel]

Has anyone collected their colostrum before baby was born?

I'm 38 weeks and managed to get 5 1ml syringes but I find one breast really easy and the other really difficult! Like one takes 15 minutes to fill 1ml the other takes about an hour and really hurts. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

Also worried that this will also be the case with breastfeeding that only the one will work?

This is quite normal and is absolutely no reflection on your breastfeeding abilities/supply.

It shouldn’t be hurting so I’d give it a break.

5 x 1ml is good going!!
I did 20x1ml over a few weeks and it was bloody hard going, when I have a second no idea how I'll do it.

One of my boobs is deffo the preferred one, seems to pump more milk etc, better nipple shape, but I make her feed off both to keep them even and both producing

That's good to hear I really worry that one won't produce milk as I don't want to have one breast bigger than the other!!

It's a little frustrating as the one that is working well I actually quite enjoy doing it, I find it relaxing and feel proud of myself when Iv filled a syringe. But the other one i just find stressful.

Iv had 2 days break from doing both but as soon as attempting tonight it was just sore I gave up pretty much straight away.

I collected colostrum. I used a pump (lansinoh one) and managed to get quite a lot over the course of a couple of weeks.
I couldn't do it by hand, that was far too frustrating!

The baby will be much more efficient at extracting colostrum than you will be, so don't worry about that.

I am 39 weeks and haven't had any luck with hand pumping, despite trying 5-6 times since 37 weeks. My nipples have been quite red and irrirated since week 28 or so, been using lanolin to keep them from cracking. But on my right nipple I definitely see white below the surface when I've been doing the hand pumping for 5-10 min - just nothing coming out!

Wondering if I should open up my pump and practice using it, which might also get things flowing?

Is colostrum collection before birth a thing?

I always had one nipple that complied nicely and one that was a bit stiff and grumpy, when it came to pumping milk. It would wrinkle up and not produce the goods so easily! I wouldn't worry, boobs are different, you might find one produces more milk or leaks more but not much you can do about it. Occasionally you also get babies who refuse to feed from one boob as well :)

It’s luck of the draw whether you’ll get any.
I was advised not to try for more than half hour and if it hurts to stop.