Colostrum harvesting

[cheesychips15]

I'm type 1 diabetic and so have been advised to try harvesting colostrum to use if there's any issues with the baby's blood sugars after birth.

I was told to start trying at 36 weeks (booked for a c-section at 38 weeks). I'm currently 36+6 and have been trying at least once a day for the last 4 or 5 days, but have got absolutely nothing.

I've tried following the leaflet my midwife gave me, and also looked at various YouTube videos and online guides to get an idea of what's supposed to happen. They all say that when you're trying to express (after doing the massaging etc), start of with your fingers about 2-3cm from the nipple and if nothing comes out, move a bit nearer or further away until you see something starting to come out. But they don't say how long you should expect to try before seeing anything, so I've no idea whether I'm just being impatient or I'm in the wrong spot and need to move.

I've probably been trying for about 5-10 minutes each time I change "diameter", each session lasting around 30-45 minutes. My breasts are now getting quite sore and I'm worried I'm doing some damage!

Has anyone got any advice for what else I should be trying or any amazing online guides/videos I might not have already seen?

Not everyone can express colostrum before giving birth (indeed not everyone can express fuss stop!) something I wish midwives would remember to tell mums.

If you're starting to get sore maybe stop for a few days and give yourself a chance to heal. Take the time to have a think if there's a time you notice you maybe leak a little, or that your breasts feel fuller/heavier? Some mums find after a shower works best or first thing in the morning. A nice oxytocin rush won't hurt either so eat all those nice snacks and get a food/back rub or whatever works for you.

But most of all relax! (yeah I know, easier said than done) being diabetic, or a planned 38 week section don't gaurentee bs issues for baby. Skin to skin and feeding lots post birth will both help stabilise any issues and you can always express and give directly to baby post birth.

Don't be afraid to keep asking for help once baby is here either. The time on post natal is when I found all those years advocating for myself with diabetic consultants most useful. If it doesn't feel right when it comes to bf then it isn't right regardless of what it looks like. It shouldn't hurt (bar sometimes some initial discomfort on latching but it should stop quickly) and there are so many things that can be tweeked to sort it

I also found the "slightly lower levels whilst nursing" actually meant eat a packet of chocolate hobnobs during night feeds and still have my best hba1c in years 😂 I did rather enjoy being able to just eat without worrying about carbs and ratios so much for a whole though

What time of day are you trying? Prolactin (the hormone that helps with milk production) levels are higher at night, so after a bath or shower in the evening is a good time to try.
Also don't give up as it tends to be more productive the closer you are to the end of pregnancy, so just because it hasn't worked so far, doesn't mean it's not going to.

It took me about a week of doing it daily in the bath (for about 20 mins each time) before I got my first drop. Nothing would happen and I was convinced I was doing it wrong! After that I collected just a few drops each night - worked up about half a teaspoon per session if I was lucky! After a long labour the baby was too tired to latch so we did use it. It was a bonus rather than a necessity though! Don't worry if you can't.

Thanks everyone, it's reassuring to hear it's not just me! I've been trying straight after my shower in the morning (or more accurately early afternoon given the Christmas break! ) so maybe I'll wait till later in the night tomorrow and see if that makes a difference.

@icclemunchy thanks for the advice on breastfeeding while diabetic! My sugars have actually been really well controlled during pregnancy (which is why I'm annoyed baby is still measuring big, everyone just assumes it's the diabetes but I think it's just a big baby!) But looking forward to eating pizza and everything else I've avoided in a few weeks' time!

They always seem to forget that scans and measurements are notoriously inaccurate too. My eldest was measuring 9lb5 at 34 weeks and everyone was panicking. She was 8lb 9 when born at 38+3 and never had an issue bar refusing point blank to latch ever.

My youngest they kept saying was measuring small and was 7lb5 at 35 weeks. She could have held the next biggest baby in NICU 😂 she had a 3week nicu stay because she had an infection and whilst yes it screwed with her sugars it all turned out fine and she breastfed until she was almost 3

Feel free to pm me any time. I'm a breastfeeding counsellor as well as T1 and don't tend to sleep much. I know how useful it can be just to know there's someone you can speak to at 3am when you feel like the only person awake

Not everyone can express colostrum. It's also unlikely to be enough if your baby does have low blood sugar - I had gestational diabetes and, despite good blood sugar control before the birth, my baby was hypoglycaemic on day 1 and had to be given glucose, followed by 40ml formula. No problem.

Have they warned you about diabetes being a risk factor for milk delay and low supply? Nobody bothered to tell me at the obstetric diabetes clinic and just kept encouraging me to EBF, resulting in a seriously ill baby by day 5.
This might be helpful in case staff aren't on the ball about checking your milk has actually come in. Do not worry if you need to supplement with formula. It does absolutely no harm and it's perfectly possible to BF longterm and use it (I never got above 50% supply but did BF to 3.5 years).
fedisbest.org/resources-for-parents/know-risks-delayed-onset-full-breast-milk-supply/

Good luck!

Also, before you spend ages trying to express colostrum, double check they have facilities on the postnatal ward for you to actually use it. An acquaintance spent ages before the birth expressing it and freezing it, only to find there were no facilities to store it at her hospital so it couldn't be used ... so a bit of a waste of time!