No Colostrum 😢

[AimeeLou84]

Hey. So I’m 38+3 today and in for a c section on Thursday so tried to express colostrum but I’ve got myself into an emotional state. My boobs have not grown since I’ve been pregnant, they feel a look as they did minus the big nipples and do not hurt and are not sensitive. I’ve tried expressing colostrum today and nothing at all is happening. I know I don’t even have milk in there my boobs are just the same as they were before pregnancy. I’ve got myself into a right state now that I can’t express colostrum and won’t be able to breastfeed. Please reassure me I might be able to or if you have any similar stories. This is my first baby and I was desperate to try express something and breastfeed. Thank you

Hey - you’re doing great even trying! It took me days to learn how to, and even then I got the tiniest of droplets. After a week or so I maybe got 1ml per evening and it could take an hour to get. I had a section and have now been breastfeeding for 3 years. It’s not an indicator of your success, take it easy, keep trying and you’re already a great mum for thinking about your baby!

Is this a new thing? I don’t think I was ever told to express when I was still pregnant (12 years ago). Logically you don’t need colostrum while your baby is inside you. I breastfed fine once mine was out. Is it doctor’s advice to try to express? Seems oddly anxiety making for no purpose. Try to relax and good luck.

It’s not really a new thing. It’s helpful to have some stored and frozen if you want to breastfeed and need topups in the first few days. My baby was taken to NICU and I was able to send all the syringes I had expressed at home until I could be with them.

Ah ok. That’s interesting. I never got that information.

OP this is one of the best videos I found to prep for feeding

globalhealthmedia.org/videos/das-anlegen-des-babys-an-die-brust/

Thank you! I keep seeing so many people getting 1ml first time and I’m not getting even a drip nothing is happening then it made me panic that I can’t breastfeed. I’ll try again later and just try a few times a day. I mean if I can’t I can’t, I don’t want to stress myself even more than I have today. Thank you x

My boobs were the same - no change whatsoever and with my first, I couldn’t express colostrum at all. I later realised I wasn’t doing it properly.

But successfully breastfed my first for over two years and currently feeding my second too. No changes to your breasts and being unable to express colostrum is not a sign of whether you have enough milk. I even had an oversupply!

Colostrum pre birth is not always there, it wasn't even a "thing" 20 years ago so please don't worry.

My biggest piece of advice is to try to get them to put your baby to your breast as soon after birth as possible whilst they are finishing up the section, their reflex to feed is strong just after birth (watch any farming programme to see animals suckle straight away) so breastfeeding is easier to establish. Also it will take a bit of help to learn positioning, get in place now information about support groups locally (eg breastfeeding cafe etc) or volunteers that come out to you and patiently help because it's a case of taking the time. I've sat with several people I know helping them get established, something a mum, aunt or neighbour would have done but not everyone has someone locally these days.

This is my first baby so not sure but my midwife told me to express it but Christ my stress and anxiety levels are now doubled because I can’t get any 😩 I’ll keep trying, thank you!

Watch as many YouTube videos as you can on it, search colostrum harvesting on instagram - that really helps understand techniques. Have a bath, boob massage, then try! If it happens great, and if it doesn’t then it doesn’t mean you can’t breastfeed! Good luck 😊

Lots of people don’t produce colostrum before the birth so don’t worry! And your milk won’t come in until a day or two after your baby is born.

I had nothing before birth and it took many days for my milk to come in. I gave birth at 38 weeks too. I breastfed for 4 years.

Thank you all so much I feel a bit better now reading these comments x

Don’t worry OP. I couldn’t get a single drop and I had my baby at 38+1. Baby got it out though! I successfully breastfed on my own for 9 weeks and now combi feed. I expressed colostrum from date of birth until it was just milk. Please don’t get yourself too upset and stressed about it.

I hope someone has actually shown you how to do this and not just ‘told’ you to do it. It can be really difficult to do without help especially first time round. Lots of good advice on here already and I hope everything goes really well for you OP.

Thank you. Got myself into a proper state that I can’t provide for my baby. I think I’ll just keep trying a few times a day and if it doesn’t happen I hope they’ll guide me once baby is here

Please don't be anxious, this never used to be a thing. Your milk will come through naturally.

Please don’t stress yourself out about this! The more stressed you are, the more unlikely it is you will achieve anything. I have only been able to harvest small amounts of colostrum before my third baby, the previous two I got nothing but still breastfed. Remember also that your milk does not properly come in until 3-5 days after you give birth so don’t panic that your breast don’t feel immediately full. I have never felt that feeling of milk coming in, I have never really leaked milk much etc so with my first I assumed I didn’t have enough milk and switched to combi feeding too quickly without giving it a chance. So just relax about it and try and get yourself to a breastfeeding support group when you are well enough to give yourself the best chance 😀 good luck x

Getting colostrum before the baby is born wasn’t even a thing a few years ago but babies still breastfed successfully. Mine did, and I couldn’t even express properly after the milk came in.

I expressed colostrum in my first pregnancy in the tub, which helped a bit. I stressed so much to try to get these tiny bits out and I ended up forgetting it all in the maternity ward freezer and never used a drop!! I don't think it's any big deal, some people can never express even after their baby is here and they can still breastfeed comfortably. try not to worry.

You really don’t need to do this, I fed my DD for 26 months and never expressed anything, before or after.

Leave your tits alone and just relax.

Had no colostrum before my babies were born. It's ok and please don't stress yourself out cos that'll make it even less likely to happen. If you want to continue trying, a warm bath can help when trying.

When I was pregnant with my first I tried really hard to express colostrum and it didn't work that well. I got a few syringes worth but hardly anything at all really, and it took so much massaging to get even a few drops. My son was born very small so I did give him the syringes as a supplement but I don't think it really had much impact.

When I was pregnant with my second I got no colostrum at all during pregnancy, but I didn't have the time to dedicate to it like I did when I was pregnant the previous time. My milk came in just fine and my baby took to breastfeeding straight away. 18 months down the line I have no idea how to wean her off!

It’s great that you could breastfeed fine, not everyone can. I expressed 50ml of colostrum before I had my c section and my baby was tiny for term she was very weak and wouldn’t latch, colostrum meant she didn’t need formula or a feeding tube. My milk didn’t come in for days so it really was a god send