Harvesting Colostrum

[BC2603]

Hi all

After a few days of absolutely nothing I was starting to feel like it wasn’t going to happen but tried today and managed to get the smallest amount however I struggled to get anything into the syringe I have. It doesn’t have a nozzle so seemed hard to pull into the syringe? Do I need to wait to produce enough for it to drip in to the syringe? Or does anyone have any tips? Or recommendations for better syringes?

Thanks in advance

I massaged/squeezed drips out into syringe tip then sucked the plunger back, then go again on repeat. I'd get about 5-10ml then my milk came in. I never did it before birth though, is that what you're doing?

I'm sorry if this isn't really answering the question-but why not wait til the baby's born and let him or her harvest the colostrum? I worry that you might make your breasts sore and make feeding more difficult....

I did this before birth and used a small (sterilised) bottle to collect it in and then used the syringe. It was way easier than trying to directly get it in the syringe!

I've been trying the last few days. I literally get a couple of droplets on my nipples. There's no way I'd get even 1ml. I'm just doing the nipple stimulation really because it can encourage labour. No way I'm actually harvesting anything there just isn't enough!! And after about ten mins each side it is uncomfortable!!

I'm same as @TripleESept24 and also hoping it encourages labor. At the start I only got a few drops at a time and honestly it was a waste of a syringe. Now (w38) I'm getting more but still barely 1ml.

I'm 39 weeks and can only manage a few drops 🤣 I just don't think I'm gonna get anything in the syringes it's more to encourage labour

You can squeeze it onto a teaspoon and then suck it up the a syringe. I couldn't get more than tiny drops (not even enough to justify storing) but once baby was born it was fine! I filled about 15 syringes between feeds once baby was here to freeze and give her to either top up, or when she was poorly.

Thanks all! Think I just saw so much on Facebook with people with full syringes and I’m sat there wondering how the hell they got it in them

Harvesting colostrum prior to birth is a good idea and is recommended by HCP’s. Especially if an emergency section occurs or baby struggles to latch, if mum or baby has a health condition…

A tip I learned in NICU was to get 5ml syringes and then put the colostrum in the top (take the plunger out and then put it back in after). Soooo much easier

(Obviously you won't get as much during pregnancy, but when it came to my second baby I still used the 5ml syringes antenatally because they're so much easier - it doesn't matter that they're not full).

First things first, don't stress about it. With dc1 I could only get a few beads on the end of my nipple.

Dc2 was much easier. What worked for me was having a hot shower or bath and massaging breasts in the warm water. Then expressing onto a sterilised teaspoon and then using the syringe. Also, it felt less daunting to try and fill the teaspoon rather than a 5ml medicine cup. Not sure why but just how my brain was working at the time.

First time I had any success, I got just over a third of a ml.

After a couple of weeks of trying and getting next to nothing mine came in properly at about 40 weeks. I found the syringes impossible so I bought some colostrum collectors from Amazon - they're wider and bigger and were much more usable good luck!

Its a very new thing and seems to cause loads of stress with women not able to do it and then getting worried they won't be able to breastfeed.

It might be a nice to have but I wouldn't waste any time with it if it isn't working easily.

Try to relax, have a nice hot shower and then try. It does take work and I had to use a moderate amount of force to massager it out. I also used the syringe up the milk then push out the air technique.

I had about 5 syringes which were invaluable when my induction ended in an EMCS and a nurse ended up giving him his first feed in the NICU. We were separated for 3 hours so I'm glad I had the colostrum to feed him, I'm not sure what they would have done otherwise. I didn't want his first food to be formula.

The last thing to do is get stressed about it. I'm 37 weeks and I'm not going to even try. Even the thought makes me stressed and a bit ick. It's such a new thing, babies before were fine without it. I also still have a full time job for another 2 weeks!

The last thing to do is get stressed about it. I'm 37 weeks and I'm not going to even try. Even the thought makes me stressed. It's such a new thing, babies before were fine without it. I also still have a full time job for another 2 weeks!

I feel exactly the same as this. My daughter is 20 years old, and there was no such thing or recommendation back then and I breastfed absolutely fine!! She got everything she needed those first few days until milk came in and you didn't take any syringes or anything with you to the hospital then!!

It is an added stress which I don't think is necessary.