Colostrum collecting - Any tips

[Motherof1and2dogs]

I feel like I am struggling to get colostrum than I did with my first born. I remember getting loads with him but I feel like I am struggling this time round. I am 36+3 weeks.

Can anyone recommend any tips to help with this please?

Hey! Just writing to say that im in the same boat :) 36+3wks today, STM and haven't tried harvesting yet. Last time I start late around 39weeks and thats when my waters broke. Didnt end up harvesting any. So I'm a bit reluctant to try this time until at least 37 weeks.

Only a few days off but I believe it's advisable to wait till 37 weeks.
Heat and massage are what really helps. Take 10 mins to prep and it should come easier. Either a nice hot shower or a heatpack on beforehand helped me. Then massage the entire breast, first in circular motions, and then the 'kneading' motion from the outer breast towards the nipple. May need to Google videos of these techniques if I'm not explaining properly😂 C shape with thumb and forefinger to express, squeezing down and pulling forward. No need to even touch the areola, stay further back than that.

I honestly hate the fact that people get so worried and stressed about this at a time when the last thing you need is more worry and stress. Think of all the generations of women who have successfully fed their babies without harvesting colostrum! If you really want to then try. But don’t stress about it if it’s difficult or causing you a moment of worry.

I wouldn't say it's tips as what I'm doing is fairly generic per the advice.

I have a shower, massage boobs a bit in the shower.

Get out the shower, get comfy, and carry on with the massage, generally cup boob with one hand, and massage with other, I apply a fair bit of pressure but but not enough to be uncomfortable. I set a timer for 7 mins.

After 7 mins, I do the c shape around the nipple, gently squeeze for 3-4 seconds and release.

Where i went wrong first couple of times I think is moving my fingers to press on a different part of my nipple when I didn't yield results quickly. I got my best results when I just repeated the nipple squeeze in the same 2-3 places persistentlyvrather than continously moving my fingers around. If I moved around I just tended to get the odd gloopy (sorry) drop that stuck to side of container, but if I persisted with one squeeze and release pattern repeatedly eventually it would flow more and drip into container.

I do the nipple squeezing for about 5-7 minutes. I don't squeeze hard enough that it hurts, though i do occasionally catch my nipple on the container.

I have been advised to do it from 36+2 due to gestational diabetes.

I didn't apply much pressure to myself, said if it doesn't work I'm not gonna go crazy and try multiple times a day, I'd give up. But fortunately it seemed to come quite easy and I got good results on second go so will keep going.

Sorry my phrasing was poor I don't squeeze the nipple itself but the skin around it

You might be a little early yet.

In the bath. Warm flannel on your noon and gently massage around the nipple and breast to stimulate the area and pull and squeeze gently the nipple seemed to work for me. Have a colostrum syringe ready to collect