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Original poster

Colostrum Harvesting - No Success

98 replies

Catlady2202 · 07/02/2026 14:33

I’m nearly 37 weeks and my midwife gave me some syringes to start collection. I’ve tried two days now and not even a drop is coming. It’s like nothing is there. It feels really demoralising and I burst into tears afterwords which is the complete opposite of the oxytocin production I want.

I try after having a hot shower and I start off relaxed and then it becomes stressful. My boobs start to get a little itchy and ‘sore’ not painful and then so I know it’s time to stop.

i really planned on breastfeeding / I’ll be so upset if I can’t. And I know ‘fed is best’ but I just feel less of a woman for not getting any colostrum out and even more embarrassed that I get so upset during the process because I’m meant to be producing love hormones and instead I’m stressed.

has anyone had the same issue and breastfeeding was successful after baby was born?

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Shoecamp · 07/02/2026 14:35

I accept I might be completely out the loop here as my kids are teenagers. But I never thought to do this before birth and was not told to. I breastfed my kids absolutely fine once they were born

LittlePetitePsychopath · 07/02/2026 14:36

I never got a drop, and have exclusively breastfed two children.

It doesn't matter at all.

Original poster
Catlady2202 · 07/02/2026 14:37

Shoecamp · 07/02/2026 14:35

I accept I might be completely out the loop here as my kids are teenagers. But I never thought to do this before birth and was not told to. I breastfed my kids absolutely fine once they were born

Edited

I think it must be a new thing because this was news to my mum and mother in law too which I guess is definitely some reassurance that it’s not ‘necessary’ … just frustrating

OP posts:
WooWooWinnie · 07/02/2026 14:39

It doesn’t matter if you don’t get anything. It’s the birth of your placenta that makes your body think “oh, had the baby now, need to feed it”. It’s worth continuing to do it once a day, you may find you get something as you approach your due date, but it doesn’t matter/mean anything if you don’t.

AzureRose · 07/02/2026 14:40

Shoecamp · 07/02/2026 14:35

I accept I might be completely out the loop here as my kids are teenagers. But I never thought to do this before birth and was not told to. I breastfed my kids absolutely fine once they were born

Edited

Pretty much this. Does breastfeeding, now start before the babies even born 🤯

APatternGrammar · 07/02/2026 14:41

I didn’t get anywhere near 37w pregnant and breastfeeding was fine, baby went from 4 lb to 14 lb ebf in 6 weeks. Don’t worry about it.

Arglefraster · 07/02/2026 14:43

I was 40 weeks before I could get a drop the first time (baby at 42 weeks) - I then bf for over a decade (not one child!). Don't worry about it your body knows you don't have a baby to feed yet!

SnowSnow · 07/02/2026 14:45

I once managed to get 0.1ml but other than that didn’t really get anything during pregnancy. I am still feeding my 2yo.

Shoecamp · 07/02/2026 14:46

AzureRose · 07/02/2026 14:40

Pretty much this. Does breastfeeding, now start before the babies even born 🤯

Edited
Show quote history

Yeah, feels like another way to put pressure on women and make them feel crap! No one needs this before the baby has even arrived, feels like a bad start to go into the whole thing feeling like a failure. Op you are NOT a failure

CurlewKate · 07/02/2026 14:46

I have to say I find this entirely baffling and just something else to beat mothers over the head with. Women have successfully breastfed since the dawn of time without “harvesting colostrum” (want an awful word to use!) If it’s difficult then surely the additional stress is just going to make breast feeding harder? Obviously I shouldn’t say this-but why not just don’t do it?

fourtunate1 · 07/02/2026 14:51

I have breastfed 3 kids, 2 prior to harvesting being a thing and one (who i gave birth to last year) i couldn’t get a drop!
He ended up being early and still no issues with feeding so i wouldn’t worry about it. He never needed topped up with formula, my milk just came in after birth with the hormone shift.

Forty85 · 07/02/2026 14:53

I never managed to harvest colostrum with all three of my pregnancies. However, my milk came in fine and I actually had such a large supply the midwife asked me if I'd consider donating to the neonatal ward at our hospital every time. Don't stress about it. I recommend drinking raspberry leaf tea, it helps bring your milk in.

SewingBees · 07/02/2026 14:59

I find this an utterly bizarre concept. A woman's milk comes in after birth, not before.

After my daughter was born (at midday) she didn't feed at all and in the middle of the first night a midwife woke me and insisted on 'helping' me to try and milk out some colostrum. It was humiliating and unsuccessful and the worst thing that happened to me during the whole birth process.

The next morning my daughter started feeding just fine.

CocoPlum · 07/02/2026 15:04

SewingBees · 07/02/2026 14:59

I find this an utterly bizarre concept. A woman's milk comes in after birth, not before.

After my daughter was born (at midday) she didn't feed at all and in the middle of the first night a midwife woke me and insisted on 'helping' me to try and milk out some colostrum. It was humiliating and unsuccessful and the worst thing that happened to me during the whole birth process.

The next morning my daughter started feeding just fine.

Not true.

Colostrum is made from around 16 weeks of pregnancy.

After the birth of the placenta, your hormones begin acting to bring the mature milk in.

OP - many women have no success with this. Many women don't have time to do this! It's helpful especially if you are planning a CS or you are diabetic but it's not essential and is not an indication that you cannot breastfeed.

You are also only 2 days in - if you want to keep trying, do, but don't make yourself uncomfortable or upset.

The best thing you can do to prepare for BFing now is to find and pop along to your local support groups (preferably IBCLC run) so you know where to go if you are struggling.

IAmNotPrepared · 07/02/2026 15:05

Antenatal colostrum harvesting isn’t an indicator of whether you can BF or not, so don’t worry. It’s just a bonus and getting you used to hand expression. Your milk will come in when baby is here.

A few women in my antenatal class had trouble - one EBF, and the other two combi feed (one due to supply and one through choice).

I managed to get a fair bit but it took a lot of dedicated sessions and in the end all I used was 5ml that I expressed in hospital (lost the rest as someone took it out of the freezer…) - once you start BF you don’t need it and will likely forget about it!

Think of it as getting used to the techniques for expression rather than something you need for your baby. Don’t push too hard or resort to pumps in an attempt to get any; you’ll just hurt yourself and risk bringing on labour. Be kind to yourself!

Hiptothisjive · 07/02/2026 15:13

WTAF. What fresh hell is this?

So no, this wasn’t a thing when I had mine and even with emergency c and baby being early I breastfed fine. Yeah it was hard and took a bit of time but don’t regret it at all and so glad I did. You don’t need extra stress.

This isn’t medical advise but I would stop. Wait till baby gets here. Try again. Only about 5% of women can’t and since 95% have all done it for centuries after the baby arrives I can’t fathom thr logic of your midwife.

Iloveeverycat · 07/02/2026 15:47

This wasn't even a thing when I had my 4 20 odd years ago. It doesn't make any difference and don't Stress about bottle feeding either if you can't breastfeed you can't tell which kids have been formula fed or breast fed.

RS1987 · 07/02/2026 15:53

I can’t believe this is a thing. Milk doesn’t come in until the baby is born - the exception might be if you’ve had babies before you might get a little in late pregnancy. I never had a drop with any pregnancy until the baby nursed.

ThatMintMember · 07/02/2026 15:57

I wouldn't worry if you cant, I found it very difficult as it's tricky knowing how to express when you haven't get breastfed a baby. If you want to give it another go in the next week or so I'm sure there's videos on YouTube showing you the technique which might help and I remember getting a booklet from the midwife which was helpful too.

Although it's not vital I did find it helpful on night 2 in hospital with a newborn when my milk wasn't in yet. I think this is the point when a lot of people give formula as they seem starving but I had colostrum to feed him. It just helps to feel like you have something for them even though theres no milk yet. I didn't get loads but think I had maybe 10 syringes.

gardenflowerposter · 07/02/2026 16:19

Dont worry OP, I was in the same position as you and never managed to harvest any! I breastfed for over two years in the end. It was hard going at the start but we got there. I don’t think not being able to harvest colostrum impacted my BF journey but it may have been nice to have some in the first days where milk hadn’t come in.

clementmarot · 07/02/2026 16:36

Gosh how weird! Never heard of this and my youngest is only 3. Weirdly I had colostrum from a few days pregnant every time (and it's never completely dried up from feeding my third) but no one ever asked me to do anything with it before the baby was born! I would absolutely not worry about this. Once your milk comes in it's a whole different ball game anyway.

MrsFionaCharming · 07/02/2026 16:41

37w is still quite early and it was only your first attempt.

I’d recommend massaging your breasts each time you shower to start stimulating things, and try watching YouTube videos of cute babies when harvesting to get the hormones going.

Obviously it’s not strictly necessary and you can breastfeed fine without having harvested colostrum, but my DH used my frozen colostrum to give me a chance to have a nap / lie in for a few days after the baby was born, so I was very glad to have it!

BudgetBuster · 07/02/2026 16:46

Colostrum harvesting isn't recommended before 37w and usually the first few days to a week you get nothing to minimal out. I am still breastfeeding (whilst being 5 months pregnant) my almost 2yr old. I started harvesting Colostrum from 38 weeks, got absolutely nothing the first few days. When it eventually started, I did it 2-3 times a day. I think I went to the hospital with 4 small (not full) syringes.

I was fortunate that I didn't need to use any. I don't know anyone who actually did use it.

It definitely has no influence on your ability to breastfeed though as it takes the removal of your placenta for your real milk to come in.

If it's stressing you... just don't do it. It doesn't help you breastfeed.

hardtocare · 07/02/2026 16:49

Never got a drop before I had my baby and fed for over three years. One thing you could try is squeezing harder. I was quite surprised when a NICU nurse was helping me hand express exactly how hard you did need to squeeze, to the point of discomfort. If you really want to breastfeed the best thing you can have is an absolute pigheaded attitude that you will succeed and push through the feels impossible first weeks. Following some IBCLCs really helped me too