Second baby, no colostrum after extensive period of trying

[scott2609]

I had my first child four years ago and started harvesting colostrum during that pregnancy at 37 weeks. For the first few days, I got a couple of drops but then I started getting 0.5ml-1ml at a time easily.

I’m now 37+4 in my second pregnancy and have been trying to get colostrum since 36 weeks as I have an elective c section booked for 39 weeks, so it’s been well over a week of trying now. I am still only getting either one tiny drop (not even enough to get into the syringe) or absolutely nothing after 30-45 minutes on each breast.

I have watched so many videos and I’m certain my technique is absolutely fine, and obviously I was able to collect it in my first pregnancy no problem. I have tried after a bath, after a shower, using a hot water bottle, have also tried without heat, have tried at different times of day, and have done extensive breast massage beforehand. I am extremely well hydrated and well fed. Nothing is working and I am now getting really disheartened.

My first baby had terrible problems breastfeeding and my milk didn’t come in until day 6, and they lost so much of their birth weight despite being given a lot of the hand expressed colostrum. I really, really want to make sure I have a supply on hand to give this one as I’m so determined to breastfeed again, and I really just wanted it to be less of a nightmare this time.

Has anybody else had the same experience at me- able to collect colostrum in a previous pregnancy without issue, but none in a subsequent pregnancy?

What were you hoping to achieve with that response other than to try and make me feel bad?

I’m not afraid of formula, and my first child had formula. However, I want to breastfeed and it is important to me to breastfeed if I can, as is the case for many women.

I think it's possible the poster (like me) had babies not too long ago when colostrum harvesting was not a thing at all.

It is not necessary at all to harvest colostrum before tour baby is born - despite what your midwife or the NHS is telling you, the human race has not done this over the thousands and thousands of years we've been increasing and multiplying and breastfeeding babies all over the earth.

I bfed all five of my babies without ever even hearing of harvesting colostrum. They all latched on fairly well, and the post natal hormones took care of colostrum production and subsequently milk production.

Unless you know your baby will be (1) separated from you immediately after birth and (2) you won't be able to do any pumping, you do not need to keep on trying to squeeze colostrum out of your boobs.

Unfortunately some people just can’t collect colostrum pre birth even when they have previously. You sound like you’ve tried all the usual tips. I would give it a rest for a few days and try again a week before your c section. Annoyingly the more you stress that you aren’t getting any, the less likely you will which is frustrating advice I know.

Your milk is likely to come in quickly after your second as your body knows what to do this time. I have several friends who either couldn’t breastfeed their firstborn or struggled and their seconds were (almost) a breeze to. So try not to worry (again easier said than done)

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I tried to express colostrum before I had both my kids, I got nothing. I didn't ever leak milk when I was pregnant, but I breastfed both my children for months. It's not necessarily a sign that you won't have colostrum once your child is born.

I am very much a breastfeeding advocate, but formula can be used if there are initial problems with milk production just temporarily until breastfeeding is fully established. Having that in the back of my mind definitely helped me relax a bit around breastfeeding. The hospital I gave birth in also did offer milk from the breast bank if you would prefer that (I don't know if that is an option for you).

Also with my 2nd baby my milk came in much quicker than with my first. I don't know if that is co-incidence, but I felt it was maybe some kind of muscle memory sort of thing. My body had done it once so it knew what to do quicker the 2nd time round. So don't worry about not being able to express colostrum. Keep trying if you want to because it might be that you will produce some eventually, but a baby is much more effective at getting it out of your boobs than anything else.

You don’t really need colostrum unless there’s evidence there might be issues when the baby is born (I harvested colostrum with both babies but that was because I have type 1 diabetes and the baby was more likely to have hypos soon after birth).

with my first it went pretty well, but I got less colostrum with my second. I believe it’s because I just wasn’t as relaxed/had a similar amount of time as there was already another child in the mix. Having said that, how much colostrum you harvest has no impact on when your milk will come in or whether baby will breastfeed. If you’ve successfully breastfed before you are very likely to have milk coming in again. If that’s a little later than a couple days in, formula can take the pressure off whilst latching the baby and stimulating the milk anyway. Hope it goes well.

I understand how you feel and the emotional pull of breastfeeding. If and when I have my second I will be feeling the same as I wanted to EBF my first (currently 8mo) and it hasn’t worked out that way for me. We are sorely let down by many people, places, and factors when it comes to breastfeeding. I do know though that I have been told and read in many places that being able to express colostrum or not doesn’t mean anything for your future milk supply. If I were you, I’d try to get in place as many things as possible to get breastfeeding off the ground smoothly like making sure I’m eating a lot of protein, adequately hydrated, etc. - and TRY not to worry about colostrum specifically (much easier said than done, I know). Hoping your breastfeeding journey goes as you wish it to this time around - I know how important it is 💗

I wouldn’t worry about it, you don’t need to ‘harvest’ before the baby is born, and it doesn’t sound like it even helped last time. Your body isn’t ready yet, listen to it. This is a different pregnancy and a different baby, you are not guaranteed to have the same experience again. I hope everything goes well for you OP

Harvesting colostrum wasn’t a thing when I had mine. I think it’s mostly relevant if you’re separated from your baby for a time after birth or if you or baby have certain medical conditions. It’s an insurance but often it’s not necessary at all. It may not be for you this time.

Stop trying for a while and spend some of the upcoming weeks pampering yourself, batch cooking, massage, eating lots of protein and oats. Have a reset, I don't think most babies need colostrum and it is typical for them to lose lots of weight after birth as you know.
Join the human milk/breast milk bank Facebook pages for a just in case! Some great women on there and lots more in your local area than you'd think.
A few ready mixed formulas in cupboards for peace of mind.
It'll all work out, your milk should come in sooner as it's your second but even if not the baby will still get some colostrum from being at the breast.

No advice but I didn’t get a drop of colostrum with either baby despite trying. First baby like you took a while for milk to come in and we supplemented with formula. Second baby fed right off the bat, milk came in almost straight away. So even if you have no luck try not to worry

I had a baby 13 years ago, ie not that long ago I don’t think, and this harvesting was never mentioned. It’s just wasn’t a thing.
The information then was that the first day or so of breastfeeding was when colostrum was being produced, so as soon as they latch on, the first feed is colostrum, surely?
Please don’t worry - I can’t bear this new age of being oversaturated with information that just makes an anxious, hormonal time more anxious.

It just shows how quickly things change - I breast fed all four of my children, finishing not that long ago and expressing colostrum certainly wasn’t a thing.
If it had been, I’m sure I would have been hopeless at it as whenever I tried to express milk I got out very little, despite having a plentiful supply.
As someone else suggested above don’t put yourself through hoops trying to express before baby arrives - as soon as he or she latches for the first time the colostrum will be there.
Just because you had problems the first time doesn’t mean you will have the same issues again and worrying about it now will be doing yourself no favours. The last few weeks of pregnancy are hard enough as it is.

My experience was that I had a massive over-supply of milk with my first baby, leaking everywhere but for the others my supply had settled down. My theory was that my body remembered how much was needed. Possibly the same here, your body knows the baby isn’t here yet so doesn’t need to produce anything yet.

I would just stop OP. It’s not worth beating yourself up or stressing over. I could never get any with either babies and breastfed both so it’s not an indicator of milk supply later. My second was back to birth weight within a few days! I wish the NHS didn’t push women to do it, it’s difficult or impossible for many women and just knocks their confidence from the get go for no reason whatsoever.

Until the last few years, for millenia "harvesting colustrum" just wasn't a thing. As PPs have said, take this time to look after yoruself, and try to stop stressing.

And dropping weight after birth is entirely natural.

It wasn't a thing when I had mine. My first had a very difficult birth and went straight into NICU and was tube fed formula. I was in a pretty poor state after the birth too, but pumped when I could, never really got anything. As soon as DS was able I was allowed to put him on the boob - probably 3 days PP - and supplemented with formula. I managed to combo feed for 6 months with him. So even if there is a problem at birth, it is still possible to BF if you're lucky.

I wanted to try it with my son as I was due to be induced at 38 weeks I didn't manage to as my health decline and I was called in for induction at 36 + 6.
It would have been helpful to have the colostrum as he had issues maintaining blood sugars for the first 24-36 hours. He couldn't wake for feeds and was sleeping for 12 hours at the time. I did manage to express One syringe in the hospital after he was born and he had that. I was also able to get him on the breasts for a minute or two after I colossal poo. Otherwise he had 15 – 30 ml of formula every three hours and 1ml of colostrum I managed to express.

By day 2 he was able to wake enough to latch and breastfeed and has been exclusively breastfed since. He only lost 6% birth weight despite having a 100% tongue tie that was cut on day 8. The more you stress about harvesting the harder it will be, I express occasionally if I need dad to take baby for an hour. If I'm worked up I struggle to express, if I'm calm and relaxed it pours out.

At the moment the message you are sending your body is i need to do this, or else! there is still time. I would lay off doing it for a week and try again. I would give yourself a small window of time, ~10-15 minutes, to try and if it's not happening stop and try again in another few days.

Thank you all so much for your helpful responses, I’m feeling a lot better about it today and will definitely give myself a break for a couple of days

Please don’t feel bad for trying to harvest colostrum. It wasn’t a thing “back then” but it’s a thing now and some woman are able to do it and some people aren’t and both are okay.

My first son was born poorly and I never collected any colostrum and he wouldn’t latch. This time round I’m going to try to collect colostrum… I know I might not be successful but I’m giving it a go. So all the “you don’t need too!” People need to remember everyone feels differently and has their reasons.

Give yourself a few days break and try again, but please don’t feel bad or a failure if you can’t. Many, many woman won’t get any until the baby is here

I really regret not harvesting colostrum with my first as she was very sleepy and had a tongue tie so couldn't latch for a couple of days so I completely understand why you want to do it. People need to remember that every situation is different and just because they didn't need to doesn't mean that you won't.
Have you tried looking at old photos and videos of your first as a baby to get the oxytocin going?

Although I didn’t harvest, I leaked sooo much colostrum with my first and basically none with my second, which had me worried but absolutely no issues with supply second time round.

Maybe the body knows what’s happening second time round and doesn’t need to overproduce?

Not helpful in terms of harvesting I know, but may help reduce anxiety xo

It’s such a 2026 load of tosh harvesting before birth - don’t get stressed about it. I had both a crash c section at 35 weeks and a planned one at 39 weeks and established breastfeeding fine both times - most women do. It wasn’t a “thing” 10 years ago and doesn’t need to be so now

My first daughter had huge problems latching due to the unfortunate combination of Down’s syndrome (thus hypotonia) and a 90% tongue tie. I tried to hand express in the postnatal ward, but couldn’t get the hang of it, so the first week or so (until I was introduced to nipple shields, and DD’s tongue tie was separated) DD was predominantly fed Cow and Gate, and it was probably the breastfeeding rather than the formula that was the top up. But, with time, I was able to increase her breastfeeds. We could stop the formula at around 7 months and she continued breastfeeding until she was 2! So, not being able to harvest colostrum won’t necessarily spell doom for you ability to breastfeed. Good luck!