So, before I begin my week 28 update blog, I do need to make you aware that expressing colostrum this early on in pregnancy is often seen as a very controversial subject area. And if you are looking to express colostrum, please talk to a medical professional first: I'm just a mum second time round sharing my experience with everyone as there's a lack of information on expressing colostrum this early on in pregnancy. I have been okayed to do so by my local midwives who know me well, my medical history and previous pregnancy.
(Photo: this is about 4ml of my colostrum - it turns much more yellow after its been frozen!)
My Colostrum Harvesting Diary at Week 28 of Pregnancy - Week commencing 29th December 2020
Last express was 25th December. I did eat alot of fatty and sugary Christmas food this week so it's probably influenced that full feeling/discomfort in my boobs! I have expressed more often this week and I will continue to express as and when I feel the need, being cautious as I go.
29th December - hand expressed 6ml of colostrum in the evening. 10 mins per breast.
30th December - hand expressed 2ml of colostrum in the evening. 5 mins per breast.
31st December - hand expressed 4ml of colostrum in the evening. 10 mins per breast.
1st January - I did not feel the need to express.
2nd January - hand expressed 3.7ml of colostrum late morning. 10 mins per breast.
3rd January - hand expressed 2ml of colostrum in the evening. 5 mins per breast.
4th January - I did not feel the need to express.
Total expressed for the week: 17.7ml
I express directly into a small sterile plastic pot, then suck the colostrum up in a sterile syringe with a cap. The capped syringes are placed in sealed plastic zip lock bags with the date written on and placed in the freezer where they will keep for up to 6 months.
Trying to Find Other Women's Experiences of Expressing Colostrum in Early Pregnancy
I mentioned earlier that there is a huge lack of information online about expressing colostrum at 27/28 weeks of pregnancy, especially medical information and guidance for women who, for various reasons, may need to express this early. Perhaps there are other ladies who also had strong discomfort in the breast like that 'full boob feeling'? I'd love to know how their pregnancies went...
One lady I came across on YouTube has made a series of vlogs about her experience of pumping colostrum at 27 and 37 weeks of pregnancy. Personally, I found her experience to be very insightful and comforting to know that other women are doing the same! Links to her vlogs:
In her 37 week video, she goes into more detail about what she did to collect colostrum. She used a manual pump and pumped 15 mins each side once a week from 27 weeks. She wanted to 'bust the myth that healthy women cannot express colostrum before 37 weeks'. She also picks up on frequency of pumping as being a key factor which is something I also talk about in my 27 week blog.
(Image: this was litterally what I looked like when researching information on forums this week... Read on to find out why!)
Researching on Forums
So, I decided to have a look at mums and breastfeeding forums to see if there's any extra information.
While I could find initial questions from mum's who had similar issues of pressure on the breast at around the same time in their pregnancy (they had also been okayed by their midwife to express to relieve the pressure), I could only find the initial question on the threads - there was no update as to how the pregnancy progressed. The threads are now a few years old, so if I posted a follow up question, I'm unlikely to be responded to.
The responses these women received on forums tended to reflect the general rule of thumb on the internet of not expressing until at least 36 weeks. I personally don't fancy leaving my boobs feeling full and uncomfortable for 8 weeks as this could lead to a mastitis infection.
As my online searches didn't provide me with any real information about antenatal expressing of colostrum at 27/28 weeks, I decided to ask on a live forum. Another mum in a local mum's WhatsApp group kindly suggested a particular breastfeeding forum (Breast Feeding Yummy Mummies) which I joined on Facebook. I had a quick scan of the posts and after not seeing anything on antenatal expressing of colostrum I decided to post about my situation and the need I felt to express at 27 weeks but emphasising it was for relief and not to build supply. This however opened a can of worms which I partly wish was never opened!! But I think it'll prove useful reading for anyone looking to research using forums... Note, if you are pro antenatal expressing of colostrum or you are expressing pre 32/36 weeks in your pregnancy, be prepared to get bitten... hard! Some forums are not a friendly place for women to discuss this subject, which is probably why there's very little info online relating to people's individual circumstances or early expressing of colostrum during pregnancy.
The reaction I had from this forum which, by the way, was managed and run by qualified lactation consultants and had mums as members, was very unsupportive, negative and even angry towards me and my situation. No one asked for further information on how frequently I was expressing or were willing to discuss the subject. Basically, nearly everyone said I should immediately stop what I am doing (some in capital letters!) and quoted the 36 weeks starting point, which is plastered across the internet for literally anyone to find. And yes, while that is the standard practice, nobody provided any other information. While I understand the lactation consultants may be safeguarding their career and so might be unwilling to advise, I do think it is unfair that women aren't supported with antenatal expressing of colostrum at all until 36 weeks pregnant on this forum.
A couple of people suggested trying a warm towel or flannel on the breast or standing in the shower to relieve pressure however these techniques did not work for me as I don't let down very easily.
Many of the respondents to my post also started saying very negative things about midwives which I personally found quite offensive and completely unhelpful to my post.
While on this forum I felt that no one bothered to try and understand why I am doing what I am doing albeit early in my pregnancy. No one offered to quote any other useful resource either. I felt as though I was being lectured to as opposed to being supported. The majority of people commenting must have simply read 'expressing at 27 weeks' and decided to respond based on that, ignoring my situation with discomfort and my fairly detailed post.
There were however a few experienced mums and mums-to-be who did support what I was doing saying that it was similar to tandem feeding and a few people who were curious to know more, but they were immediately responded to by others in the forum in very negative way... In all, my quite innocent post communicating my experience about expressing colostrum at 27 weeks pregnant and asking to reach out to other mums who may be going through the same for some direction, caused alot of contraversy!
Comments on the post were turned off and the post removed by forum admins. This is the part where I wish I had taken a screenshot of the post, but at least I know for next time!
But wait... The saga didn't end there... I was then privately messaged on Facebook by one of the group moderators who told me that my post was, and I quote, 'dangerous to other women', 'giving anecdotal advice as opposed to scientific' (when I mentioned that my midwives said it was ok for me to express colostrum at this stage of my pregnancy and they encouraged me to do it), 'broke group rules' and was 'unacceptable'. They also told me that I didn't have a 'situation' to post about and wondered why I posted at all?
Needless to say, I was extremely shocked by this reaction and for someone (the moderator) who was HCP qualified, I would have thought they would have behaved more professionally than to pursue someone who was seeking support in such a way. Naturally, I questioned their statements emphasising that I was only communicating my experience. Ultimately their response suggested that the Breast Feeding Yummy Mummies Group on Facebook only supports women expressing colostrum from 36 weeks, so anyone else who wants to discuss expressing pre 36 weeks was not welcome.
I also had a mum friend who supported me publically on this Facebook group and she was banned for 5 days!
So, after that long debacle, I decided that I'll write my own blog, recording my experience for other women to read as well as keep researching. After a few days of 'letting the steam' settle and getting the frustration of how I was treated out of my system, I wrote my first blog post: Starting My Journey - Why I'm expressing colostrum at 27 weeks pregnant.
Finding Support - Family, friends and the La Leche League
I shared my awful forum experience on Facebook with friends and family members who are experienced mums and were very supportive of my situation. They basically suggested that I should trust my maternal instinct and do what I feel is right.
One of my mum friends sent me a link to the La Leche League which is pro expressing colostrum antenatally, from the third trimester with support from your midwife. They suggest expressing for a few minutes each day is unlikely to trigger labour however if you experience any cramps, you need to stop immediately.
As well as their website resources, the La Leche League has various local and a national Facebook group which you join. So I did. I joined the La Leche League Bedfordshire Facebook group. There were at the time of writing this blog only about 550 members, so not too many but I thought if I can get some further information or find out about another mum's experience, it would be worth a shot!
My post:
And I'm so pleased I did post on this group... While there weren't masses of responses, the ladies within the La Leche League Bedfordshire Facebook group were supportive in their nature which, after last time, I do appreciate!
After a few responses, the group leader posted a very positive and balanced reply:
"#Leader
Hi Jenny, congratulations on your pregnancy!
It sounds like you’ve researched the topic of antenatal expression thoroughly, I’m sorry to hear of your negative experiences on other groups.
It’s great that you’re in close conversation with your midwife - together you can make an evidence based assessment of the risks and positives of Antenatal Expression of Colostrum at this stage of your pregnancy.
There’s a huge variety of normal when it comes to leaking/feelings of fullness in pregnancy. Some women find they leak a lot and others don’t seem to have this issue at all! It can be really uncomfortable to feel so full, so it’s a good idea to look into how to resolve this feeling.
The recommendation not to express too early in pregnancy comes from a concern that the Oxytocin produced may bring on labour - this may be more of a concern for a woman with a high risk pregnancy where antenatal expression isn’t recommended.
You will see from the LLLGB info that it says you can start at any time during your third trimester with the support of your midwife. It’s important to be aware of any uterine pain or contractions whilst expressing and if this happens, stop and contact your midwife immediately.
I hope that this is a help to you and puts your mind at ease."
So to conclude my information search for this week, I feel as though it has ended on a much more positive and reassuring note. As the La Leche League is really the only credible source of information out there that comes remotely close to my circumstances, I will be following their advice for the next few weeks.
Personally, I still think that the frequency at which you express colostrum antenatally plays an important part in body chemistry and influencing uterine contractions. So, I will still proceed to hand express as and when I need, depending on how I physically feel. It would be silly of me to ignore what my body is telling me.
My Disclaimers
Firstly, I'm not a medical professional; I am simply a mum second time round and I'm just documenting my experience, that is all. This blog is not intended to be taken as advice or guidance in any way, but if it helps somebody make a more informed decision because they have read a bit more information on my experience then I'm glad to be of help. I would strongly advise people to talk to their medical professional first before expressing colostrum antenatally to ensure it is safe to do so.
Secondly, I need to provide a bit of background information about myself. I am 32 years old, I am a low risk pregnancy due on 23rd March 2021. I started producing colostrum naturally from week 27 of my pregnancy which is when I noticed the discomfort in my breasts, hence why I discovered how much I was producing and thought it was worthwhile saving. I already have a 14 month old boy who was initially breast fed but is now bottle fed cow's milk - this small gap between the pregnancies may have a part to play in influencing my body chemistry second time round.
Thirdly, this is a personal blog, not a scientific one. I'm simply documenting my thoughts, feelings, actions and anything useful that I can find, mostly for my own benefit.
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Read my next blog detailing my week 29 experiences of expressing colostrum while pregnant. I talk about why I am more confident to continue antenatal expressing of colostrum, my colostrum harvesting diary for the week, small physical changes I have experienced and the fact that I have not experienced any signs of pre-term labour.
Links to My Blogs on Antenatal Expressing of Colostrum
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