What is Colostrum?
Colostrum is a thick sticky liquid that mum's make from about 16-20 weeks of pregnancy which becomes baby's first feed when they are born. It is usually cream, yellowish or even orange in colour - this varies in all women. Colostrum has a high fat content and contains lots of other beneficial vitamins and minerals that baby needs for growth, and of course lots of antibodies to protect baby against viruses and help build their immune system.
Mum's keep producing colostrum until their milk kicks in which is usually after birth. From what I've read, this is triggered when the placenta is removed however a couple of women I know have had milk come in a day or two before birth. Colostrum doesn't run out; it simply changes into milk when your body is ready (usually after baby has arrived).
The reason I'm expressing at this early stage in the pregnancy is that I am getting a fair amount of discomfort in my breasts - like a marble that sits behind my nipple - which I recognise from breastfeeding my first child; it's that 'my boobs are kinda full and I need to express' feeling. For me, it's very unusual to have this feeling at this moment in time because with my first child I experienced absolutely no discomfort in my breasts during pregnancy and my milk didn't kick in until 7 days after giving birth, which made my first two weeks of breastfeeding a complete nightmare!
So, I want to relieve the discomfort in my breasts through expressing the colostrum and I might as well save it and store it for my unborn baby, just in case there is a delay in milk production again.
Important - Please read
Now, I realise that before I start talking about my experience in any detail, I need to emphasise a few things:
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, I'm not going to quote studies and papers and other scientific media in this blog; I'm simply documenting why I am expressing before birth, how I feel throughout the weeks in the run up to my birth and I'll also talk about the process of how I express colostrum.
Why Express Colostrum During Pregnancy?
There are a few reasons why women want to express during pregnancy:
- If there is a need for a stash or back-up supply of colostrum
- If baby is likely to have a medical condition which requires colostrum (clef lip/palette, heart condition or another medical condition)
- If baby is likely to have a low birth weight
- If mum has gestational diabetes
- If mum is likely to have a low milk supply in the first few weeks
- Or in my case, to relieve discomfort
Expressing Colostrum at 27 Weeks Pregnant - The need for relief
So, just to recap, I started expressing colostrum at 27 weeks pregnant because I needed to relieve strong discomfort in both my breasts which is when I discovered I was actually producing colostrum in a fair quantity that I thought it was enough to save. I simply express when I need to. I am not expressing to build supplies - not at this early stage.
I have tried using a warm cloth and standing in the warm shower for relief but it doesn't work for me. Expressing is the only way to get relief.
Polar Opposites
I've spoken to both of my local midwives who actually encouraged me to continue expressing colostrum and freezing it for my unborn baby. I did talk to them about some of the the risks such a premature labour which I found online, to which they said in my case is not an issue as I am low risk and that the baby will come when baby is ready i.e. expressing colostrum manually is not going to encourage pre-term labour in my case. They also informed me that more women are starting to do this now.
However, when researching online, most sources say not to express anything at all before 36 weeks as it could induce premature labour.
So, why would I continue to express? Well, doing nothing for 9 weeks is not an option as it could leave me with a mastitis infection to fight off while carrying my baby. I'd probably also need to go to the doctor's surgery for antibiotics which, during an international pandemic, is probably not the best use of doctor's time when I know I could have just expressed myself and sorted out the issue at home.
As this is my second pregnancy, I also feel a lot more in tune with my body and therefore much more confident. I feel I know my limits and I know what signs to look out for which makes me think twice and question a blanket answer of 'no expressing before 36 weeks' when I can't find any evidence that is relatable to my specific situation.
But given that I've been advised that it's ok, to express colostrum before birth, then read that it's not ok, there must be a middle ground which will help me, and I think I've found it... Because no one talks about frequency of expressing, let alone this subject at all really. So, I have decided to proceed with caution. I do go into further detail in my 28 week blog with links.
Frequency of Expressing and What it Means to Me
The pro-antenatal expressing sources that I've read don't really advise on how frequently you should express, however the sources that say that it's ok to express beyond 36 weeks pregnant generally advise that you try 2 to 3 times a day. So in my opinion (which is not medical), there is a gap in the frequency of expressing colostrum pre 36 weeks; you'd be going from nothing to 2-3 times a day which I think is quite an intense leap. There is no documented gradual build up which I where I think I fit with my current situation.
When most people talk about expressing during pregnancy, or antenatal expressing in this case, a lot of people assume you are pumping away on an electric pump or hand pump several times a day to build milk and colostrum supplies. People don't tend to think of expressing as a way of relief for any discomfort you may have, so therefore they don't talk about frequency of expressing and they never ask, which is why I think it's a very important point that their missing out. I have found that many people tend to judge those who express colostrum antenatally without actually finding out all the facts that are specific to their situation first, especially the frequency of expressing but I'll get onto that hot topic in a later blog!
I have read that manually expressing colostrum is more effective than using a pump as a pump is generally designed for milk which is much more viscous. As colostrum is so much thicker due to all the beneficial fats for baby, I personally have found that manual expressing is the way forward for me as I can really work all the breast to physically move the colostrum towards the nipple. A pump can also be wasteful with colostrum as it will stick to the insides of the pump before eventually entering the collecting bottle. Every drop counts!
My Frequency of Expressing Colostrum at 27 Weeks Pregnant - Week commencing 22nd December 2020
22nd - 24th December - I did not feel the need to express.
25th December (Christmas Day) - This was the start of a strong feeling of discomfort in my breasts, so I manually expressed in the shower until I felt relief which was probably about 5mins in total. I obviously didn't collect any colostrum this week but it got me thinking about how I could potentially save it for my unborn baby.
I started researching how I could collect and store colostrum. From what I read, you can manually express colostrum into a sterile container, then you can use a sterile syringe with cap to soak up and store the colostrum. You then put the syringe into a clear plastic bag, write the date on it and store it in the freezer where it will keep for up to 6 months. This gives me plenty of time to build a small collection for my baby which is due on 23rd March 2021.
I purchased the following:
- 100x pack of 1ml sterile syringes with caps (I did look at the individually packaged ones however they worked out a lot more expensive! I read that you can sterilise in boiling water for a few minutes before use).
- 100x pack of clear zip seal bags to store the full syringes in.
I already had a small Tupperware at home which could be sterilised for use to express into. A baby bottle base is also fine to use. And lastly, I had a permanent marker pen to record the date on the plastic zip seal bag.
26th - 28th December - I did not feel the need to express.
The next date I expressed and actually collected and stored colostrum falls in week 28 of my pregnancy.
__________
Read my 28 week blog to find out about my colostrum harvesting diary and the search for supportive information.
Links to My Blogs on Antenatal Expressing of Colostrum
Comments
Post a Comment