So, I'm 32 weeks pregnant now with my second baby and I've been expressing colostrum roughly every other day since week 27 to relieve breast discomfort and to provide a small stash for my baby which will greatly help with breastfeeding and minimising baby's weight loss in the first few weeks. It's been going really well so far and I've experienced no issues or any signs or pre-term labour, which is a risk for some women.
From this point in my pregnancy, I've decided to express once a day as I'm now a bit closer to my due date and want to gradually start to increase colostrum production, however I must emphasize that I'll be taking a very gradual approach, so as not to induce any signs or symptoms of preterm labour. At week 36, most medical sources online say you can start expressing colostrum 2-3 times a day which is what I plan to do when I reach that stage in my pregnancy.
At 32 weeks pregnant, I'll continue to hand express instead of using a Haakaa breast pump or electric pump however depending on how I get on, later on the pregnancy I plan to try out the Haakaa and see what it's like for colostrum expressing (I'm talking about their one-piece silicone manual breast pump, not their colostrum harvester syringe/pump).
I'll be keeping the usual diary of what I have expressed and when, and display that data in a couple of graphs, similar to last week's blog - because everyone loves a good graph!! 😂 Without sounding like a total nerd... You can only see patterns over time.
With regards to researching colostrum harvesting online, I've pretty much given up now as there are really only a few forum posts here and there, and the occasional video that apply to me at this stage of my pregnancy. Plus I feel a lot more confident about what I'm doing now, so perhaps that need to just have some greater affirmation is now redundant?
When my pregnancy progresses beyond 36 weeks, I plan to post my blog on a few social media groups and forums so see if my experience will be of help to other mums and mums-to-be, but I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch and will probably encounter a lot of backlash, which I am now prepared to handle.
My Colostrum Harvesting Diary at Week 32 of Pregnancy - Week commencing 26th January 2021
As I'm now expressing daily, I'm expecting there to be an initial drop in the amount of colostrum harvested as I'm emptying more often. As my body adjusts, I'm hoping it'll pick up again but it will be gradual and also depends a lot on what I eat! The more fatty and carby foods... the more colostrum is produced, much like with breastmilk.
My last day of expressing was 24th January 2021.
26th January - Hand expressed 4.9ml of colostrum (about 10mins per side) mid morning. I had to switch sides a couple of times to ensure that I really work the milk glands within the breast which produce the colostrum. My initial flow was quick again with this express and I did have a jet of clear colostrum come shooting out first thing! And had to remember to try and catch it 😂
27th January - Hand expressed 6ml of colostrum, approximately 10mins per side.
28th January - I needed to express but I was knackered after such a busy day, so I just went to bed early at about 8pm and didn't express.
29th January - A bumper hand express of 9.5ml in the morning, about 10mins per side! Didn't expect this much however I ate quite a lot the previous few days so I think that's the real reason for such a big haul...
30th January - Hand expressed 4.4ml but in two lots: 3.3ml in the morning, then 1.1ml in the evening. About 5mins per side in both expressing sessions.
31st January - Hand expressed 5.1ml, about 10mins per side. I had to switch sides a few times as usual to fully drain both breasts of colostrum.
1st February - Hand expressed 7.5ml, about 10mins per side in the evening.
Total expressed for the week: 37.4ml
Total expressed to date: 114.5ml
My pattern of expressing colostrum over time since week 28:
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 week 33 blog to find out about the next installment of my colostrum harvesting diary.
Links to My Blogs on Antenatal Expressing of Colostrum
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