Understanding What Increases my Colostrum Supply at Week 33 of Pregnancy & Donating my Expressed Colostrum
Welcome to my 33 week update on my antenatal colostrum harvesting blog. This week I talk about my expressing diary, factors that I've found to increase my supply of colostrum and investigating how I can donate my colostrum to the local hospital or milk bank.
My Colostrum Harvesting Diary at Week 33 of Pregnancy - Week commencing 2nd February 2021
My last day of expressing was 1st February 2021. I am hand expressing colostrum daily and usually express from one side and when that's empty, switch to the other, then back again etc until both sides are empty and that discomforting feeling of 'needing to express' is gone.
Last week I thought my daily supply would drop a little as I've gone from expressing once every other day, to once everyday. However it seems that my body has adjusted quite quickly to the new expressing routine as the overall amount of colostrum for this week is greater than last week.
It's also important to note that I am still not experiencing any sings of pre-term labour. So, I have no back pain/ache, no contractions/cramps, no sickness and I feel fine in myself.
2nd February - My largest express to date! 11.5ml of colostrum which took about 10mins per breast.
3rd February - 6.7ml of colostrum at about 5mins per side.
4th February - 5ml of colostrum at about 5mins per side.
5th February - 4.4ml of colostrum at about 5mins per side.
6th February - 7.8ml of colostrum at about 10mins per breast.
7th February - 7ml of colostrum at about 10mins per breast.
8th February - 6.9ml of.colostrum at about 5mins per side.
Total expressed for the week: 49.3ml
Total expressed to date: 163.8ml
My pattern of antenatal expressing of colostrum over time since week 28:
How to Increase Colostrum Supply?
Well, I've noticed my supply of colostrum has been influenced by the following factors, which basically the same as breast milk production:
Diet:
Over the past few weeks, I've found my colostrum supply to be directly linked to what I eat. So, if I choose to eat more carbohydrates and fatty foods as well as foods rich in protein, then I produce more colostrum in a single expressing session. Fish such as trout and salmon I've personally found to be particularly good, as well as oats, pasta, nuts and dried fruit. Of course I've also been eating healthy green veg rich in iron and other vitamins and minerals (cabbage, kale, broccoli etc). Can't miss out those sweet treats either... I do love my cake, chocolate and flapjacks!
And Of course, my 33 week old baby bump does have a massive influence on my food cravings, to the point where it was almost like The Great British Bake Off: I went though chocolate week, bread week, biscuit week... And oddly, fish week 😅
Frequency of expressing:
This has been a big topic in my blog as it's something that isn't really discussed in any detail elsewhere. From 36 weeks pregnant, some medical organisations recommend expressing 2-3 times a day, but at this stage in my pregnancy I'm following La Leche League advice of hand expressing once a day with approval from my midwife.
With breastfeeding, the general rule of thumb is the more you express, the more your body will learn to produce. Supply and demand... However expressing too often at 33 weeks pregnant is not recommended as it could bring on pre-term labour. So, once a day it is for me!
Physical activity:
Staying active during pregnancy is generally recommended and is beneficial for both mum and baby. I've been trying to keep as active as possible during pregnancy but also being careful not to overdo it. There have been a few days when I have been so tired I've been in bed before my 15 month old toddler 🤣
I don't go to the gym or do any pregnancy exercises; looking after a demanding toddler is quite enough...
So, what I've found is that when I'm very very tired I don't tend to produce as much colostrum as when I have rested. If I am well rested and have been moderately active, then I tend to produce a good amount. Obviously this influences my colostrum production in conjunction with diet.
Feeling relaxed:
As I've just mentioned, when I am physically rested it helps my colostrum production, however as well as being physically rested, I also need to be mentally rested. I've found that if I have a stressful day or I am very busy then I produce less colostrum that if I feel chilled and am taking it easy.
This is also known as 'let down'. The more relaxed you feel, the more oxytocin you produce and therefore more colostrum. The same applies to breast milk. I however, don't let down very easily so I just go straight in with hand expressing which seems to work fine for me. Other mums feel that breast stimulation prior to expressing works best for them but I've personally never found it very effective for expressing; only works for me if baby does it when breastfeeding.
I don't leak colostrum and I find I really have to force it out during hand expressing by working the glands and tissues in my breasts however some women leak quite alot naturally - both scenarios are normal.
Donating Colostrum to Local Milk Banks and Neonatal Wards
Check out my freezer draw!! It's now so full of syringes of colostrum that I've had to relocate some food 😅 I really wanted to donate some to local milk banks and the local hospital as I've heard from other mums that there are various programmes to support other women and babies in need.
So, I contacted my local hospital in Bedford to see if I can donate to the neonatal ward however they do not accept milk or colostrum donations directly but they do source from a couple of milk banks:
So, I emailed Hearts Milk Bank (I did double check the spelling and it is Hearts!) however they were also unable to take my colostrum due to the amount required to pasturise it to ensure the safety of the colostrum for babies:
Well, I don't think any woman can produce 2 litres of colostrum 😂 so, I then enquired at Addenbrookes Hospital and they seemed keen for me to hang onto my colostrum instead of donating it:
So, I responded to their questions and have yet to receive a reply however the lady I emailed was out of office, so maybe I may hear back or will need to follow up with her in a few weeks...
Well, I am a little disappointed that donating colostrum seems to have more challenges than donating breast milk but Addenbrookes may be my best outlet - we will have to see!
(Me at 33 weeks pregnant 🤰 and still expressing colostrum with no signs of pre-term labour).
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 34 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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