Let's Talk Colostrum Syringes for Storing Your Liquid Gold & My Colostrum Harvesting Diary at 35 Weeks Pregnant
It has been a busy couple of weeks so this blog entry, much like my last blog, is just a recap of my colostrum harvesting diary. I've been doing a lot at work handing things over to a lady covering my maternity leave, which starts in a couple of weeks, and balancing that with looking after a little toddler.
Again, I've been feeling quite tired this week and I'm starting to feel massive 🤣 All my pregnancy symptoms have been normal. There's been no cramping or any signs of preterm labour whatsoever, so I've been very fortunate! But yes, I have expressed every single day in the evenings which has helped build a good supply for my little one.
I am looking forward to starting maternity leave soon and next week is my last week at work. I will miss the people that are there and but it'll be nice to have a little bit of time to rest some more. Next week I'll be 36 weeks pregnant so my baby will have reached term. Ideally, I would be looking to increase my rate of expressing to twice a day however I might leave that that till week 37 when my maternity leave kicks in as it's more convenient... Can't really be expressing in a Team's meeting or on a Zoom call now!
My Colostrum Harvesting Diary at Week 35 of Pregnancy - Week commencing 16th February 2021
My last day of expressing was 15th February 2021. For all of the below expresses, I have spent about 10mins per breast and switched sides when one is looking empty. This has really helped me get an extra few ml.
16th February - 12.4ml
17th February - 11.75ml
18th February - 8.5ml
19th February - 7ml
20th February - 7ml
21st February - 10.7ml
22nd February - 8.4ml
Total expressed for the week: 65.75ml
Total expressed to date: 280.95ml
My pattern of antenatal expressing of colostrum over time since week 28:
In the above graph, you can clearly see that the range of colostrum expressed daily in the latter weeks increases. Additionally, the minimum value is 7ml.
Interestingly, I have produced 31% more colostrum this week than last week. Again, this could be influenced by diet, however next week I will be 36 weeks pregnant, so there could also be a change in my hormones which allows me to produce more.
Why I'm using 1ml syringes for colostrum storage
Generally colostrum is stored in 1ml syringes with a cap, however you can use larger syringes if you choose, for example you could use 5ml or 10ml syringes. I however, will continue to use 1ml syringes to store colostrum because a newborn baby feeds little and often, so I don't want to defrost too much colostrum at a time. When babies are born their tummy is often the size of a marble and they may need feeding every 3 to 4 hours. It's also quicker to defrost a 1ml syringe than a 5ml or 10ml one.
Also I want to try and feed from the breast as much as possible, so don't want to give too much colostrum in one go as this could impede on the amount of time baby spends the breast, which in turn impacts on milk demand and supply. Feeding baby from the breast is the best way to increase milk production, so I will do this as much as possible, only topping up baby's feeds if I need to. Of course I want to use all the colostrum I've produced, so it won't be wasted but at this stage I'll just see how I get on when our baby is born.
There's also a good financial incentive to stay using 1ml syringes as they're much cheaper to buy than 5ml and 10ml ones! Most 1ml syringes are mass produced in China and sold by importers which is great if you're looking to be frugal. Another tip is to buy in bulk - I order 100x syringes at a time which usually last about 3-4 weeks.
What syringes can you use to store colostrum?
I use these syringes (above) which I buy from Amazon at £11.99 for 100x (price correct as of Feb 2021):
They aren't sterile so I steralise the syringes inside and out, as well as the caps, in boiling water before use.
You can also buy the individually packed sterile syringes (as above) however they are more expensive at £10.97 for 25x syringes:
You can also get syringes like the above from your midwife for free. My midwife gave me one syringe when I told her I'm still expressing... I then told her how many I get through in a week 🤣 she said I could keep it.
You can also use oral syringes which have a slightly wider tip. This helps if you are going to suck each droplet of colostrum off the nipple. They're also available on Amazon for £5.27 for 10x syringes: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Fluid-Medicine-Syringes-Bottles/dp/B075MDMP3Q/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Medicina+Oral+1mm&qid=1615550846&sr=8-1
Do you have to use a syringe with a cap?
No. While it's recommended that you do to minimise contact with other stuff in your freezer, you don't have to use a syringe with a cap. As long as the syringe is sterlie and placed in a plastic bag, that is fine. You will also need to make sure you draw the colostrum further up the syringe so there is a pocket of air between the colostrum and end of the syringe. This also helps minimise contact with other 'stuff'.
Can you use the same syringe for more than one express?
Yes you can, as long as the syringe is kept refrigerated and is frozen within 12 hours. Deforested colostrum only keeps in the fridge for 24 hours, so you need to factor in the amount of storage time between expresses, plus the time you may store the syringe for when defrosting for baby.
I always freeze as soon as I can so baby has the freshest colostrum.
How long can you store colostrum for?
Frozen colostrum can be stored for 6 months and refrigerated colostrum lasts for 24 hours.
Can you store colostrum in breast milk storage bags?
Yes you can, however you need to think about how much you store in each bag vs. how much baby will consume. Using breast milk storage bags instead of syringes could also be a more cost effective option, as you can add multiple expresses in one bag.
How you can dispose of colostrum syringes
Googling this subject doesn't provide very useful results for recycling plastic colostrum syringes which obviously don't have any needles. Most results simply class all syringes as 'sharps', however further searching into forum results reveal that some medical professionals recycle plastic syringes without needles by placing them in the relevant recycling bin. So, with this in mind, I think I'll place mine in the general recycling bin as I simply have loads!!!
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 15 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 36 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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