Well, I'm 37 weeks' pregnant now and I've been expressing colostrum for a grand total of 10 weeks! I'm so pleased I continued to express and store my liquid gold for little one and I've not experienced any signs or symptoms of preterm labour in my low risk pregnancy. Perhaps I'm proving the doubters wrong... In any case, I'm not expressing to prove a point, rather I did it initially to relieve breast discomfort which I associated with the need to express colostrum antenatally. Storing it and having a stash was just a bonus but I hardly imagined I'd have as much as I have today... To date, I have expressed over 426ml of colostrum.
So for this week's blog, I thought it'd be appropriate to provide you with my top 10 tips on expressing colostrum antenatally.
Top 10 Tips on Antenatal Expressing of Colostrum
1. Always, always, always discuss with your midwife first - As soon as you've reached the third trimester you can technically start to express colostrum however always seek medical advice, that is pertinent to your own pregnancy, prior to doing so. I discussed expressing with my midwife and as I'm low risk and do not have any complications, she encouraged me to continue.
2. Follow La Leche League advice - The La Leche League are a credible international organisation that support women throughout all types of pregnancy and breastfeeding journeys. They have an excellent advice page on expressing colostrum antenatally. It's worked for me!
3. Do what you think is right - This is the best bit of advice I've been given by other mums. Although you may think it's rather vague, usually your instinct and your body tells you what you need to do. If something doesn't feel right for you, despite however many people are telling you otherwise, you need to make a decision that works for you. In my case, that decision was not to listen to the numerous negative people on breastfeeding forums, and instead pursue my own course of action that relieved my breast discomfort while also being cautious. I did also ignore a lot of the standard medical information as I felt it just provided a blanket response and didn't relate to my specific situation. For me, it meant reading between the lines in terms of the medical advice and guidance available online and getting reassurance from people who know me and my pregnancy, like my midwife.
4. Hand express - Colostrum can be much thicker than breast milk and therefore tougher to get out. With hand expressing, you can really gauge how much you need to work the breast tissue to express a few drops... and don't be afraid to work it! There's loads of videos online showing you how to hand express - a few good ones below:
Antenatal Hand Expressing Colostrum - a short guide by Kathryn Stagg IBCLC
(Lots of useful hints and tips)
Colostrum Collection in Pregnancy: When to start and how to do it by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
(Colostrum harvesting demo with a real boob and also demonstrates feeding colostrum to a newborn)
Antenatal and Hand Expressing by the Baby Clinic Cornwall
(Uses a real boob not a fake one, however the lady is expressing milk for her 8 month old baby not antenatal colostrum)
My Expert Midwife - How To Harvest Colostrum by My Expert Midwife
(Uses a knitted boob - They do state that you can express before 37 weeks with consultation from your midwife)
Some people do use pumps however I've personally found them to be far less effective at getting the colostrum out of the breast as pumps are really designed for milk, not colostrum. Some people also suggest sucking off one droplet at a time with a syringe... You'll be there forever if you do that! But then again, do what works for you.
I just express into a small sterile Tupperware with high sides so it can catch any jets that might appear over time. They still take me by surprise! Then I'll draw the colostrum up into sterile syringes when I'm completely done.
5. Be patient - Most people won't be able to express much colostrum for the first few weeks. You'll be lucky to get 2ml! Having said that, some women seem to leak absolutely loads... Both scenarios are complete normal. But don't feel down or depressed if you feel you're not expressing enough. At the end of the day, the fact you are even able to express some colostrum at all is really positive and it'll do your baby the world of good.
I've been expressing for over 10 weeks now, so the amount I express daily will be much more than someone who's just starting at 36/37 weeks pregnant. But if you did want to start expressing earlier in the third trimester, make sure you take it easy and don't think about building up supply until closer to due date. See how you go and if you get any cramping, stop immediately and contact your midwife (advice from the La Leche League website).
6. Expressing and storing colostrum doesn't have to be expensive - Before I started doing this, I never really gave any consideration to how much it would cost me to store my colostrum.
Well, most people have a freezer, but depending on how much you express you may want to invest in another freezer! Luckily we have two (I kept my old freezer from when my husband and I moved in together). This week I've dedicated a whole freezer draw to colostrum and thinking long term, this space could be useful for storing milk, which is generally produced in much greater quantities, so it's kinda like early prep...
Then, you'll need to think about syringes. Starting out, you won't need many but as you build your supply, you'll really start to go through them! To date, I have purchased over 400x syringes (£48 worth Inc. delivery) and in week 37 of my pregnancy, I'm using on average over 10x 1ml syringes a day to store colostrum. I cover syringes in a lot of detail in my week 35 blog.
Once your colostrum is stored in a syringe, you'll need to put those syringes in a bag and mark them with the date and in some cases, the time. I've spend about £20 on clear resealable plastic bags to date.
So, while nearly £70 up front might seem a lot to spend on storing colostrum, it is done over 10 weeks, so budgeting £7 per week seems less likely to break the bank. These are however my costs, so if you're more frugal, I'm sure you can shave off a few pounds here and there! There's also alternatives to storing colostrum e.g. in breast milk bags which can be cheaper than syringes.
7. Understanding whether you let-down easily
You may have heard the term 'let-down' applied to breastfeeding but it's also very relevant to expressing colostrum. It refers to when milk/colostrum is released from your breast which is usually stimulated when a baby sucks. Some women let-down very easily, however other women (me included!) simply don't - both scenarios are very normal.
There are various ways you can stimulate your let-down reflex and you can apply the same methods that are used in breastfeeding:
- Choose a comfortable/familiar environment to express
- Massage the breast tissue first
- Watch a funny film or look at something that relaxes you (and maybe takes your mind off it a little)
- Some people find expressing in the bath helps...
- Ensuring that you're mentally calm and free of stress
The more expressing you do, the more you'll figure out what works and what doesn't: For me, massage did absolutely nothing! So, I just sit in my favourite spot on the sofa, ensure my toddler is being looked after by Dad/is at nursery (as he likes to use me as a climbing frame!), then I go straight in with hand expressing and being fairly firm with it. Nowadays, I usually get a few jets come off with my express in the beginning however they quickly die down into the usual droplets of a standard colostrum express.
Once I have expressed both breasts, I will go back to each one as there is usually about half a ml left each side which adds to my stash. Time spent at the breast can vary however now that I'm closer to due date, I have increased that time to about 10-15 mins per side. This simulates a baby feeding at the breast which in turn can help increase supply.
If you do let down very easily and are leaking colostrum, you may want to consider wearing breast pads. As my body doesn't seem to want to give up any colostrum very easily, I am lucky that I don't need to wear them... yet! I've never experienced any wetness or crusty nipples, however when breastfeeding, it'll be a different story.
8. Frequency of expressing colostrum
This is probably one of the most important aspects to think about when expressing colostrum antenatally and I've talked about this subject in a number of my blogs, most notably the first one at 27 weeks pregnant where I was trying to find some middle ground between medical advice that said 'don't express until week 36 of pregnancy' and La Leche League advice which said 'it's fine to do once a day in the third trimester with discussion from your midwife'.
So, I had the following expressing pattern:
- Week 27-31 I generally expressed every other day to relieve breast discomfort
- Week 32-37 I expressed daily
- Week 38-40 I intend to express 2-3 times a day with a view to increasing supply
Throughout my time expressing, I never experienced any cramps or signs or preterm labour. If I had, I would have stopped immediately. The general rule of thumb is not to express too much too early on but once your baby has reached term, then you can express more often. My pattern worked well for my low risk pregnancy, however a different pattern may suit you.
9. Increasing supply
This point follows on closely from the previous; you've already read about expressing patterns to build supply but there are also other factors which I have personally found to influence my colostrum supply which I talk about in detail in my week 33 blog:
- Diet
- Staying well hydrated
- Physical activity
- Feeling relaxed
10. Colostrum harvesting essentials - a list of the basic items you will need:
- Freezer space
- Syringes (with caps if possible)
- Storage bags
- Something to express into (a Tupperware/baby bottle is fine)
- Marker pen/labels for dating expresses
- A method of sterilising any items which require it e.g. syringes, Tupperware etc
- Patience!!
My Colostrum Harvesting Diary at Week 37 of Pregnancy - Week commencing 2nd March 2021
My last day of expressing was 1st March 2021. Again, I have only been able to express once a day due to time constraints this week however I will attempt to express twice daily going forwards. I have spent longer at each breast, around 10-15 mins per side and I still revisit each breast for an extra express to really get the most out of them.
2nd March - 7ml
3rd March - 10.4ml
4th March - 14ml
5th March - 10ml
6th March - 15ml
7th March - 7.9ml
8th March - 13.9ml - This was actually over 3x expresses (morning, afternoon and just before bed). I have not recorded this on the graphs below as it's the first day I actually got to express 3 times, so isn't going to have any influence on the data collected just yet.
Total expressed for the week: 78.2ml
Average daily amount: 11.17ml
Total expressed to date: 426.65ml
My pattern of antenatal expressing of colostrum over time since week 28:
The daily volume expressed continues in a gentle upward trajectory which is what I expect, suggesting a continued gradual increase the volume expressed.
Another gradual increase in the amount of colostrum expressed within the last week.
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 38 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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