Wash your hands, then apply a warm compress to your breast or chest. Taking a warm shower or bath ahead of time can work, too. Neonatal hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels) is the biggest post-birth complication we see in our support group, even when the mother’s blood sugar levels have been well controlled. Colostrum is a great source of nutrition for your baby, and some women will collect their colostrum before giving birth, otherwise known as ‘colostrum harvesting’. Some pregnant women may do this if they know their baby is going to have trouble feeding, while others simply want to become more confident at hand expressing their breast milk. Colostrum contains the all-important immunological properties that helps build babies own immune system and fill babies’ gut with the healthy bacteria that protects against diseases and allergies. If I hadn’t [expressed] I wouldn’t have known where to go and probably wouldn’t have felt comfortable reaching out but I’d already made those relationships. (GDM, 30s)

While you are pregnant you should only use your hands for expressing. Do not use a breast pump until after you have given birth.

If hand expressing does cause soreness, you should try changing the pressure or position of your fingers. You can also get expert help from a Lactation Consultant who can help guide you through the best practice of colostrum harvesting.” How do you harvest colostrum? Where there is a family history of cow’s milk protein sensitivity or type 1 diabetes, families may be particularly keen to avoid the use of early formula supplementation. If you come into hospital in spontaneous labour it may be more beneficial to leave the colostrum in your freezer at home until required after birth, as this will prevent colostrum having to be discarded if it is defrosted for longer than 12 hours. Once you have had your baby, your birthing partner may go home to collect the rest of the colostrum you have hand expressed. Sterile syringes should be used to collect the colostrum and is what are recommended for use in the UK. There’s no set time that you’ll start leaking colostrum when you’re pregnant. In fact, some people never do, and whether or not you leak doesn’t mean anything about your ability to breastfeed. “Some women begin leaking colostrum around 20 weeks, others never leak colostrum,” Schooler says. Whether you leak or not means nothing about what your breastfeeding journey will be like. “Leaking colostrum during pregnancy is not an indicator of how full a woman’s milk supply will be,” Schooler notes. Does leaking colostrum mean labor is close?

after a couple of minutes, make a C shape with your thumb and forefinger around 2-3cms from the nipple end and use a gentle stroking + squeezing movement (don’t squeeze until its painful) Effects of early breastfeeding on neonatal glucose levels of term infants born to women with gestational diabetes

How to transport your frozen colostrum

Step 6: You may only express a few drops of colostrum or a full teaspoon, so don’t be disheartened if you feel you haven’t expressed a lot, colostrum is extremely concentrated so every drop counts.