65. Collecting Colostrum During Pregnancy: How To Do It and Why You Should Try

Pregnant moms often wonder if it’s worth it to collect colostrum during pregnancy? Or maybe you’re completely new to the idea of hand expression during pregnancy!

In this episode, we delve into the benefits, methods, and reasons behind colostrum harvesting. Join us as we explore this valuable practice that can provide a great start for your newborn.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

• Why colostrum is referred to as 'liquid gold' and its crucial benefits for newborns…
• The optimal time to start collecting colostrum and exactly how to do it safely…
• Tools and techniques for effective colostrum collection, including the Elvie catch and hand expression methods…
• How having colostrum on hand can alleviate stress and prepare you for potential breastfeeding challenges…
• Personal experiences and expert advice from a lactation specialist to guide you through your colostrum collection journey…
• … and much more!

Collecting colostrum during pregnancy can be a proactive step in ensuring your baby's health and your peace of mind. Tune in to get all the details and feel empowered as you prepare for your baby's arrival. Don't forget to check out the resources linked in the show notes for additional support and guidance, too!

Resources:
Colostrum Harvesting Handout

Syringes For Collection -- Amazon

Latched Lake Country – Jackie, RN, BSN, IBCLC, CLC, CBWE

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Welcome, friends! I am Beth, a certified nurse midwife, doula, and childbirth educator. My philosophy is rooted in autonomy, informed decision making, and positive mindset to help expecting parents plan for a beautiful, stress-free birth. I am here to provide value to YOU through tips and practical advice, either to guide you through pregnancy or to help you prepare for childbirth, postpartum and beyond. There’s no fluff here - only info that adds to your positive experience and saves you stress and uncertainty.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to episode 65 of Your Birth Bestie podcast! Today, I want to share all about collecting colostrum during pregnancy, how to do it, and why I think it’s worth a try! I am 37 weeks pregnant this week and have not yet attempted, but will soon, and am excited to be along this journey with you. Colostrum collecting is something I have never personally done before with either of my other two pregnancies, but I have recently helped several moms learn more about this and they had really great experiences and collected several syringes to be able to bring to the hospital with them as a backup if there were feeding difficulties. 

I linked a few resources in the show notes, one document has great written instructions and a video you can access that demonstrates what I’ll be talking about when I get to step-by-step collection tips, I also linked the syringes I purchased myself from Amazon, and the lactation specialist, Jackie at Latched Lake Country, that I personally saw at 34 weeks to plan for my third breastfeeding journey and who is an amazing local resource but does virtual consults as well for some amazing education. 

So definitely go and check out the show notes after listening to all the details on collecting colostrum during pregnancy.

You might have heard of colostrum referred to as ‘liquid gold’ because it is the very first bit of milk produced by moms that are super high in nutrients and antibodies, playing an important part of boosting a newborn’s immune system. When a baby takes in colostrum, it lines their gut and helps develop their digestive system and again protects against harmful infections. The natural laxative effect can help baby have their first stool which also helps them get rid of bilirubin which when there is too much, would put the baby at risk of having jaundice. It’s really the best thing to give baby’s right when they’re born and gives them the healthiest start possible, so learning more about how to give this to your baby is a great first step and I’m so glad you are here!

If you’ve never considered colostrum harvesting prenatally or aren’t completely sure you want to try, I want to share with you some of the benefits and why you should maybe think about it.

The first reason is the most obvious, and that is if you’re already noticing leaking from your breasts during pregnancy, instead of letting those drops go to waste, you can collect them! There is something called the Elvie catch, that my lactation consultant recommended me trying and I plan to use in those first few months of nursing and milk supply is regulating, but can also be a good option during pregnancy. I used the Haakaa ladybugs with my second baby, but apparently these Elvie ones are much flatter and discrete and don’t create any uncomfortable suction like I noticed with the lady bugs. So might be worth a try if you’re interested! It’s basically a discreet and comfortable way to collect milk and build up a small supply of colostrum that can be helpful once your baby is born.

Not everyone leaks during pregnancy, it is probably more uncommon than not, so if you’re not leaking it doesn’t mean there isn’t milk being produced and you won’t have an adequate supply, it just means you don’t have milk yet, which is also a possibility before your baby comes. 

Another reason to consider colostrum harvesting prenatally is that more commonly, there are challenges that can make breastfeeding difficult. Some babies might have trouble latching due to coordination, lip or tongue ties, sleepiness, amongst other things. Other may have to spend time in the NICU or have health issues that cause mom and baby to be briefly separated. In these cases, it can be super nice to have some colostrum already stored up and it can be fed to them and receive those benefits of the first nutrient-rich milk, even if direct breastfeeding isn’t possible right away. I recently had a mom that was absolutely exhausted after her labor that she wanted a bit of time before she tried to latch the baby for the first time and dad fed the baby the colostrum in the syringe that she had collected in the weeks prior, instead. It worked out really well for mom to get a moment to rest and dad had that skin-to-skin bonding experience as well which was special to witness.

Collecting colostrum can also help moms more than just the nutritional aspect, but also just mentally knowing that your baby has a supply of colostrum before they are even born can reduce stress and anxiety about potential breastfeeding difficulties. I know for me, this is a huge reason why I want to try this time around, because my other breastfeeding journeys were so difficult. I also have large babies that may be at a higher risk of blood sugar instability, that adequate intake is monitored more carefully. It would be great to know that I have a small amount to give baby if needed during those first few days instead of supplementing with formula or donor milk, if needed. This really helps moms to feel prepared and proactive in their baby's care, and create a sense of empowerment and readiness for any challenges that might come up, because so much of it is unpredictable.

And then there are also certain situations where colostrum harvesting can be particularly helpful when you have preexisting condition like diabetes. Babies born to moms with diabetes can be at a higher risk for blood sugar instability and having colostrum on hand can help these babies manage blood sugars more effectively. Same with babies born with low or high birth weights, and this would be less than 10th percentile or greater than the 90th percentile for reference, but these babies are also at a risk for blood sugar instability and I have seen parents pressured into supplementing with formula much more aggressively than a baby without any concerns otherwise. Also, for moms having multiple babies and want to stimulate milk production for both babies or a planned c-section where it might take a little longer for milk to come in as there may be a delay for hormones to be signaled producing milk, having colostrum as a backup can be helpful.

So really collecting colostrum prenatally is a practical and beneficial way that can support both moms and babies through some possible early challenges, whether that’s dealing with pre-existing conditions, anticipating complications, or simply wanting to be prepared. I think that having a supply of colostrum ready, and just a few syringes full is what I mean by supply, can make a significant difference in the postnatal period. We don’t need ounces and ounces, but just the littlest amount can make the difference for those first few feeds.

Now let’s talk about actually getting started collecting and how to do this.

So, 37 weeks of your pregnancy is when you are considered to be full-term and this is when it is recommended to begin, as long as you have the go ahead from your provider as well. The risk would be that stimulation of the breasts can cause contractions to begin, ultimately starting labor, which would not be recommended before you are full-term at 37 weeks. It is unlikely for this to happen because you are stimulating your breasts for such a short amount of time each day with this method, but it is a known risk to be aware of and why collection shouldn’t happen before 37 weeks, unless of course you are actively leaking and collecting that way. But actual stimulation should be held off until 37 weeks.

And then before you get started, you will need small, sterile syringes for sure and then it would be optional to have a small plastic cup like a medicine cup. You can express directly into the cup and then collect the drops with the syringe when you’re done, or collect the drops directly from the breast in the syringe, either works. I did link the syringes I purchased for myself in the show notes as well.

So now you’re ready to collect. I’ll go through a step-by-step explanation briefly and also link in the show notes, a really good resource for you to follow as well. There is a link to a video on hand expression as well so you can visually see the technique if you are unsure.

You’ll of course wash your hands, find a comfy spot where you can relax, and even apply a warm compass for a few minutes to stimulate milk production. Collecting after a warm shower works as well. 

You’ll then gently massage your breast in a circular motion to encourage the flow of colostrum. Once you’re ready, you will do the c-shaped hold on your breast where you place your thumb and fingers around your breast, about an inch or two behind the nipple, forming a c shape. Gently press your thumb and fingers towards your chest, then compress towards the nipple, and release, repeating this rhythmically. Rotate the position of your fingers around the breast to express from different areas as well. Continue for a few minutes, working your way up to gently expressing for about five to ten minutes at a time, two to five times per day.

And then like I mentioned you can either hold a sterile syringe or container close to your nipple to catch the drops of colostrum as they appear, labeling the syringe when you’re all done with the date and time you collected it. You would then place it in the freezer right away to make sure it stays good until delivery and all those nutrients and antibodies are going to benefit baby when they are born.

You might not get anything the first couple times, or at all, so please be patient and avoid squeezing too hard. The volume will be very small so doing this gradually over the next couple weeks, multiple times per day will hopefully provide you with some success, but again we don’t need that much to get a head start before the baby is here.

And I know I only talked about hand expression here and some people wonder if they can use a breast pump for this, and truly you can do either, but I have seen more success with hand expression due to the thicker consistency of the colostrum and how small of a quantity it is, the flanges from the breast pump just end up getting coated with the drops and then it’s very hard to collect. So I think hand expression is the way to go honestly.

And then the last thing I want to mention is how helpful it can be to get support and establish a relationship with a lactation consultant before your baby is even born. Even during pregnancy there are ways to prepare for breastfeeding with education, positions, different tools and supplies you may find helpful, choosing a breast pump, flange sizes, all of those things, and one thing you could talk more about too if you have questions is collecting colostrum. When talking with Jackie from Latched Lake Country, who is an amazing resource, and I saw her myself during this pregnancy and have an in-home visit scheduled after my baby is born, she said typically 34 to 36 weeks is a good time to reach out and come up with a plan to have the education and confidence to make your breastfeeding or newborn feeding in whatever way that looks, the most ideal for you. So I will include her information as well for local moms and also anyone interested to meet with her virtually, I truly learned so much and this is my third baby and I have training as a midwife. So Jackie is great I highly recommend her!

Thank you so much for tuning in to Your Birth Bestie podcast today. If you found this episode helpful on colostrum harvesting, I would love it if you could take literally 2 seconds to rate or review the show. It is the best way to support this podcast and also help other moms find this information too. It would absolutely make my day if you could do that and then coming up I will be talking all about my preparation for my home birth, so tune in for another episode next week!