Did you know you can hand express and collect first breast milk called colostrum before your baby is born? Antenatal expression means expressing colostrum before your baby is born. You can start expressing from 36 weeks pregnant.
Because some mamas may experience leakage while others don't, there is no set rule for when to start pumping during pregnancy. It can be anywhere from two months before birth, to a few weeks.
Pumping before labor can cause contractions - which are usually harmless and natural during pregnancy. But with high-risk pregnancies, it's better to stay on the safe side.
Even if you aren't currently nursing another child, pumping or expressing breast milk by hand while pregnant can be done to collect colostrum before you give birth. This is known as antenatal expression, and that it's usually safe for anyone who's more than 37 weeks along and not considered high-risk.
You can collect your colostrum while you're pregnant by hand expressing in the same way that you will express breast milk when your baby is born. While you're pregnant, you should only use your hands for expressing. Do not use a breast pump until after you have given birth. 1.
Although there are benefits in expressing colostrum during pregnancy, there are times when it's not recommended. There is a risk of premature labour by stimulating the breasts.
Expressing colostrum antenatally will not decrease or increase your milk supply after baby is born. Colostrum can be collected two to three times each day in the same syringe.
Antenatally, you'll only need to express for three to five minutes – just until you have a few drops of colostrum. It may not seem very much, but a baby's first feed is no more than a teaspoon of colostrum. By expressing up to three times in a day, you can express enough for a feed.
Generally speaking, breastfeeding your husband or partner is OK. It's not perverted or wrong if you want the person you are intimate with to breastfeed, or if they ask to try breastfeeding or taste your breast milk.
Hand expression is a technique where you use your hands to get the breast milk out of your breasts. When you try it in the final few weeks of pregnancy, the goal is to produce colostrum – the fluid that's made at the start of milk production. This technique may improve milk supply in some cases.
You may even have a breastfeeding plan in place. But if you're considering buying a breast pump while you're pregnant or adding it to your registry, our advice is to wait. There is comfort in feeling prepared. However, it's tough to know what you need before your baby arrives.
Does leaking colostrum mean labor is close? Colostrum leaking from your breasts doesn't mean labor is coming. Leaking colostrum is normal and some people notice it as early as the second trimester. Some don't notice any signs of leaking colostrum while others will see dried colostrum on their nipples.
1 Research shows that using a breast pump or your hands to stimulate your nipples can make your uterus contract; in some cases, this can get your labor started.
Risks to mother and baby
By stimulating their nipples and expressing milk while pregnancy, women could bring on regular contractions of the womb and give birth early. This is because nipple stimulation leads to an increase in the hormone oxytocin, which plays a role in both milk let-down and contraction of the womb.
If you're having a straightforward pregnancy, there's no reason to start hand expressing colostrum, your rich first breast milk, before you give birth. Colostrum is packed with nutrients and antibodies that nourish your baby and protect them from illness.
For pregnant people who do need to remove colostrum, hand expression can sometimes be more effective than expressing colostrum with a pump. This is because colostrum exists in such a low volume (even 5 to 7 milliliters of colostrum is good nutrition for a little one) and is a slow-moving liquid, Syms-Brown explains.
Please bring between 5 and 40 ml of expressed colostrum to hospital. If you have more than this, it can be brough from home at a later date if required. Please let staff know you have milk to put into our Level 10 freezer. Frozen colostrum defrosted in the ward fridge will need to be used within 24 hours.
You will make small quantities at first, often less than a millilitre at each feed or expression, and this volume of colostrum is usually adequate for the needs of a healthy baby born at term.
When should I start colostrum harvesting? We recommend you start colostrum harvesting from 36 weeks of pregnancy. It is unlikely to trigger labour but please check the 'reasons why I should not hand express colostrum before birth' information in this leaflet prior to commencing.
Breast expression will trigger premature labor contractions. Prenatal (antenatal) expression of colostrum has not been shown to trigger labor contractions if the pregnancy is otherwise stable. In fact, 'nipple stimulation' is not especially effective in starting or enhancing labor contractions.
Before you pump, wash your hands with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol. Make sure the area where you are pumping and your pump parts and bottles are clean. You do not need to wash your breasts and nipples before pumping.
Oxytocin not only stimulates milk production, but it also stimulates uterine contractions,” explains Dr. McClure. Using a breast pump or a hand to stimulate your nipples can have the same effect. Several studies looking at this method had pregnant people practice nipple stimulation over several days.
Do not use a breast pump whilst you are pregnant. Your Midwife will discuss the technique with you. You can start expressing your milk from 36 weeks of your pregnancy. Start hand expressing from each breast once a day for 5 minutes.
Oxytocin also is released when a woman's breasts are stimulated by suckling or pumping, causing milk to move from the ducts and out the tiny holes in the nipple (let-down reflex). In the first few days after delivery, oxytocin also causes uterine contractions that help shrink the uterus back to its prepregnancy size.
It can remain in a refrigerator for up to four days. You can store pumped colostrum in the freezer for up to six months (for best quality) or 12 months, at most. If you're uncertain about how long your colostrum has been stored, it's best to dispose of it.