The first milk that your breasts produce is called colostrum. It can be yellow, white or clear in colour and is thicker than other fluids. Learning to hand express and harvest colostrum can help you improve your breast milk supply. It can make breastfeeding easier after your baby's birth.
Colostrum: Your first milk that lasts between two and four days after birth. Transitional milk: Begins approximately four days after birth and lasts about two weeks. Mature milk: Milk that lasts from approximately 14 days after birth until you are done producing milk.
If your baby cannot nurse at first, hand express the colostrum so it can be fed to your baby. Hand expressing colostrum generally yields more volume than using a breast pump in the early hours. The amount of colostrum you are making is just right for your baby.
Colostrum is higher in both fat and protein than regular milk. It is an impressively concentrated substance, packed with important nutrients and antibodies that newborns need for protection. Colostrum is essential in strengthening both the immune and digestive systems of the baby.
The Basics of Breastfeeding
Breast milk has three different and distinct stages: colostrum, transitional milk, and mature milk.
A color that's normal for one mother might not be normal for another — so you shouldn't necessarily go out and compare color notes with all your breastfeeding friends. But in most cases, breast milk is lighter in appearance, usually white, although it can have a slightly yellowish or bluish hue.
The more you pump, the more milk your breasts will produce. It is also important to stay hydrated. A pumping session will take 15-20 minutes ideally pumping both breasts at the same time. Full milk production is about 25-35 oz.
Should You Pump Colostrum Postpartum? While pumping colostrum while pregnant isn't typically necessary, pumping colostrum after birth can be important in some circumstances, including if your baby is not latching well or if you and your baby may be separated for any reason, Gourley says.
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.
It can also be referred to as 'colostrum harvesting' and is advocated by some NHS Trusts. Mothers are normally advised to wait until around 36 weeks before starting antenatal expression. Mums who are having multiple births may sometimes start sooner as giving birth earlier is more likely.
Gently press your thumb and fingers together, release your fingers and repeat in a rhythmic movement. It may take a few minutes so be patient! Gradually your breast milk (or colostrum) will start to slowly drip out. Keep going, try to build up a rhythm – you're doing really well!
The fluid your breasts produce in the first few days after birth is called colostrum. It's thick and usually a golden yellow colour. It's a very concentrated food, so your baby will only need a small amount, about a teaspoonful, at each feed. Your baby may want to feed quite often, perhaps every hour to begin with.
There can be benefits to expressing and storing colostrum during pregnancy in case it is needed after birth. If there is a risk of premature birth or of your baby having feeding problems, the person providing your maternity care may recommend you express and store some colostrum.
How much colostrum should I harvest for my baby? You will likely only be able to harvest tiny quantities of colostrum milk (sometimes less than a millilitre per feed) particularly the first few times. But any amount you produce is beneficial, so try not to worry about how much you produce.
On average, your baby will consume about a teaspoon of colostrum per feeding in the first 24 hours, which is ideal for his or her tiny stomach. In fact, your baby's stomach is only about the size of a cherry on day one and holds just 5 – 7 mL or 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons of breast milk during each feeding!
Colostrum can be collected two to three times each day in the same syringe/container. You will need to store the capped collection container in the fridge between uses. If you are using a syringe for collection, make sure it is no more than ¾ full as milk expands when frozen.
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.
If you have a normal, healthy pregnancy, then pumping before birth is often completely safe. If you have a high-risk pregnancy, it may be better to play it safe. As you begin to experience physical changes during your pregnancy, you may notice that your breasts leak small amounts of colostrum.
Milk production generally begins around the midpoint of pregnancy, somewhere between weeks 16 and 22. At this stage your body is producing what's known as colostrum—a yellowish milk that's rich in calories and disease-fighting antibodies—which will serve as baby's first food after birth.
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.
Can you use a Haakaa to collect colostrum ? A lot of our Milkbar community have found that the Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump works really well to express colostrum. Simply suction it on and use the gentle suction to help the colostrum move out of the breast.
If baby is unable to breastfeed at birth, give 2mls of colostrum every 3-4hrs over the next 24hrs. Hand expressing should never hurt.
For many moms, 10-15 minutes of pumping is long enough. Once a week, add up the milk you pump in a 24-hour period. Write it down and compare your totals each week. You'll know right away if your production drops.
Pump between breastfeeding, either 30-60 minutes after nursing or at least one hour before breastfeeding. This should leave plenty of milk for your baby at your next feeding. If your baby wants to breastfeed right after breast pumping, let them!
Combining milk
If you pumped both breasts at once and the total amount of milk will fill one bottle no more than two-thirds full, you may combine the contents in one bottle by carefully pouring the milk from one sterile container into the other.