For the first few days after your baby's birth, your body will make colostrum, a nutrient-rich "pre-milk." Colostrum (kuh-LOSS-trum) has many benefits, including nutrients that boost a baby's immune system and help fight infection. For some women, colostrum is thick and yellowish.
Colostrum: your first milk
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.
Colostrum is the first milk your breasts create during lactation and the first milk your baby drinks. It's thick, yellow and commonly called “liquid gold.” Colostrum is high in protein, minerals, vitamins and antibodies.
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.
Can you pump colostrum? It's difficult to pump colostrum with a breast pump because of its thick consistency. Most people recommend and prefer using their hands to express colostrum. Hand expressing colostrum usually produces more colostrum than a pump.
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.
Bovine colostrum has been used for human consumption due to the high concentrations of bioactive proteins, vitamins, minerals, growth factors, as well as free and conjugated oligosaccharides.
The frozen colostrum can be stored for up to six months in the freezer. Once thawed, it should be used within 24 hours.
What are the nutritional benefits of colostrum? Compared to all milk that follows, this first milking is significantly higher in enzymes, nutrients, proteins, vitamins, and antibodies. Research shows that consuming bovine colostrum may promote immunity, help fight infections, and improve gut health throughout life.
If you would like to collect your colostrum, you can start hand expressing for a few minutes once a day when you are 36 to 37 weeks pregnant.
The Basics of Breastfeeding
Breast milk has three different and distinct stages: colostrum, transitional milk, and mature milk.
Colostrum, a thick, sticky substance, which can range in colour from clear to dark yellow, is the first milk you produce for your baby.
For the first 2 to 5 days after your baby is born, you will make a small amount of colostrum, which is all a healthy term baby needs. Colostrum is a thick, rich milk that is high in nutrients. Around day 3 through 5, your milk will come in.
Colostrum is higher in protein and lower in fat and sugar compared to transitional and mature breast milk, making it easier to digest and nutrient-packed. 3 Colostrum is full of antibodies, white blood cells, and other immune properties—it functions like your child's first immunization.
How Much Colostrum Does a Newborn Baby Need? New moms may produce anywhere from 10 to 100 milliliters of colostrum per day. Typically, though, it's around 30 milliliters or about an ounce a day, which is right around the amount that your baby needs.
It is usual to get only a drop or two to start with; this should increase over the days as you express more. A baby only needs very small amounts of colostrum during the early feeds, so any amount you collect will benefit them.
Potential Downsides
People who are allergic to milk should not consume bovine colostrum. Products may also be made with additives that can include other common allergens like soy. Depending on how the cows are raised, bovine colostrum may also contain antibiotics, pesticides, or synthetic hormones.
Colostrum nutrients
Share on Pinterest Colostrum supplements can be beneficial for both newborns and adults. Colostrum supplements contain many nutrients that could have added health benefits for adults and help support a baby in their first few days of life.
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.
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.
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.
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!