Colostrum is the first type of milk that your breasts make. It is often thick and a yellowy golden colour. Many women will actually begin to produce colostrum from as early as 16 weeks in pregnancy but may not notice unless their breasts are leaking. This can often happen towards the end of pregnancy.
Why is colostrum so important? Colostrum helps to line your baby’s immature gut and seeding your baby’s microbiome. Colostrum is so nutrient dense and full of antibodies, protein and minerals that your baby will literally only need a few ml at a time in the first few feeds.
If you have Gestational diabetes your midwife may recommend hand expressing colostrum in the weeks prior to the birth of your baby. Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes will often have low blood sugar at birth. Giving expressed colostrum helps to stabilise baby’s blood sugar levels quickly. Having expressed colostrum is also great to have to hand in case you have a baby that is struggling to feed.
You will need some small 1ml syringes from your midwife to store the colostrum. You will also need to label the syringes with your name and date it was expressed. The syringes will need to be stored in a zip lock bag. They can be stored in the fridge for 48 hours or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Expressing stimulates the hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin is the hormone that contracts the uterus and is responsible for kickstarting labour. It is important to seek advice from your healthcare provider prior to expressing in pregnancy.
Learning how to hand express in pregnancy is valuable.
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