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Initiating Breastfeeding with More Ease. How? With Colostrum Harvesting!

It makes sense when you really think about it.

Colostrum, which is the first milk made in the breast for baby once it’s born, is referred to by midwives as liquid gold. It is laden with countless nutrients for new-borns. All of the minerals, vitamins, trace minerals and anti-bodies that baby needs for optimum growth and development.

Colostrum harvesting refers to the expressing of colostrum from the breasts before the baby is born; usually after the mother reaches 37 weeks gestation (term).

So what are the benefits of colostrum harvesting and how is it done?

 

Benefits of Colostrum Harvesting:

  • Decrease the time it takes for milk to ‘come in’ after baby is born by stimulating the breasts regularly before birth.

  • Prepare the mothers body for producing breastmilk by way of the stimulation.

  • Provide an instant source of mothers milk for babies who may be compromised and need to receive milk very soon after birth, e.g. baby’s admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), or babies of diabetic mothers where blood sugars must be monitored/stabilized.

  • Feed babies having difficulty latching in the early days after birth-e.g. babies who have tongue-tie, or mothers who have flat or inverted nipples with previous difficulty achieving a correct latch.

  • Providing practice and increasing mother’s confidence on how to express breastmilk by hand, becoming familiar with handling their breasts, storing the expressed milk and etc. for after baby is born.

 

What is the process for Colostrum Harvesting?

First gather your tools/equipment:

1.     Syringes with caps to collect the colostrum

2.     Warm compress (hot-water bottle or gel-pack) for transferring heat into the breast during massage

3.     Muslin or cloth for soaking up mothers scent (useful for calming baby later).

4.     Your hands for massaging and squeezing/expressing out the colostrum.

 

Beginning the process:

Create the right environment/mental state for expressing (anxiety is counterproductive). Try a warm shower beforehand, and a relaxing quiet peaceful space to begin.

 

  1. Use clean warm hands to massage the breasts from outer areas in towards the areolar. Do this for a few minutes, using knuckles of a closed fist to roll downwards on the breast from thumb to pinkie finger on the upper areas, and the opposite underneath the breast.

  2. Hold fingers in a C shape around the areolar and nipple to enable regular rhythmic squeezing of the breast towards the nipple.

  3. Repeat for 20-30 minutes, Once or twice daily moving the hands around to activate and express from other areas of the breast.

  4. Have the 1-2 ml syringe ready to collect any drops of colostrum that may appear on the nipple tip. ‘Suction’ it up with the sterile syringe.

  5. Be consistent! Most mothers at first, second or even third attempt, harvest very little colostrum. It’s much easier doing so once baby is born and the hormonal balance has changed, encouraging milk production.

  6. During the process, visualize baby being fed your harvested colostrum, and how beneficial it is for your little one. Use the process as a reminder that baby’s stomach capacity in the first 1-3 days of life is very tiny. Only a teaspoonful of colostrum is needed per feed (3-5mls).

  7. Label your syringes with name and harvesting date, and place your newly expressed colostrum directly into the freezer to preserve and keep for when needed after delivery. It can be kept frozen for 6 months, up to a year depending on freezer temperature (deep freeze or fridge freezer).

  8. Harvested colostrum can be taken to the hospital with you at time of birth. Ensure its kept cold (use a cool-bag), and can be put in a fridge at the hospital/birth place. Ask your midwives to ensure beforehand. Colostrum can safely stay out at room temperature for up to 4 hours (CDC 2016).

  9. Hand expression is recommended for harvesting colostrum. Avoid using a breast-pump at this stage, as not only can it create soreness, but also as colostrum is such tiny amounts, most of it will get stuck inside the apparatus of a pump and may not make it into the bottle at all!

 

This is the beginning of your breastfeeding journey and there is much to learn. Remember to honour yourself in the process; you are amazing!

 

 

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrea Bonita Jordan is a Registered Midwife, Breastfeeding Specialist and co-founder of two charities: The Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Foundation (The BCNF ) & Better Birthing in Bim

 
 
 

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