You can do this by hand expressing for a few minutes once a day and gradually build up to doing it for five to 10 minutes. Once your baby is born, you can harvest your colostrum the same way you would express your breast milk, using an electric or manual breast pump. Does colostrum harvesting hurt? Some women with diabetes in pregnancy are referred to a lactation consultant and encouraged to begin expressing and storing colostrum in the late antenatal period. 7 This practice has been thought to promote earlier onset of lactogenesis and facilitate early breastfeeding, as well as provide a supply of colostrum that may be used to supplement breastfeeding and reduce reliance on formula feeding to treat hypoglycaemia. 7 8 Because of these perceived benefits to the neonate, women with diabetes in pregnancy are encouraged to collect and store colostrum by midwives, diabetes educators and obstetricians in many settings. 9 However, the experiences of women with diabetes who are encouraged to engage in this practice have not been well explored. There is no harm in advising women with diabetes in pregnancy at low risk of complications to express breastmilk from 36 weeks’ gestation ProfDella A Forster et al. 2017 Will my diabetic team or midwife discuss colostrum harvesting with me?

If you are booked to have an induction of labour or caesarean, in the 2 to 3 days before, do not freeze the colostrum but instead put it in the fridge. This will lengthen the amount of time the colostrum can be used, as once defrosted the colostrum should be used within 12 hours. Breast feeding can take time for you and baby to get to know each other. The harvested colostrum can help supplement feeds during the first few days.CONCLUSIONS: Early breastfeeding may facilitate glycaemic stability in infants born to women with gestational diabetes. I R A Chertok et al. 2009 Can’t I just breastfeed or express when the baby is born? If your baby is unable to maintain its blood glucose levels and/or it is unable to feed at the breast then you can feed your baby using the colostrum you have harvested. When you’re pregnant, you’re trying to figure it out anyway and then you’ve got the added complication of diabetes. (GDM, 20s) While you are pregnant you should only use your hands for expressing. Do not use a breast pump until after you have given birth.

Hand expressing is advised for antenatal colostrum harvesting. Hand expressing is when you use your hand to massage and squeeze the breast to extract colostrum as the guide above explains.

Hand expression is the best way to express colostrum. It is simple to learn and gets easier with practice. You’ll only be expressing small amounts so using a pump will be impractical and may not be as effective. You may receive information and a demonstration on hand expression from your midwife.

You are disappointed with yourself that you couldn’t get it but next time you got heaps … swings and roundabouts. (GDM, 40s) Do ask if the hospital has an Infant Feeding Specialist who will be well informed about breastfeeding and a source of support in those early days. A handy technique The Syringes have a smooth tip for a more comfortable collection of Colostrum from your breast and feeding your newborn baby. I felt like that [breastfeeding] was quite easy for me to do. Whereas other women, they’d have to learn that technique. (T1DM, 20s) It is easier to store and defrost small amounts of colostrum in syringes, but you can store or freeze your colostrum in any suitable sterilised container, especially if you are collecting larger quantities. How long can I use one syringe for?Many pregnant women harvest their colostrum to store up breast milk and to practice breastfeeding before their little one is born,” says Leila. “It is also beneficial for women having multiple babies (and more mouths to feed!) or whose milk might be delayed following a planned c-section.”

It can feel discouraging. You’re not guaranteed to collect a lot of colostrum before giving birth and sometimes you might struggle to get any at all. “It can be discouraging if you don’t see any colostrum, or painful if you are hand expressing for too long,” Silverman says. It is important for a mother to discuss her plans to express antenatally with her healthcare provider. It may not be recommended if you’ve been at risk of preterm labour in previous pregnancies, or have a surgical stitch, for example. Consider expressing the day before birth so your milk is available if you and your baby are separated. This will be especially useful if your baby will be born early.Before you have your baby and in the first few days after birth only hand express. You could practise in the bath or shower as relaxation and warmth often helps with expressing. It is very normal to get nothing initially, even learning how to hand express will get you off to a great start for when you have your baby 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.