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.
You can start harvesting colostrum at the end of your 36th week of pregnancy. Check with your midwife, lactation nurse or doctor before you start.
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.
Compared to later or mature breast milk, colostrum has more:
- protein
- minerals
It is lower in:
- fat
- carbohydrates
- some vitamins
Benefits of colostrum
Colostrum is sometimes called liquid gold because of its importance and colour. It has a lot of antioxidants and antibodies which can help keep your baby healthy.
Colostrum lines your baby's stomach with good bacteria. It also contains compounds that feed the good bacteria and kill harmful bacteria and viruses. Colostrum's main benefit is to prevent infection. It also has a laxative effect to encourage your baby's first poo.
It's normal to only have a small amount of colostrum. But every drop has great health benefits for your baby for the rest of their life.
Colostrum harvesting while you are pregnant
Colostrum harvesting means expressing and collecting your colostrum in the last few weeks of pregnancy (usually from 36 to 37 weeks).
Having colostrum ready can be really helpful if your baby needs extra milk after birth.
This is especially important if:
- you have diabetes
- you are planning a caesarean birth
- you have had breastfeeding challenges before
- your baby is expected to need some extra support.
Even a few drops are precious and can be given to your baby in the hospital. In some cases, this can reduce the need for formula.
Hand expressing in pregnancy is also a useful skill for after your baby is born. For example, if your baby is sleepy at the breast or needs a little encouragement, you can express a few drops to help.
Always check with your midwife, lactation nurse, or doctor before you start. They can tell you if colostrum harvesting is right for you and guide you on how to do it safely.
Watch video on how to harvest colostrum while you are pregnant (video)
How much colostrum you produce
The volume of colostrum you will produce varies.
It is generally between 2ml and 20ml (millilitres) per breastfeed in the first 3 days. It also depends on the number of breastfeeds your baby has in the first 24 hours after birth.
If you have breastfed before, your milk may come in sooner and you'll likely have colostrum in larger amounts.
If you were collecting colostrum while you were pregnant, the amount you produced is not a guide of your milk supply after your baby is born.
Colostrum for sick or premature babies
If your baby is born sick or premature, colostrum is especially important. This is because it can protect their stomach and helps them to fight illness.
The smell of colostrum also has a calming effect on sick babies during painful hospital procedures.
You can give colostrum to a premature baby using a cup or dropper. Your nurse or midwife will help you to hand express and collect your colostrum for your baby.
You will be encouraged to collect colostrum for your premature baby as soon as possible after delivery - within 1 hour. If you are unable to breastfeed directly you will also be encouraged to collect colostrum as soon as you can.
Expressing for a premature or ill baby
Blood in colostrum
Up to 1 in 4 mothers produce blood-stained colostrum. This can be normal, but it's important to see your GP or breastfeeding specialist if you notice your nipple discharge has blood in it.
After colostrum
Around 72 hours after the birth, you will notice your breast milk changing. This is commonly described as your 'milk coming in'.