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Expressing before baby is born

Anyone done this?

im leaking quite a bit of colostrum and wondered if its worth starting to express? Does it effect your milk when the baby is born? I was thinking I could freeze it, still quite a while to keep it though I guess as I'm only 22 weeks. Just hate seeing it wasted on a breast pad!

Replies

  • I've read it can start contractions and kick start labour, so possibly better not to!

  • I did it on the advice of my midwife and cleft nurse as E had cleft lip and we expected cleft palate, so the plan was to syringe feed her the colostrum after birth and then carry on expressing.  However, expressing before birth can apparently bring on early labour (E was 6 days early, no idea if there is a connection) so they stronglyrecommend that you don't do it before 37 weeks.  I would speak to your midwife about it to make sure it is ok in your situation.

  • Ah ok! Why didn't I think of that, I knew that could happen!

  • no personal experience but I remember reading on here about someone who did because they were diabetic? and expected that baby would have problems with blood sugar after birth so harvested the colostrum to be given to baby instead of formula. I think it was done as plan with their mw and they freezed in in tiny syringes?

  • I spoke to a bf counsellor about this when I was pregnant with Florence. With ethan I flooded the best every night from 20 weeks and was having to wear pads and allele on a maternity sheet. When I then couldn't feed I was gutted at everything I wasted.

    The counsellor said that other than diabetic mother's they don't recommend expressing before 37 weeks. For one it can trigger labour, of can also set you off needing to express regularly if you start putting a demand on the supply, but also the calorie content of the milk and all the goodness in it is triggered by the delivery of your baby, so they won't get all the nourishment they need from the milk - it would be like giving water

  • I would wait. I leaked quite a bit early on and for me it just meant my milk came in quickly and I found it easier to feed my girls. you will have enough of a supply when they arrive so don't worry about collecting it now

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