Colostrum: The best first food for your baby.
During pregnancy, you begin producing colostrum around 16 weeks gestation. You may experience this as an increase in your breast size and fullness. You may have some tenderness, similar to what you might have felt during your monthly cycle. This is your body prepping for and begining the work of lactation. If you do not experience this through your pregnancy, make sure to speak with your prenatal care provider and maybe even schedule a consultation with an LC.
Colostrum, because it is the first milk your body produces, is less in volume, thick, sticky, usually yellow-ish in colour and full of important nutrients and live cells that your baby needs to stay healthy during the first days and weeks out of your womb. Colostrum contains cells that boost your infant’s immunity, flora to protect your newborn’s gut, growth factor to stimulate your infant’s system and important vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats that will nourish and strengthen a tiny newborn body. The best part is that you, and only you, produce a composition of colostrum that is uniquely combined to be exactly what your baby needs.
With this in mind, one simple thing you can do before your baby is born is to express some colostrum to have on hand in case your baby needs to be supplemented. A note of caution: please speak with your prenatal care provider before attempting to express colostrum. In some cases, especially if you are at risk of preterm labour, the sitmulation of hand expression can induce contractions and initiate labour. Generally, after 37 weeks gestation, it is safe to hand express.
This video from fristdroplets.com has an excellent demonstration for how to hand expresss your colostrum before and after your baby is born.
How to hand express colostrum:
Wash your hands.
Prepare a clean collection container that you can store your colostrum in.
Form a C shape with your fingers.
Place your fingers around your areola.
Press back towards your chest wall.
Gently squeeze your breast tissue forwards toward your nipple, careful not to pinch or cause pain.
Continue this motion until you begin to see colostrum at your nipple.
Continue this motion and allow the colostrum to drip into your collection container.
Move the position of your hand and fingers and continue to express milk from all areas of your breast.
You can express from both or one breast. When done, store milk according to storage guidelines.
You can store colostrum in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer (not on the door) for up to 3 months. When possible, it is better to keep your colostrum fresh, but thawed frozen colostrum has benefits to a newborn as well. You can also hand express colostrum after your baby is born if latching is difficult or if direct breastfeeding is not possible immediately after birth.
Whatever the feeding method, whether direct breastfeeding, cup, spoon or syringe, colostrum is liquid gold and is the best first food for your newborn baby.
Check out this amazing resource for more information about colostrum and hand expression: https://firstdroplets.com/