Yay, they work!

[mamawanabe21]

So this is probably a really random thing to post - but yay, my boobies work!!
I noticed today I'm leaking quite a lot of colostrum, which probably doesn't mean I'll have good milk flow or whatever, but I never leaked with DD1 and I wasn't able to BF her, so this feels like a milestone - a positive amongst the many, many negatives I've been feeling lately.
Now I'm wondering if I should perhaps collect and freeze it? I'm 34 weeks, so could probably get together quite a good store of it between now and birth if I do it correctly. I remember having to try and hand express after birth, and it was so painful, I ended up giving up and letting the midwives give her some formula. I'm now wondering if I could avoid that stress and let down by getting a back-up supply frozen before she's here.

Any tips or advice?

 

[hellojello25]

I have read online about some women expressing the colostrum before birth and freezing it but I've never personally done it. I was thinking about doing it this time though because Alex was so large at birth that his blood sugars kept dropping and they had to feed him formula because I wasn't producing anything yet.

I've been leaking for ages now lol

 

[mamawanabe21]

I have read online about some women expressing the colostrum before birth and freezing it but I've never personally done it. I was thinking about doing it this time though because Alex was so large at birth that his blood sugars kept dropping and they had to feed him formula because I wasn't producing anything yet.

I've been leaking for ages now lol

Haha it’s tempting, isn’t it!
I’ve read online it can be safely done if you do by hand. I may give it a go. It seems too much of a waste of a good thing if I don’t at least try lol!

 

[dinidani]

Yes its perfectly safe to hand express and store in the freezer just date it i was told from 37 weeks i could start expressing more and more a night and it could start labour which is why they dont suggest to do it before 37 but yes perfectly safe also i saw someone say about using medicane surieng to capture it xx

 

[AmeliePoulain]

Yes I did this with my second and third children - I collected it in tiny syringes and froze it.

 

[chellesama]

I did the same as Amelie - hand express and freeze it in 5mL syringes. I get mine online, but a medical supply store should have them, too.

I think I had a dozen 5mL syringes ready with Jeevan, and a few more than that with Kate. I only did it once or twice a week, otherwise I got only very small amounts. If you're leaking (I don't, but my breast get achy and kind of itchy and it's hard to sleep like that so I express) you should be able to do it more often. It's normal to get some contractions after, but keep an eye on that just in case.

Get some stickers or tape or something so that you can put dates of them!

 

[mamawanabe21]

Thank ladies I’m going to order some syringes and caps, and start expressing next week when I get to 35 weeks.

 

[lilmisscaviar]

I personally would be too afraid to express before birth for fear that I'd put myself into labor (thinking of nipple stimulation) but I suppose you could try. If you start getting BH or contractions I would stop. On a side note I haven't been leaking but I've been getting a burning sensation in my breasts the past few days. I've never had this before in previous pregnancies so I'm wondering if it means I'm gearing up for breastfeeding too? Gets uncomfortable at times.