Your Guide to Colostrum Harvesting
Understanding Colostrum: The First Superfood
Colostrum is the very first milk produced by your body after giving birth, and it starts forming as early as the second trimester of pregnancy around 24 weeks. Colostrum is packed with nutrients, including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antibodies—all crucial for supporting your baby's health and building a robust immune system.
One of the features of colostrum is its natural laxative properties. It aids in the passage of meconium (your baby’s first poop) and helps prevent jaundice. With all these benefits, it’s no wonder colostrum is lovingly referred to as “liquid gold.”
What is Colostrum Harvesting?
Colostrum harvesting is the process of collecting and storing colostrum to provide to your baby soon after birth or in the early few days before your milk increases in volume. It typically involves gently expressing colostrum shortly before or after delivery. You can collect it onto a clean spoon and transfer it to a sterile container, or express it directly into breast milk storage bags or syringes.
So, how do you do it? Check Out Our Video Tutorial with the practice owner, Jaren Soloff RD IBCLC to learn how to express your colostrum prenatally and save it in a syringe to provide to your baby.
Here is what it may look like once it is expressed and saved into a syringe to use after your baby is born! Notice the yellow color and the small volume, this is normal as colostrum is intended to be low in volume since your baby’s stomach size is barely the size of a cherry from days #1-3!
When Should You Consider Colostrum Harvesting?
There are several situations where colostrum harvesting is recommended:
* Medical Reasons: If you’re unable to breastfeed immediately after birth, colostrum that has been expressed and saved can be provided to your baby. This can be especially helpful if you have a planned cesarean birth since we know that your milk can be delayed with a cesarean birth.
*Premature Babies: When your little one is born early and struggles with latching, you can provide colostrum to them to keep their blood sugar levels up and to avoid supplementation. Colostrum is the perfect first food for your baby especially if they are premature.
*Special Health Needs: To build a supply for babies with specific health requirements such as for mothers with gestational diabetes
The link between gestational diabetes and colostrum harvesting
Many babies born to diabetic mothers can have low blood sugar levels after birth putting them at risk of neonatal hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels) which is a common post birth complication. Providing colostrum to your baby if they do have low blood sugar is the most effective way to help increase their blood sugar level!
Remember to always check with your OBGYN or midwife before practicing colostrum harvesting or hand expression as it is contraindicated for women who are at risk of preterm labor or preeclampsia.
How to Store Your Harvested Colostrum
Once collected, colostrum can be stored in a clean, sterile container such as the syringes we mentioned above. It can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours or frozen for up to 6 months. When storing, portion the colostrum into 10-15ml syringes to minimize waste. Remember to label each container with the date and time of expression, so you always use the oldest first!
Thawing Frozen Colostrum Safely
To use your frozen colostrum, thaw it by placing the container in the refrigerator overnight or by setting it in a bowl of warm water. Avoid using a microwave or stovetop, as these methods can create hot spots that may burn your baby's mouth or diminish the nutritional quality of the colostrum.
Feeding Your Baby Harvested Colostrum
When it's time to feed your baby, gather your supplies: a syringe will be best to use since the amount will be small and colostrum is very thick. Many families who express colostrum prenatally elect to bring colostrum to the hospital to help boost babies blood sugar or to have on hand in the case their baby needs any additional supplementation. If for some reason you end not bringing it with you for labor and delivery, you can also give your baby colostrum whenever they need an immune boost (think cold and flu season!) since colostrum is full of rich antibodies and antimicrobial properties.
To feed it to your baby, hold your baby comfortably and introduce the nipple, syringe, or spoon gently, allowing them to suck at their own pace. Even small amounts of colostrum are incredibly beneficial, rich in nutrients and antibodies! Your lactation consultant can also guide you on how to safely feed your baby using a syringe with colostrum.
Essential Supplies for Colostrum Harvesting
Ready to get started? Here are some recommended supplies to help with colostrum harvesting:
If you are interested in learning more about this technique, you can book a prenatal lactation consultation with one of our International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) who can coach you through the technique and guide you on how and when to provide colostrum after your little ones arrival.
You can learn more about hand expression, the benefits and a tutorial on how to effectively express colostrum from Dr Jane Morton at First Droplets (a wonderful resource for families)