06/25/2026
I don't know what pregnant mom with sore ni***es needs to hear this, but you do NOT need to harvest anything before baby is born.
What was once suggested as an option for parents anticipating immediate seperation or blood sugar issues in baby has become an expectation for ALL breastfeeding moms thanks to social media trends and syringe kits ....
If you WANT to harvest AND it doesn't hurt, go for it 🤷🏽♀️
But there is absolutely no reason to stress yourself, be uncomfortable, or spend money to collect colostrum when our bodies have a physiological process for lactation that begins AFTER the placenta detaches.
Your ability to collect colostrum before birth has no bearing on your ability to breastfeed.
The placenta detaching tells your body it's time to begin lactation. Baby latching tells your body there is in fact a baby demanding milk and it needs to supply.
The first day of life, we expect baby to take drips as small frequent feeds. From there, until about day 3-5, we are thinking teaspons, not ounces. Once mature milk comes in around 3-5 and until day 10 when their belly grows to the size of a chicken egg, it is still small frequent feeds.
Unless you need to or desire to pump right after birth, giving baby too much prenatally expressed colostrum can fill their belly and keep them from latching and telling your body to make more milk.
Expressed colostrum is more indicated for:
✨️Larger than average or smaller than average babies, or babies born to diabetic moms, who are more likely to have clinically significant blood sugar challenges the first day of life.
✨️Preterm babies who are too small to orally feed and latch
✨️Babies who require high oxygen support and cannot safely orally feed
✨️Medically necessary mother baby separation where one needs a higher level of intensive care that cannot be done bedside
If you want to, express away. But please never think you need to or that it increases breastfeeding.
