Your newborn's stomach is tiny, and a little bit of colostrum is all they need for the first few days. Do not wait until your breast milk comes in to start breastfeeding—the more you breastfeed your baby colostrum, the quicker and more abundantly your milk supply will come in. Colostrum offers big health benefits for your baby, but they can only take in small amounts at a time.
So they need many short nursing sessions per day to get what they need. Plus, frequent nursing helps to establish your breastfeeding technique and routine. Breastfeeding regularly during the colostrum stage also prepares your body to produce a healthy supply of breast milk. If you are struggling with breastfeeding or just aren't exactly sure how to do it, seek out help. Breastfeeding guidance can be found through numerous sources, including from your obstetrician, nurses in the labor and delivery ward, doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, and friends and family who have experience with nursing.
Often, small, simple tweaks in how you breastfeed, including proper latch, positioning of the baby, and timing, can make a world of difference in your milk supply, comfort, and overall nursing success and satisfaction. While you're only making 1 to 2 ounces of colostrum a day, rest assured that your infant is getting enough breast milk during the first few days. In the majority of cases, they don't need formula. In general, your baby doesn't need any more than what you're making.
If your baby is born healthy and full-term, you won't need to supplement with infant formula as long as you are routinely breastfeeding during the colostrum stage. However, supplementation might be recommended if your baby is premature or has certain health issues, or if you experience a delay in the production of breast milk.
Getting the hang of nursing can feel daunting, but know that just because it's the "natural" way to feed your baby doesn't mean it's easy or completely instinctual.
That said, breastfeeding does usually get much easier after the initial phase, and its benefits to your baby are immense. The key is simply to get started and find help as needed.
Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. Maternal circulating vitamin status and colostrum vitamin composition in healthy lactating women—a systematic approach. Role of the human breast milk-associated microbiota on the newborns' immune system: A mini review.
Front Microbiol. American Academy of Pediatrics. Providing breastmilk for premature and ill newborns. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Breastfeeding: jaundice. Breast diseases during pregnancy and lactation. Obstet Gynecol Sci. Premature delivery influences the immunological composition of colostrum and transitional and mature human milk.
J Nutr. Walker A. Breast milk as the gold standard for protective nutrients. J Pediatr. Your Privacy Rights. Collect the colostrum into a clean container, like a syringe 1ml or 2ml syringe. If nothing happens, adjust your finger position slightly to find the spot that works for you.
Try not to pinch your nipple or slide your fingers uncomfortably over the skin. Rotate the position of your fingers and thumb around the areola imagine a clock face and repeat the expressing process to stimulate and remove colostrum from different parts of your breast. Colostrum can vary in appearance. Sometimes it may appear quite thick and yellow or orange and at other times paler and thinner. Expressing colostrum antenatally will not decrease or increase your milk supply after baby is born.
Colostrum can be collected two to three times each day in the same syringe. You will need to store the syringe in the fridge between uses. At the end of the collecting day, the colostrum can be frozen — place the syringe into a zip-lock bag before putting into the freezer. Label the syringe and bag separately with the date and time of when you expressed.
The frozen colostrum can be stored for up to six months in the freezer. Once thawed, it should be used within 24 hours. The oxytocin hormone released when expressing, stimulates the uterus. Opinions differ on whether expressing colostrum antenatally is likely to induce labour.
Those who advocate it do not believe that expressing would constitute sufficient stimulation to start labour. Sex while pregnant and breastfeeding through pregnancy both release oxytocin and both are generally considered safe while pregnant. If you experience any cramping in your uterus however, you should stop expressing and discuss your choice with your healthcare provider.
You can take syringes of frozen colostrum into hospital using a freezer block and insulated bag. The colostrum can be defrosted under a running warm tap or at room temperature. The hospital may have access to a freezer for storage once you arrive. After the birth, breastfeeding should usually be unrestricted.
Ideally, a baby should feed successfully at the breast and the antenatally expressed colostrum would remain unused. If your baby is experiencing difficulties with breastfeeding at this time, you may be encouraged to express some fresh colostrum to give to your baby.
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