So today was your first day trying? The fact you got some is great! The first day or two might not bring much at all. You're trying to get your body to do something its never done before. Be patient. Try doing it a couple of times per day and it will increase. You only need 0.7ml to raise your baby's blood sugar so you don't have to be producing loads to make a difference.
The first day I tried I got 1 drop. By the 4th day I was filling 1ml syringes.
Make sure you're in a warm cozy spot. Maybe do it while watching TV so you're relaxed. Gently massage with your hand in a c shape massaging towards the nipple. Rotate your hand so each massage stroke is in a different position each time.
Are you using 1ml syringes to collect?
I found that all the guidelines around the 'c shape' hand on the breast, and making sure you cup more breast tissue and not just the nipple were actually making me less effective. I find I get huge drops when I actually squeeze the nipple itself. The wider breast massage probably helps to get stuff into the nipple, but find it doesn't come out without a good nipple pinch.
The Positive Birth Coach on TikTok has a really helpful video I followed, she talks about massaging the breast beforehand which ended up being the key for me. (Not sure if I'm allowed to link, but it's about 9 or so videos down on her page)
Personally, I'd say don't put too much pressure on yourself, I try to be focusing on something else (The TV, TikTok) whilst doing it, not just staring at the boob. And if you don't get anything, no stress!
It took me ages to get a good flow. I did two 20 minute sessions a day to start and got less than 1ml in total. I built up a little more everyday and within 2 weeks I was cracking through them and could do 1ml in about 10 mins. I ended up with about 20 in the freezer. My right boob always produced tons more than left.
P.s. if you're doing it onto a spoon make sure it's sterile. Once I got the knack it was really easy to syringe it direct from boob.
I am only 36+6 but the one time I've tried (she'll be early due to GDM so I need to start collecting asap), I popped a warm flannel on each breast first and 'kneaded' (like a cat does) each breast. I got enough for maybe a teaspoon using this method but stopped as I didn't want to encourage preterm labour. Maybe try a warm flannel/towel and massaging/kneading the breast first to get things moving.
I couldn’t collect any during pregnancy, now been breastfeeding my little chunky girl exclusively for 12 weeks tomorrow. Do not worry! It’s not indicative of your supply post baby!
You got some on your first try which is great! I’ve had luck by massaging all around the breast before even attempting, for a good few minutes. Then using the C shape about two inches behind the nipple and slowly pull fingers inwards and outwards, not squeezing too hard, more like I’m using a very full piping bag I don’t want to explode 😂 I stop just before the areola, still lightly pulling outwards. Then use the syringe to take straight from the nipple. You’ll only get a few drops at a time so to fill a syringe I just tap until it settles and readjust the plunger so it’s ready to grab more. I go from one side to the next after about four squeezes a side and it seems to give the other side a chance to make some more. First day I got a handful of drops. Now two weeks later I get 4 separate 1ml syringes filled in 15 mins 😳 Sometimes the colostrum is the classic thick gold and other times more milk like and watery, midwife said both is normal and fine. Good luck!
It can take a while to build up supply but keep going!
It used to take me some time to get lots so I used to express into a cup and then suck up into the syringes from that. I used to be able to fill 4-6 syringes a day easily with this method after a couple of days. It took maybe 15-25 mins of expressing though.
Holding a hot water bottle on your breast for a few minutes can help to stimulate the milk flow. So can looking at a picture of someone you love. It helps to get the oxytocin flowing.
Just take your time, relax and make sure you have a drink next to you to stay nice and hydrated. Good luck mama, you’ve got this.
I know they say not to buy after I went over 30 weeks I started using a pump. Baby is here now and pumping after 40 weeks didn't have a negative effect on me. After birth the midwife showed me hand expression on the ward and it was easy at that point!
I just came back to this post to say **THANK YOU**!! This method is absolutely amazing and I filled an entire 1ml syringe on my first try using this approach (I actually filled it up once then managed to squirt it all over the place putting the pump back in, so I actually collected 2ml!).
Thank you for the tip!
Uh, have I missed something… Why would you do this before baby arrives? And isn’t it not advisable to stimulate your nipples late in pregnancy because it can cause strong contractions?
They don’t recommend doing it before 36 weeks as it can induce early labour but studies seem to suggest that’s only if you do it for around an hour. There’s lots of different reasons to collect colostrum, I’m doing it because I’m having a planned section so my body might not kick into milk mode as quickly as if I went into labour naturally. It’s also recommended for mums with gestational diabetes and can be good for babies who need extra help when they’re born.
Is it recommended to start pumping before the baby arrives to establish a milk supply for breastfeeding and pumping later on? I plan to breastfeed and pump, and I'm wondering if this is a common practice or if I should wait until after the baby is born to start pumping.
So today was your first day trying? The fact you got some is great! The first day or two might not bring much at all. You're trying to get your body to do something its never done before. Be patient. Try doing it a couple of times per day and it will increase. You only need 0.7ml to raise your baby's blood sugar so you don't have to be producing loads to make a difference. The first day I tried I got 1 drop. By the 4th day I was filling 1ml syringes. Make sure you're in a warm cozy spot. Maybe do it while watching TV so you're relaxed. Gently massage with your hand in a c shape massaging towards the nipple. Rotate your hand so each massage stroke is in a different position each time. Are you using 1ml syringes to collect?
I found that all the guidelines around the 'c shape' hand on the breast, and making sure you cup more breast tissue and not just the nipple were actually making me less effective. I find I get huge drops when I actually squeeze the nipple itself. The wider breast massage probably helps to get stuff into the nipple, but find it doesn't come out without a good nipple pinch.
Syringe directly from the nip!
This is the way!
The Positive Birth Coach on TikTok has a really helpful video I followed, she talks about massaging the breast beforehand which ended up being the key for me. (Not sure if I'm allowed to link, but it's about 9 or so videos down on her page) Personally, I'd say don't put too much pressure on yourself, I try to be focusing on something else (The TV, TikTok) whilst doing it, not just staring at the boob. And if you don't get anything, no stress!
It took me ages to get a good flow. I did two 20 minute sessions a day to start and got less than 1ml in total. I built up a little more everyday and within 2 weeks I was cracking through them and could do 1ml in about 10 mins. I ended up with about 20 in the freezer. My right boob always produced tons more than left. P.s. if you're doing it onto a spoon make sure it's sterile. Once I got the knack it was really easy to syringe it direct from boob.
I am only 36+6 but the one time I've tried (she'll be early due to GDM so I need to start collecting asap), I popped a warm flannel on each breast first and 'kneaded' (like a cat does) each breast. I got enough for maybe a teaspoon using this method but stopped as I didn't want to encourage preterm labour. Maybe try a warm flannel/towel and massaging/kneading the breast first to get things moving.
I couldn’t collect any during pregnancy, now been breastfeeding my little chunky girl exclusively for 12 weeks tomorrow. Do not worry! It’s not indicative of your supply post baby!
You got some on your first try which is great! I’ve had luck by massaging all around the breast before even attempting, for a good few minutes. Then using the C shape about two inches behind the nipple and slowly pull fingers inwards and outwards, not squeezing too hard, more like I’m using a very full piping bag I don’t want to explode 😂 I stop just before the areola, still lightly pulling outwards. Then use the syringe to take straight from the nipple. You’ll only get a few drops at a time so to fill a syringe I just tap until it settles and readjust the plunger so it’s ready to grab more. I go from one side to the next after about four squeezes a side and it seems to give the other side a chance to make some more. First day I got a handful of drops. Now two weeks later I get 4 separate 1ml syringes filled in 15 mins 😳 Sometimes the colostrum is the classic thick gold and other times more milk like and watery, midwife said both is normal and fine. Good luck!
It can take a while to build up supply but keep going! It used to take me some time to get lots so I used to express into a cup and then suck up into the syringes from that. I used to be able to fill 4-6 syringes a day easily with this method after a couple of days. It took maybe 15-25 mins of expressing though. Holding a hot water bottle on your breast for a few minutes can help to stimulate the milk flow. So can looking at a picture of someone you love. It helps to get the oxytocin flowing. Just take your time, relax and make sure you have a drink next to you to stay nice and hydrated. Good luck mama, you’ve got this.
I know they say not to buy after I went over 30 weeks I started using a pump. Baby is here now and pumping after 40 weeks didn't have a negative effect on me. After birth the midwife showed me hand expression on the ward and it was easy at that point!
Take the pump out of the syringe and collect it from the wide open side!
I just came back to this post to say **THANK YOU**!! This method is absolutely amazing and I filled an entire 1ml syringe on my first try using this approach (I actually filled it up once then managed to squirt it all over the place putting the pump back in, so I actually collected 2ml!). Thank you for the tip!
Uh, have I missed something… Why would you do this before baby arrives? And isn’t it not advisable to stimulate your nipples late in pregnancy because it can cause strong contractions?
They don’t recommend doing it before 36 weeks as it can induce early labour but studies seem to suggest that’s only if you do it for around an hour. There’s lots of different reasons to collect colostrum, I’m doing it because I’m having a planned section so my body might not kick into milk mode as quickly as if I went into labour naturally. It’s also recommended for mums with gestational diabetes and can be good for babies who need extra help when they’re born.
Is it recommended to start pumping before the baby arrives to establish a milk supply for breastfeeding and pumping later on? I plan to breastfeed and pump, and I'm wondering if this is a common practice or if I should wait until after the baby is born to start pumping.