Colostrum

[cameragirl]

Anyone been "blessed" with colostrum yet? Don't get me wrong - it is great for the baby. I just don't need it yet! My boobs feel so different this time, too. I never had sore breasts last time, they didn't grow so much, but this time they are huge and sore. Ahh, the beauty of pregnancy.

P.S. - At least it is still clear for now, and not lovely orange stuff that stains.

[Kyamo]

Yes, I can squeeze a tiny bit out, and I see flakes of it dried on my nipples Still haven't had any breast growth though.

[edymoomom]

Yep I have it but over the years I have gotten some even when not pg! And my Boobs have grown two cup sizes. I feel like one of those kids punching bags that is off balance and woobly

[cameragirl]

I went up two cup sizes almost overnight it seemed. My husband hasn't complained, and my daughter is for some reason fascinated by them. She's not a nursling anymore, but she keeps poking or grabbing and asking if they're full of milk yet.

I had some colostrum before I even got pregnant when I was around 21. I had my prolactin levels tested and they were normal, so I have no clue why I had colostrum.

[Dandy Lion]

I've got a little bit. My boobs have also been a lot more sore this time

[Brighids Flame]

Originally Posted by Kyamo 

Yes, I can squeeze a tiny bit out, and I see flakes of it dried on my nipples Still haven't had any breast growth though.

I've got the dried flakes too! So far I don't have any liquid coming out though.

My boobs have already gone up at least a cup size. I desperately need a new bra, but I don't know if my boobs are going to keep growing, so I don't know what size to get.

[JMJ]

I'm in a little different situation since I'm still nursing a toddler, but I remember getting colostrum around this time last pregnancy.  I still have a little bit of white milk, but it's more sticky like colostrum.  I wonder if I'll end up just transitioning slowly over to all-out colostrum.  Maybe that explains DD's issues with her stools lately.  She's potty learned (actually EC graduated) and has been for 9 months, but there were 2 days in a row last week that a little bit of poo ended up in her panties before she frantically asked to go potty, and one was quite loose.  Maybe my milk is more colostrum-y than I give it credit for right now.

[SageR]

Yup, my boobs are already primed to go.  They have gotten really huge again and are rather sensitive but I'm pretty happy about it.  I had a really hard time getting going with ds1 - I pumped for weeks, we had to use a nipple shield for months.  When ds2 was born I was still nursing ds1.  We had no problems, but I did wonder if part of the reason everything went so smoothly was because I already had an established supply.  Knowing things will probably work out fine is a big relief!

[happyblessedmama]

I had a letdown feeling this weekend and have also had an increase in size... This didn't happen with my other pregnancies. I'm hopeful it means a plentiful milk supply as nursing the last 2 children I had wasn't easy at all.

[UrbanMamma]

I woke up with a milk stain on my shirt yesterday at 17 weeks - about 2 weeks earlier than my first.  My breasts really haven't changed much this pregnancy though - although they didn't really go down much after weaning 2 years ago either.  I have (almost abnormally) high prolactin levels even not pregnant - probably due to my thyroid, estrogen, and prolactin feedback loops being a bit off - and could express drops of collostrum before my first pregnancy.  So, not surprising but a pain to deal with as now I need to pull out the breast pads for the remainder of the pregnancy as last pregnancy I would have random 'mini-letdowns.'

[biffer]

Yep, my boobs have been doing stuff since before my first pregnancy tho so I'm just one of those weirdos

[cameragirl]

Originally Posted by UrbanMamma 

I woke up with a milk stain on my shirt yesterday at 17 weeks - about 2 weeks earlier than my first.  My breasts really haven't changed much this pregnancy though - although they didn't really go down much after weaning 2 years ago either.  I have (almost abnormally) high prolactin levels even not pregnant - probably due to my thyroid, estrogen, and prolactin feedback loops being a bit off - and could express drops of collostrum before my first pregnancy.  So, not surprising but a pain to deal with as now I need to pull out the breast pads for the remainder of the pregnancy as last pregnancy I would have random 'mini-letdowns.'

I'm really curious if something is funky with my hormone levels. I had a heck of a time getting pregnant, then had a miscarriage without development of a corpus luteum, then finally had a sticky bean. I had colostrum before I got pregnant the first time, too. I'm willing to bet something is slightly off, and it is within the reference range but off enough to be a problem.

[JMJ]

Originally Posted by cameragirl 


I'm really curious if something is funky with my hormone levels. I had a heck of a time getting pregnant, then had a miscarriage without development of a corpus luteum, then finally had a sticky bean. I had colostrum before I got pregnant the first time, too. I'm willing to bet something is slightly off, and it is within the reference range but off enough to be a problem.

Prolactin and progesterone are somewhat antagonistic toward each other.  This is why breastfeeding mothers have a more difficult time getting pregnant and why their milk usually dries up (or at least significantly reduces) while pregnant, though there's a lot of variation between women.  Some women can get pregnant with very high prolactin levels, like nursing a newborn, and others have a very difficult time getting pregnant just with background prolactin levels when they aren't even nursing.  Did you chart at all while trying to get pregnant?  Many luteal phase defects (including corpus luteum problems) are caused by high prolactin levels.  Marilyn Shannon has done a lot of research into this and recommends Vitamin B6 to reduce prolactin levels.  Obviously, you wouldn't want to do this while you're breastfeeding unless you're TTC.  Check out her book Fertility Cycles and Nutrition.

[freelancemom]

I've got some colostrum, plus the dried flakes that make my nipples itch like mad! I had this in my second pregnancy, but attributed it to the fact that I'd had a baby just a few months before (who didn't breastfeed). I also had extreme difficulties breastfeeding the second and only managed with a supplemental bottle until 3 months. Really hoping this is my body getting ready to do its job with the third since I REALLY want to breastfeed this little one. 

[bcblondie]

I had about 2 months there between Ds weaning (well, he was still dry nursing for a bit!) and the new stuff coming in. Mine is still just clear too. When I was pg with DS it came in at 14 weeks so this was actually late for me lol. (20 weeks)

[cameragirl]

Anyone know the storage period for "real" colostrum? I was thinking about expressing a little later on by hand, since I'm worried about the big baby pressure at the hospital. I did not have diabetes last time, and my blood sugar has been fine so far, but it would be nice to have. With DD's birth, I REALLY needed a break on the second day. By that point I hadn't slept more than a few hours in three days, and the hormones were hitting me. I relented to a cup feeding in the nursery so that I could get a solid four hours of sleep. I'd prefer to have a syringe of colostrum ready this time instead.

I know that IgG is a big factor in colostrum. I've read that immune factors are destroyed by freezing, but that can't really be true. I get IgG infusions. That comes from donor plasma which is sterilized, filtered, dried, and reconstituted. It is plenty active, and will carry into the breast milk. Studies have shown that the donor IgG is just as beneficial through the breast milk, so I'm guessing a week or two in my freezer can't hurt it that bad. Anyone more knowledgeable about the specifics?