[bananasmom]

I remember one mom, a while back, mentioning that she planned to pump and freeze colostrum. But, it's not something that I see brought up often around here.

My midwives approve pumping after 37 weeks, to get things moving (laborwise). I don't really care about that particular advantage to pumping, but I am interested in the possiblity of having some colostrum around for when dd is born. I realize that it's a tiny amount, but every drop counts, right?

Has anyone pumped for colostrum? If so, were you able to get enough to make it worth it? Do you have any tips? (I have a Medela Pump In Style, so I'm set with a good pump.)

ETA - I should add that I am so interested in this because I had supply problems last time, and if I have to supplement this time, I'd love to avoid formula. I never could express colostrum before or after delivery last time; this time I have been able to since 32 weeks. Sure, this could be a sign that it will all be better, but I wish to be prepared nevertheless.

 

[Quirky]

I started producing clear drops of fluid before ds was born, but using the pump to try to get labor started when I was overdue never actually pumped anything. After ds was born and in the NICU and wouldn't latch, when I started pumping for him, I got little drops of thick yellowish fluid, and it was a huge PITA to try to get those from a bottle into ds. It was incredibly frustrating; it stuck to the pump horns and the sides of the bottle and didn't want to run down. In hindsight, I think I would have hand expressed it and fed it to him by spoon or syringe.

But YMMV. Heck, it's worth a try to see what you get.

 

[pumpkinhead]

When I was leaving the hospital with DS for the first time, a nurse showed me how to hand expres the colostrum into a cup. I was a bit nervous (like most new BFing Mamas, I'm sure) that he wasn't getting enough. She said that if he seemed to get tired of suckling, I could express a little at the end of a feeding and try giving it to him in one of those little, clear, medicine cups.( I think this was more to assure me that, yes, there was milk there, and yes, he was getting plenty

.) Well, he lapped it up like a little puppy!

I would sorta bend in the edges of the cup, put it to his lips and trickle it into his mouth drop by drop.

This worked well with very tiny amounts (like less than a tablespoon) for us!

Best of luck Mama!