Finally… a successful attempt at colostrum harvesting!

Hi ladies- feeling good that I have managed to fill a decent amount in a 1ml syringe! It may not be a huge amount but I feel great and thought I’d share what’s helped me. My first attempt was on Wednesday this week at 38 weeks. Nothing expressed. Thursday: hot shower and massaged beasts, got my husband to help with this bit as it always feels better when he does it than me 🤣. Got a glimmer of liquid appear at nipples but no more. Friday: warm shower massaging breasts. Was able to express a few drops from right breast- 0.05ml! Tonight (Saturday): warm shower massaging breasts. Had my husband massage my legs and lower back which really relaxed me. Was able to express just over 0.7ml! Challenges: 1. My right breast seems to be a lot more generous than my left 2. I feel like the colostrum dries quickly on my nipples causing blebs (blocked or dried nipples). It looks a lot like crystallising sugar or shiny colostrum glossing over nipple. Tips: 1. Even though my left breast isn’t playing ball- I continue to stimulate it daily as I want to increase supply here. I’m also trying to improve my technique and hold on my left breast. I’ve mastered my right. 2. I read a comment from someone else … ‘this is breast feeding and not nipple feeding’. Since reading that- I’ve been focusing on cupping mt breast in the traditional C shape with thumb and fore finger a couple inches away from nipples. This let’s me access and push on my milk ducts better. 3. To help with the crystallising or drying colostrum on the nipple, I soak a clean flannel in warm water in between expressing a few drops at a time. And gently rub my nipple to remove the dried bits. This helps remove the dried bits so more colostrum can make its way out. I also use a hot water bottle on my boobs for a few mins at a time to soften the dried bits so it doesn’t hurt when I rub it with a flannel. 4. I sterilise a tea spoon and collect the drops by bringing the spoon to my nipple. I then suck it up in a syringe when there is enough collected in the spoon. 5. I’ve started using the hakka hand pump as I feel the suction helps me with pulling the colostrum and helps with not drying on the nipple. I alternate between using and not using this in between expressing drops. 6. I found an expressing technique on YouTube and it is the only one that has worked for me.. so I cup my breast in the C shape with thumb and index finger and bring my breast slightly up and pull towards my chest simultaneously. I do this four times in total and count as I do it. So count 1- bring my breast slightly up and pull towards my chest simultaneously. count 2- bring my breast slightly up and pull towards my chest simultaneously. Count 3- do the above, and slowly push fingers forward towards nipple to express the milk and hold for 2secs and squeeze gently Count 4- do the above, and slowly push fingers forward towards nipple to express the milk and hold for 2secs and squeeze gently I then rest for 4 secs (counting again) to give my milk ducts a chance to fill again and then repeat. Still on my journey and determined to get some out of my left breast before my C section next Thursday! Wish me luck mammas x