Antenatal colostrum harvesting involves collecting hand expressed early human milk (colostrum) in the final weeks of pregnancy.
According to the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom [3], antenatal colostrum harvesting may be medically indicated for you and your baby if you:
•have diabetes of any kind
•are expecting twins or triplets
•have breast hypoplasia (limited breast development)
•are taking beta blockers to control high blood pressure
•have had previous breast surgery.
Or if your baby has:
•cleft lip or palate
•intrauterine growth restriction
•congenital conditions such as Down •Syndrome or cardiac complications
Preparedness is key to overcoming obstacles in your journey. Plus colostrum harvesting can give you a small stash if initiation isn’t going as smoothly in the early days until you and baby get more practice in. Save this guide as a resource when you’re closer to your due date if you suffer from
any conditions mentioned.
*** consult with your provider before altering your prenatal care.
******This blog post is not meant to replace the advice of your medical provider. It is simply meant to keep families abreast of evidence based information to make better informed decisions.
Jada Metcalf | is a mom of two, Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, trained Birth and Postpartum Doula, ROSE Community Transformer, Community Health Worker in training, 2021 IBLCE candidate and a postpartum wellness business owner of the Milk + Honey Co. Health information on this site is based on peer-reviewed medical journals, textbooks and highly respected health organizations and institutions including the CDC (Center for Disease Control), AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), WHO ( World Health Organization), NIH (National Institute of Health), ABM (Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine) Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, 5th Edition, Wambach Spencer)