Colostrum is the first milk your body produces during pregnancy and can be liquid gold in the first few days after birth and while waiting for your mature milk to come in. Colostrum is full of immunological properties, healthy bacteria to line the gut and protect from allergies and disease, as well as a perfect balance of nutrients, including sugars, proteins and fats to give each baby the fuel they need to thrive in the early days. It also is a great help to the body at encouraging the passing of the baby's first poo - known as Meconium - due to its laxative properties. 

You may want to collect - or harvest - this marvellous milk before birth.

All you need to try harvesting your colostrum antenatally is: your hands, your breasts, a sterile spoon and sterile container e.g. a bottle or syringe (read this safety warning about the SteriFeed brand of syringes)

Successfully collecting and storing some of this Liquid Gold towards the end of your pregnancy can be helpful as it can be given to your baby:

• If you and baby are separated for any reason post-birth, someone else can feed your baby the colostrum

• If you had gestational diabetes which can mean baby is born with very low blood sugar and needs feeding quickly (and you are well within your rights to say you want this to be given before any formula supplementation is forced)! 

• If your milk supply is likely to be delayed coming in for some reason e.g. due to a highly medicated birth 

• If your baby is sick or premature, the immune and gut health benefits of colostrum will help them fight any infections

• If your baby is slow/struggling to feed or unable to feed from the breast e.g. due to a cleft palate 

• If your baby develops jaundice, colostrum may help flush the bilirubin out of his system 

• If you have multiples

It's also generally a useful skill to have practiced before baby arrives so you can use it throughout your breastfeeding journey - to soften full breasts or as part of pumping to bottle feed (if this is something you choose to do!)

Happy Harvesting!