Antenatal Milk Expression AKA Colostrum Harvesting

LRV has started selling Haaka colostrum collection systems on our website. I have to admit front up, that I’m uncomfortable when clinical lactation tools cross in to retail! But this is more than a TikTok trend. And more important than my discomfort is my mission to help women and families become their own advocates and have all of the agency that they can during the perinatal time!

I don’t know about you, but I have heard more and more stories and had clients with hypertension and gestational diabetes in the last couple of years. These, and other pregnancy conditions often lead to birth induction and other complications requiring medications that can impact breast milk production.

What we DO know is that moms are producing colostrum, or the first milk, starting at about 16 weeks of pregnancy! You’re already doing it! While colostrum harvesting should take place starting in the 36th week of pregnancy, it can be a reassuring back up for families who are expecting a few bumps in the road.

Here is a terrific Substack article by Dr. Barbara Philipp in her series The Lactation College on Substack:

https://open.substack.com/pub/thelactationcollege/p/topic-5-colostrum-part-4-antenatal?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

A few takeaways for my practice:

*Work with an IBCLC (Lactation Consultant) and your Midwife or OB so that you have a team!

*Moms that are harvesting colostrum are learning the incredible skill of hand expression, which has so many benefits.

*It’s safe.

So, I’m carrying kits now to be able to work with my moms who want to try this prenatally. And LRV is offering them to you too!

Lisa Velasquez Kerns, IBCLC