Colostrum Collector for Antenatal Expressing & Newborn Feeding

IMPORTANT: Before expressing during pregnancy, please speak to your midwife or healthcare professional, as nipple stimulation can induce labour. If you choose to express colostrum, it is usually recommended to do so at full-term and only if you plan on a vaginal delivery to ensure the safest outcomes.

You do not have to express colostrum during pregnancy if you do not want to; if you need further information, please talk to your midwife/LMC. Occasionally it is recommended for some mothers to express colostrum during pregnancy, but it will likely be for a specific reason. This could be the case if you have gestational diabetes, as the expressed colostrum will come in handy to help regulate the baby's blood sugar levels after birth. Expressing colostrum during pregnancy may also be recommended if your baby has been diagnosed with a cleft lip or palate from an ultrasound. These babies may find it difficult to latch at first, and expressed colostrum will help both of you with your breastfeeding journey by ensuring your little one gets fed when needed. Some mums choose to express colostrum to have a stash in case they need it, but you should always check with your maternity carer first.

Some tips for expressing colostrum:

1. When you begin expressing, ensure you are well hydrated and in a comfortable and safe environment – preferably sitting up so that gravity can help!
2. Make a wide 'C-grip' from the side of your breast with your thumb and index finger. Begin wide to stimulate all those ducts that are around your breast.
3. Slow and steadily roll your fingers towards the nipple. This action should be firm but shouldn't cause pain.
4. Release your hand completely, allowing the ducts to refill.
5. Repeat the above steps for the duration of expression.
6. Catch the drops of colostrum in your sterile colostrum collector.
7. Label your collector with the date and place it in your container. Put collector/s in the freezer until birth. Make sure to follow your country's guidelines around safely storing colostrum!

Note: Begin with hand-expressing each breast for 10–15 minutes, once a day during late pregnancy and only with clearance from a medical professional. It is common to only be able to express a few drops each session, though some may find they are able to collect more.

Same-day collection is fine in the same collector. You can add your colostrum to the same collector for 24 hours (it doesn't need to be the same temperature) before using a new colostrum collector. Anything expressed after 24 hours should be stored in a new collector.

Up to 48 hours before it needs to be put in the freezer. The 48 hours start from when you collected the first batch of colostrum. Anything collected after this first batch (in the same container) will have that same starting time.

Our Haakaa Silicone Colostrum Collector is the first of its kind. It is made of 100% medical-grade silicone and suctions droplets of hand-expressed colostrum straight off your nipple with a gentle vacuum effect. Alternatively, you can remove the nib and express larger droplets directly into the collector.

Traditionally, single-use plastic syringes have been used to collect colostrum, but our reusable Silicone Colostrum Collector is non-toxic and safe for newborns and the environment. The Colostrum Collector can be frozen, stored in the fridge, or warmed. It also makes the perfect drop-feeder for newborns. To reuse, simply wash thoroughly then boil the collector to sterilise it, and you can reuse it as often as you need!