From 36 weeks on...interesting info...

[Caz1971]

I don't know if this post should be in the breastfeeding post....

The other night I went to a breastfeeding class (which was very helpful) and midwife said that from 36 weeks on you can start to express and put into ice cubes.

Yr frozen milk can last 3 months. That way when bub is born and your dead tired, hubby can feed.

[Marlene]

That is very interesting...but wouldn't the baby then miss out on the first lot of colosterum that contains all those special antibodies before your regular milk fully comes in? Just something to think about.

[Caz1971]

no idea??? But you have a great point. I started squeezing this week and got a drop only and now Im sure that they may be leaking (as saw some stains on nightie)...

I dont see how a drop will fill up an ice cube container...

[mrs baj]

just in reply to whether or not bubs will miss out on colostrum, no they won't. your body naturally knows when your baby's born and you will produce colostrum for the first few days after that then it will be combined with regular milk for up to a month or so i think. i also think it might be a good idea to express now if possible (i just think it hurts too much now and cant bare to do it myself its hard enough to let bub feed when first born). but if you do be careful to keep nips clean and DRY so as they don't get infected before birth. hope this helps some.

[Caz1971]

Thanks for that Mrs Baj. Yes my nipples are still so sensitive,I don't know how they are going to be when I start to actually BF!

Does anyone know if they get less sensitive with BF. I couldn't BF with my first one and definitely want to do it this time round!

Thanks
Caz

[meow]

So I should be getting some milk sometime soon? I haven't even had a hint of anything yet...

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Oh you damn lucky women!
Ive had the leakies since i was about sixteen weeks and lately they wont stop, even the slightest pressure makes me dribble everywhere!
Good to know about the colostrum, i was wondering as mine goes from being really yellow like colostrum to being really milky so i wondered what the deal is with bubs getting milk early on?
Good luck

[kirsten74]

With my first baby I remember going to my Ob and complaining that my boobs were sore. He (being such a sympathetic male!) said it will be worse once I am feeding and that I need to toughen them up now! He suggested rolling the nipples and trying to express some of the colostrum out. Did that and it still hurt for the first couple of days. A tip: find a good nipple cream - you're going to need it! Lansinoh was given to me in hospital and it was great.
And as for early leakage, apparently you get more the more kids youhave. I have been getting some leaking since about 20 weeks, and now I find that I can get quite a bit - probably not enough for an icecube though!
So toughen those boobies ladies. My DH seems to enjoy "helping"!

[liesanmitchell]

I have heard that you can express and freeze your breast milk into special bags and lasts for many months. I also heard that when you defrost the milk, not to microwave it as it loses it nutrients... it best be defrosted in a warm/hot glass of water or on a stove top over hot/boiling water...A great idea and one that i only recently heard of hope to be able to do. It is all unknown to me as this is my first. I also rub my nipples every night before I have a shower, just to get used to a different sensation.

[kirsten74]

THere is one brand (I think it is Avent) which have special bottles and bags which you can use for expressing and freezing breast milk if you are lucky enough to have an excess!

[Caz1971]

Gosh that nipple tweaking sounds painful. Ive always had sensitive nipples - even before I was pregnant!

Sounds like I'm in for some painful times!!!!lol.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Have you done anything to try protect them from cracking and stuff now?
Apparently its good if you can squeeze some out and rub it onto your nipples and then let it airdry - it helps to toughen the up a little...

[happy@home]

I leaked from 20 weeks with my first and found it very embarrassing. The last two pregnancies I have been lucky and have bearly leaked at all.
Yeah, I know it is rather sensitive in the beginning (Loved that Lansinoh cream), but I promise you it gets better and with my last everything settled down quite quickly.
I was told that there isn't really much you can to before birth to prevent cracking, but to make sure you get lots of help with positioning once the baby is born.

I suppose the best advice I can give is to make sure that whatever you do now, not leave you so sensitive and sore that you have trouble getting the baby on once it is born. Good luck!

[AnyDream]

OK, ladies, just remember that nipple stimulation can bring on contractions!

[Janie]

Was just coming in to say the same thing Marydean!

Lots of people use nipple stimulation to bring on labour, so be careful ladies Trust me, you don't want a 35 weeker if you can help it.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Haha, i wish!!!!
I must be one of the unfortunate ones... that it doesn't work for!

[Liz]

I'm pretty sure nipple stimulation only brings on labour if your body is ready to labour anyway.. bit like DTD to bring on labour too.

As for expressing in pg & colostrum - I fed my DS throughout my pg.. and yep - the body knows when to change it to colostrum when bub is born. I doubt I would have expressed much whilst pg with #1 tho, so don't be disheartened if you don't get much - or anything at all!

Nipple sensitivity - this is normally because of the pregnancy, and yes it goes away when breastfeeding. It's an unusual sensation when you first breastfeed, but it shouldn't be painful. As for toughening your nipples (ignore advice from male OB's for starters! LOL) you don't need to toughen your nipples at all.

I can recommend that first time mums get their hands on the book Breastfeeding.. Naturally. It's free when you join the ABA. I can also recommend the ABA's breastfeeding class - they will help you sift your way through all the bad advice & stories that you can hear as a first timer.

Enjoy all your new bubs everyone!

[Danielle]

wow really? I will have to try and get some milk out from 36 weeks then. Last time it was really hard for my milk to actually come out it was all there but wouldnt come out. Gee it was so painful, I kept trying for about 3 weeks to breastfeed my daughter, in between keeping her on formula to get by, and I just couldn't. Maybe if I try and get the milk to come out earlier before this ones born it wont be so bad? One can hope anyhows!