How to Harvest Colostrum Before Birth — and Why I Wish I Had

I knew colostrum was magic.

That thick, golden, nutrient-packed first milk — the “liquid gold” everyone talks about. What I didn’t know was that I could collect it before I even delivered.

With my first baby, I didn’t have to think much about it. My birth was uncomplicated, and she basically never left my chest. Breastfeeding more or less just happened around the clock.

My second was the opposite story. His delivery and NICU stay threw me into a world I hadn’t prepared for. When I felt totally helpless, the one thing that gave me comfort was being able to give him my milk, one painstaking drop at a time.

Looking back, I wish I had known about harvesting colostrum, the practice of collecting some of that early milk in the last weeks of pregnancy, before baby even arrives.

A person in a medical gown holds a cup of colostrum.
Image purchased from Shutterstock.

What’s the Big Deal about Colostrum?

Colostrum is the first form of breast milk your body produces (starting about halfway through your pregnancy), and it’s packed with incredible benefits for your newborn. Rich in antibodies, white blood cells, and immune-boosting proteins, colostrum helps build your baby’s immune system and protect against infection from the very first feeding.

It coats and strengthens your baby’s gut lining, supports healthy digestion, and encourages the growth of good bacteria. This early breast milk is also high in vitamins A, E, and K, plus just the right balance of fat, carbohydrates, and protein to meet your newborn’s exact needs. Another amazing benefit of colostrum? It acts as a gentle natural laxative, helping babies pass their first stool (meconium) and clear out excess bilirubin, which can help prevent jaundice.

What is Colostrum Harvesting?

Colostrum harvesting means hand-expressing small amounts of your early milk (starting around 37 weeks) and storing it in sterile syringes or containers to freeze and bring with you to the hospital or birth center. It’s like an insurance policy: hopefully you don’t have to use it, but if for some reason you and baby are separated, or you are unable to bring baby to breast, a few drops of stored liquid gold can go a long way.

How to Collect Colostrum

💛 Get the green light from your OB/GYN or midwife before starting. Most providers recommend beginning around 37 weeks.

💛 Hand express once or twice a day for a few minutes on each side. (Hand expression is often more effective than a pump at this stage.) Learn more about hand expression here.

💛 Store and freeze in small, sterile syringes — typically in 1 mL portions. Label them with the date and time collected.

💛 Bring them to your birth! If you need to be separated from baby for any reason, your partner or nurse can offer that stored colostrum instead of formula supplementation.

Why Should I Harvest Colostrum?

Harvesting colostrum isn’t for everyone, but for some parents, it can provide peace of mind and a practical backup plan. Does colostrum harvesting make your milk come in faster? No. That’s triggered by delivery of your placenta. But, it does help you get comfortable with hand expression and build up a micro-stash in case things go awry when you get to the hospital.

For me, it’s one of those things I wish I had known about sooner, not because it would have changed anything, but because it might have made those first few NICU days just a little easier.

Did you harvest colostrum? Or do you plan to? I’m here to help!