Antenatal expression of colostrum: about an interesting article

Increasingly, pregnant women ask this question during preparation for breastfeeding: antenatal colostrum expression. This is a practice studied in very specific cases (notably gestational diabetes), but which is becoming more widely disseminated with the appearance of dedicated equipment, influencer marketing, and strong enthusiasm on social media.

Antenatal colostrum expression: what is the interest?

This practice has not shown an improvement in the timing of the onset of lactogenesis II (1), but it can give mothers confidence by teaching them to express their milk before birth, and it allows avoiding giving artificial milk supplements or glucose in case of infant hypoglycemia.

Example of an advertisement for collection equipment

Antenatal colostrum expression: what are the down sides?

In this article (2), the author warns about possible impacts associated with this practice, which she has observed in her work as a lactation consultant:

• unrealistic expectations and anxiety of mothers regarding milk production, following a voluminous production of colostrum.

• difficulties for the baby to latch: having received colostrum supplements, weight gain is correct, but the child has not had sufficient opportunities to learn to suckle, as the frequency of breastfeeding sessions is not sufficient. (same problem as with artificial milk supplements)

• alteration of the flora and immunological qualities of colostrum after freezing and thawing

• Prenatal or postnatal mastitis

  
  

Note: Some mothers consider this technique in order to "stock up" postpartum and allow the father to take over. It seems important to emphasize that the mother-baby dyad should ideally not be separated in the days following birth (or only for very short periods), and that it is the responsibility of fathers (or the partner or any other person) to handle the logistics to completely free the mother.

Often, fathers do not imagine the mental load of their partner, and it seems priority to focus prenatal consultations on this critical point rather than on antenatal colostrum expression.

In conclusion, this very interesting article allows putting this practice of antenatal expression into perspective, which is increasingly used.

Bibliography

• Moorhead AM, Forster DA, Donath S, Bortoli J, Amir LH. Does Antenatal Expressing Affect Onset of Lactogenesis for Women With Diabetes? Results From a Randomised Controlled Trial and Cohort Study. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2024 Dec 30. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13929. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39740238.

• Jasovic MO. Antenatal colostrum expression: are we interfering with nature? Int Breastfeed J. 2025 Nov 7;20(1):80. doi: 10.1186/s13006-025-00766-w. PMID: 41204307; PMCID: PMC12595854.