Is The Rush To Harvest Liquid Gold In Pregnancy Really Necessary?

There’s a lot of buzz on social media (if your algorithm is all things birth and motherhood) about how you should start preparing your supply before your baby even arrives through Colostrum Harvesting. These viral videos have gained so much traction that even outlets like the New York Post have covered the craze.

For those unfamiliar with the term, Colostrum Harvesting refers to hand expressing or pumping colostrum during pregnancy and freezing it for use as a back stock for after birth.

If you’ve worked with me or have read my book you know I am all for preparing for breastfeeding in pregnancy, but harvesting colostrum is not one of the ways I set myself up for breastfeeding success and not something I necessarily urge others to do.

Here’s why:

Some women leak colostrum during pregnancy and some not a drop. Either way is completely normal! Whether or not your colostrum comes in early is not an indication of how your breastfeeding journey will unfold or what your milk supply will be.

If you have colostrum leaking during pregnancy, amazing! SAVE THAT LIQUID GOLD MAMA! If you don’t, do not stress.

When the placenta is delivered, progesterone drops. That drop allows prolactin to fully activate milk production. Your body is designed to ramp up milk production after your baby is born.

During both my pregnancies, I never had visible colostrum and the thought of trying to extract colostrum towards the end of pregnancy not only seems like an unpleasant use of my time but also a surefire way of setting myself up for feeling scarcity stress around milk supply (that isn’t even necessary to have yet).

Colostrum is incredibly concentrated, rich in immunoglobulins, growth factors, and immune-supporting components that help seed the newborn gut. In the first 24 hours, a newborn’s stomach capacity is only about 5–7 mL — roughly the size of a cherry. By day three, it’s still only around 22–27 mL.

When we frame colostrum as something that must be stockpiled before birth, we can unintentionally reinforce the belief that there won’t be enough when really newborns need very little.

Another reason why I am not a huge proponent of this practice is because ideally colostrum is delivered directly from breast to baby. When baby latches it stimulates prolactin receptors, establishes supply and demand, gives opportunity for mom and baby to practice breast feeding while building confidence in the mother baby dyad. As frustrating as it can be for some new moms, cluster feeding is part of the brilliant design to help bolster your supply.

Research consistently shows that early skin-to-skin contact and early initiation of breastfeeding improve long-term breastfeeding outcomes and we know skin to skin does wonders for temperature regulation, immune system, blood sugar regulation and stress reduction. Colostrum is best served fresh, straight from the source for so many reasons.

Of course, If there are breastfeeding challenges this is not always possible in which case colostrum can be expressed or pumped in real time after birth and fed to baby while the latch, positioning, or transfer issues are addressed. I believe the priority should be strengthening the breastfeeding relationship with support, not defaulting to the freezer supply of harvested colostrum.

When there’s a freezer stash waiting before baby even arrives, it can sometimes become a substitute for working through the challenges in those early, crucial moments. It might also mean mom is signaling less demand which could impact her supply.

Yes- one can harvest colostrum and prioritize the breast but ideally the colostrum in the freezer doesn’t need to get used because you are so busy feeding from the breast and upping your supply in real time.

A freezer full of colostrum might feel like the ultimate insurance policy but the real secret to breastmilk abundance comes from a freezer full of nutritious food for mom, a solid lactation consultant, education, a plan for taking as much time off of work as possible, support, support, support and safe bed sharing resources.

There are certain situations where having harvested colostrum has benefitted moms and babies, especially in high risk situations or when mothers come under pressure from hospital staff to supplement with formula. I also know some mothers may have wished they have harvested colostrum prior based on an unforeseen circumstance or separation from baby or concerns with blood sugar. There is never a one size fits all approach, especially with breastfeeding. My concerns around this practice are mostly in regards to the fear based and goal oriented mentality of this type of preparation being te gold standard of a strong breastfeeding start.

If you, like me, have no desire to pump while pregnant (or at any point in your breastfeeding journey), I hope this gives you full permission to trust your magic milk to flow when your baby arrives. Regardless of what path you take please prioritize setting yourself up for breastfeeding success with birth education, a postpartum support plan, proper protein rich nourishment, compiling a list of lactation consultants and educating yourself about the glorious and sometimes complex art of breastfeeding.

You can learn more about my 1:1 birth prep and nutrition consulting offerings here.

Share