Lets Do This! What is Antenatal Expressing of Colostrum? It is the hand expression and collection of colostrum during pregnancy (yes so before your baby is here!). Once your milk is collected you can then freeze it and give it to your baby after the birth.Did you know that from week 16 of your pregnancy, you will start to make colostrum?We recommend expressing from approx 36/37 weeks. Always let your LMC/OB know if you are keen to express colostrum and get the go ahead from them first.Having a wee stash of milk can be super helpful post-natally especially if your baby is at increased risk of having low blood sugars in the first few hours after birth. Here are times when it is good to think about Antenatal Colostrum Harvesting. Women:Diabetes in pregnancy (pre-existing or gestational). A baby born to a mother who has diabetes during pregnancy is at risk of low blood sugar after birth. Receiving extra colostrum at this time can help a baby’s blood sugar level to stabilize.Elective caesarean sectionsBreast hypoplasiaPCOSBreast surgery (including breast reduction)HypertensionStrong family history of dairy intolerance or inflammatory bowel diseasePrevious poor milk supplyInfants:Diagnosed with cleft lip and/or palate and other congenital abnormalities (Babies with these conditions may not be able to breastfeed well and so you may need to express your milk to be able to give it to your baby. Expressing colostrum antenatally can mean you have extra on hand if needed)Intrauterine growth restriction – IUGR/SGALarge for Gestational Age (LGA)Be mindful that if you are harvesting colostrum …
With the exception of a few species, all mammals consume their placenta after giving birth. Some speculate that this is because of the nutritional benefits that consuming a placenta can offer after having a baby. Anecdotal evidence on placenta consumption in human beings is overwhelmingly positive. There are a few different ways in which a person can consume their placenta, but placenta encapsulation is the most popular method for human consumption. The custom of consuming the placenta is centuries old and is a tradition that has been gaining popularity in the United States. The placenta is a temporary organ created by the body during pregnancy. The placenta delivers nutrients and oxygen to a developing baby and it is full of vitamins and minerals such as B6, B12, and iron. The placenta is also hormone rich with progesterone and estrogen. Placenta Encapsulation 101 Placenta encapsulation is the practice of ingesting the placenta after it has been made into pills. Hearth and Home Midwifery encapsulates placentas by first steaming them with ginger and myrrh, dehydrating them in a food grade dehydrator, grinding the placenta into a powder, and encapsulating the powder into a pill for ingesting. For those who choose to encapsulate their placenta, the encapsulation process typically occurs immediately after birth and the postpartum parent starts to ingest their placenta within a few days. The placenta encapsulation process is typically initiated within 24/48 hours after birth. The placenta is laid out on a chux pad or some other protected surface and is made of the placenta, …
We all know and believe that very human being has the right to bodily autonomy. To be far no one can touch you without your consent. No one gets to decide what happens to your body but you. Even when you’re unwell, a medical professional can’t touch you, medicate you, order tests or scans, have their hands on you or inside you etc. until they have (1) explained to you what they’re recommending and why; (2) gone through the details of the procedure including how it is done, and any potential risks, benefits, and side effects that may occur; and (3) asked if they may proceed AND you have given your clear consent. Often friends and family tell of us instances when a medical professional has given advice that doesn’t quite sit right and we tell them to get a second opinion, to take some time and look at all the alternative options before making a decision, that medical professionals are not all equal, they are not gods, but human, and that they can make mistakes. Or we hear of medical professionals that have violated someone’s bodily autonomy and we’re angry and horrified (and rightly so!) and tell them it’s not acceptable, and encourage them to make an official complaint and never see that person again. That ultimately, you always have the final say. But, bizarrely, when you become pregnant, all that seems to go out the window…There’s so much ingrained social conditioning and belief that when you become pregnant you must just accept that …
