The title of this blog is a question that I asked when I was pregnant. During my pregnancy with my first baby, my husband and I took a giant step out of the stone age and bought our first computer. A friend showed me how to get online and I began reading everything I could find on pregnancy, breastfeeding, birth and babies.
On site after site, I read about leaking colostrum during pregnancy. From all my reading, I knew what colostrum was and I knew I wasn’t leaking it. I had also read enough to know that I wanted to breastfeed. I began to worry that it wouldn’t be possible, since there was obviously something wrong with me.
I’m happy to report that nothing was wrong. It is completely normal not to leak any colostrum during pregnancy. The midwife I saw during my pregnancy told me that it was nothing to worry about. This didn’t stop me from looking for it for the rest of my pregnancy. Up until the day she was born, there was nothing. Miraculously, it was there for my baby when she arrived.
Women start to produce colostrum after the sixteenth week of pregnancy. Some women can hand express a few drops this early, but most cannot. Most women won’t actually leak, but may have a drop or two occasionally. In most cases, it isn’t a problem. A small number of women may find that their bras are stained. This will wash out in the laundry. If you feel uncomfortable, breast pads can be worn.
A mother with several children is more likely to leak colostrum. Most women find that they produce more milk with later children than they did with the first baby. The same can be true for colostrum. Often mothers who are expecting second, third or fourth babies will leak more than they did with their first pregnancies.
A mother with several children who does not leak any colostrum is perfectly normal too. When I was pregnant with my fourth baby, I had no colostrum, just like the first time. I also had no problems producing milk after he was born, just like the first time.
The bottom line: colostrum is not something to worry about. Whether you can see it before the baby arrives or not has no bearing on your ability to nourish your baby. Relax and feel confident in your body’s ability to provide food for the baby when the time comes.
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