Rachel says,

> I have also, on a very few occasions, been present when the mother of a baby
> who was transferred to the NICU at birth, learns to use a breast pump in
> the
> first couple of hours post-partum.  There has been such a volume of
> colostrum that we would need a cup to store it in.  Thereafter, the volume
> has decreased for a day or so, before coming full force in large amounts,
> if
> expression is continued.
>
>
I would suspect that the large volume of colostrum seen (and babies heard
"guzzling" at that first feed if left undisturbed) on an early pumping is
related to all the oxytocin released, particularly during the second stage of
labor.  So these babies will get a good bolus and a nice meal.  IF, however,
we end up waiting until 6, 8, 10 hours to start pumping (assuming baby hasn't
breastfed or is in the NICU or whatever), then it seems as though it takes
anywhere from 7 to 8 FULL pumpings for the colostrum to begin to show its
shiny drops again.  I wonder if the colostrum simply moves back "up" the
breast and isn't then readily available -- which suggests to me that we need
to take advantage of what we have in those first couple of hours.  If mom
can't feed, then have her hand express or pump within 2 hours.  It probably
doesn't then matter as much if she doesn't get to pump for the next 8 or 10
hours if she has taken advantage of the natural oxytocin release of labor
early on.

Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC -- Wheaton IL
Lactation Education Consultants
www.lactationeducationconsultants.com

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