We are re-vamping our policies around human milk and we are looking to “define” colostrum.  Some thoughts thrown around at the meeting:

Milk produced the 1st 5 days (what about moms who make nothing for several days?)
5 days worth of milk (day 1 being the 1st day you make milk)
24, 30, 40, ?, collection’s worth? (Label bottles/ syringes with numbers in order expressed… our current system)
When mothers experience lactogenesis II and feel breast fullness and the milk visually changes (more obvious in some mothers than others, or sometimes never happens)
A certain volume

I know there are biochemical markers (ex: when lactose levels change, when whey/ casein ratios change) but that would be too hard to measure.

For those of you who work in NICUs… what are you doing?

Thanks for any ideas!

Christina Zimpfer RNC, IBCLC
Lactation Consultant
NICU-IMC Unit Council Member
Neonatal Intensive Care
M Health Fairview | University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
2450 Riverside Ave | Minneapolis, MN 55454
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Office: 612.273.7624 
Unit: 612.273.7032
Fax: 612.273.7624
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