References

Agboado G, Michel E, Jackson E Factors associated with breastfeeding cessation in nursing mothers in a peer support programme in Eastern Lancashire. BMC Pediatr. 2010; 10 https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-10-3

Aghdas K, Talat K, Sepideh B Effect of immediate and continuous mother-infant skin-to-skin contact on breast-feeding self-efficacy of primiparous women: A randomised control trial. Women Birth. 2014; 27:(1)37-40 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2013.09.004

Amico J, Finley B Breast stimulation in cycling women, pregnant women and a woman with induced lactation: patterns of release of oxytocin, prolactin and luteinizing hormone. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1986; 25:(2)97-106

Amir LH, Donath SM Socioeconomic status and rates of breastfeeding in Australia: evidence from three recent national health surveys. Med J Aust. 2008; 189:(5)254-6

Anderson GC, Moore E, Hopworth J Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their newborn infants. Birth. 2003; 30:(3)206-7

Ballard O, Morrow AL Human milk composition: Nutrients and bioactive factors. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2013; 60:(1)49-74 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2012.10.002

Baxter J, Cooklin AR, Smith J Which mothers wean their babies prematurely from full breastfeeding? An Australian cohort study. Acta Paediatr. 2009; 98:(8)1274-7 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01335.x

Borch-Johnsen K, Joner G, Mandrup-Poulsen T Relation between breast-feeding and incidence rates of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. A hypothesis. Lancet. 1984; 2:(8411)1083-6

Bornstein M Sensitive periods in development: Structural characteristics and casual interpretation. Psychol Bull. 1989; 105:(2)179-97

Brisbane JM, Giglia RC Experiences of expressing and storing colostrum antenatally: a qualitative study of mothers in regional Western Australia. J Child Health Care. 2013;

Brown AE, Raynor P, Benton D Indices of multiple depravation predict breastfeeding duration in England and Wales. Eur J Public Health. 2010; 20:(2)231-5 https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckp114

Cavallo MG, Fava D, Monetini L Cell-mediated immune response to beta casein in recent-onset insulin-dependent diabetes: implications for disease pathogenesis. Lancet. 1996; 348:(9032)926-8

Chapman T, Pincombe J, Harris M Antenatal breast expression: A critical review of literature. Midwifery. 2013; 29:(3)203-10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2011.12.013

Clay T Colostrum harvesting and type 1 diabetes. J Diabetes Nurs. 2005; 9:(3)111-6

Condon L, Rhodes C, Warren S ‘But is it a normal thing?’ Teenage mothers' experiences of breastfeeding promotion and support. Health Educ J. 2013; 72:(2)156-62 https://doi.org/10.1177/0017896912437295

Cox SG Expressing and storing colostrum antenatally for use in the newborn period. Breastfeed Rev. 2006; 14:(3)11-6

Damania KK, Natu U, Mhatre PN Evaluation of two methods employed for cervical ripening. J Postgrad Med. 1992; 38:(2)58-9

Di Lieto A, Miranda L, Ardito P Changes in the Bishop score induced by manual nipple stimulation. A cross-over randomized study. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 1989; 16:(1)26-9

Donath SM, Amir LH Relationship between prenatal infant feeding and intention and initiation and duration of breastfeeding: a cohort study. Acta Paediatr. 2003; 92:(3)352-6

East CE, Doolan WJ, Forster DA Antenatal breast milk expression by women with diabetes for improving infant outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014; 7 https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010408.pub2

Feber SG, Makhoul IR The effect of skin-to-skin contact (kangaroo care) shortly after birth on the neurobehavioral responses of the term newborn: A randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics. 2004; 113:(4)858-65

Forster D, McLachlan H, Lumley J Factors associated with breastfeeding at six months postpartum in a group of Australian women. Int Breastfeed J. 2006; 1

Forster DA, Jacobs S, Amir LH Safety and efficacy of antenatal milk expressing for women with diabetes in pregnancy: protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2014; 4:(10) https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006571

Forster DA, McEgan K, Ford R Diabetes and antenatal milk expressing: A pilot project to inform the development of randomised controlled trial. Midwifery. 2011; 27:(2)209-14 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2009.05.009

Glatthar C, Whittall DE, Welborn TA Diabetes in Western Australian children: Descriptive epidemiology. Med J Aust. 1988; 148:(3)117-23

Gopee N, Galloway J Leadership and Management in Healthcare, 2nd edn. Los Angeles: SAGE; 2014

Guxens M, Mendez MA, Molto-Puigmarti C Breastfeeding, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in colostrum, and infant mental development. Pediatrics. 2014; 128:(4)e880-9 https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-1633

Health and Social Care Information Centre. NHS Maternity Statistics—England, 2012-2013. 2013. http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB12744 (accessed 6 March 2015)

Henderson J, Redshaw M Midwifery factors associated with successful breastfeeding. Child Care Health Dev. 2011; 37:(5)744-53 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01177.x

Kavanagh J, Kelly AJ, Thomas J Breast stimulation for cervical ripening and induction of labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005; 3

Kelly YJ, Watt RG, Nazroo JY Racial/ethnic differences in breastfeeding initiation and continuation in the United States. Pediatrics. 2006; 118:(5)e1428-351

Kotter JPWatertown: Harvard Business School Press; 1995

Madarshahian F, Hassanabadi M A comparative study of breastfeeding during pregnancy: impact on maternal and newborn outcomes. J Nurs Res. 2012; 20:(1)74-80 https://doi.org/10.1097/JNR.0b013e31824777c1

Mater Misericordiae Health Services Brisbane. Breastfeeding: How to hand express. 2011. http://brochures.mater.org.au/Home/Brochures/Mater-Mothers-Private-Redland/A-guide-to-breastfeeding (accessed 6 March 2015)

Mattar CN, Chong YS, Chan YS Simple antenatal preparation to improve breastfeeding practice: A randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2007; 109:(1)73-80

Mayer EJ, Hamman RF, Gay EC Reduced risk of IDDM among breast-fed children. The Colorado IDDM Registry. Diabetes. 1988; 37:(12)1625-32

Moore ER, Anderson GC, Bergman N Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012; 5 https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003519.pub3

Morales E, Garcia-Esteban R, Guxens M Effects of prolonged breastfeeding and colostrum fatty acids on allergic manifestations and infections in pregnancy. Clin Exp Allergy. 2012; 42:(6)918-28 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2222.2012.03969.x

Neubauer SH, Ferris AM, Chase CH Delayed lactogenesis in women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Am J Clin Nutr. 1993; 58:(1)54-60

Nursing and Midwifery Council. Midwives rules and standards 2012. 2012. http://www.nmc-uk.org/Documents/NMC-publications/Midwives%20Rules%20and%20Standards%202012.pdf (accessed 6 March 2015)

Oakley LL, Henderson J, Redshaw M The role of support and other factors in early breastfeeding cessation: an analysis of data from a maternity survey in England. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014; 14 https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-14-88

Oftedal OT The evolution of milk secretion and its ancient origins. Animal. 2012; 6:(3)355-68 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731111001935

Redshaw M, Henderson J Learning the hard way: Expectations and experiences of infant feeding support. Birth. 2012; 39:(1)21-9 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-536X.2011.00509.x

Salmon YM, Kee WH, Tan SL Cervical ripening by breast stimulation. Obstet Gynecol. 1986; 67:(1)21-4

Singh G, Chouban R, Sidhu K Effect of antenatal expression of breast milk at term in reducing breast feeding failures. Medical Journal Armed Forces India. 2009; 65:(2)131-3

Soltani H, Scott AMS Antenatal breast expression in women with diabetes: Outcomes from a retrospective cohort study. Int Breastfeed J. 2012; 7:(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4358-7-18

Tarrant RC, Younger KM, Sheridan-Pereira M Factors associated with duration of breastfeeding with Ireland: potential areas for improvement. J Hum Lact. 2011; 27:(3)262-71

The Breastfeeding Network. Expressing and storing breast milk. 2009. http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/pdfs/BFNExpressing_and_Storing.pdf (accessed 6 March 2015)

UNICEF. UK Breastfeeding Rates. The Baby Friendly Initiative. 2014a. http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/About-Baby-Friendly/Breastfeeding-in-the-UK/UK-Breastfeeding-rates/ (accessed 6 March 2015)

UNICEF. Breastfeeding. The Baby Friendly Initiative. 2014b. http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/Health-Professionals/Care-Pathways/Breastfeeding/First-days/Hand-expressing/ (accessed 6 March 2015)

Vaarala O The role of the gut in beta-cell autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes: A hypothesis. Pediatr Diabetes. 2000; 1:(4)217-25

Hypoglycaemia of the Newborn: Review of the Literature. World Health Organization. 1997. http://whqlib-doc.who.int/hq/1997/WHO_CHD_97.1.pdf?ua=1 (accessed 6 March 2015)

Hand expressing in pregnancy and colostrum harvesting—preparation for successful breastfeeding?

02 April 2015
Volume 23 · Issue 4

Abstract

Colostrum harvesting is a process involving antenatal expressing and storing of colostrum. Its benefits include quicker establishment of ‘full lactation’ (Singh, 2009), increased confidence in hand expressing (Brisbane and Giglia, 2013), and reduced stress over breast milk supply in the immediate postpartum period (Cox, 2006). Despite its advantages, the use of colostrum harvesting remains limited, with only a small selection of UK Trusts currently utilising this process. In the past, there have been concerns over the safety of antenatal expressing and its potential to initiate premature labour (Soltani and Scott, 2012). A more recent critical review of the literature found that the substantial benefits of early feeding of colostrum outweigh the lack of evidence associated with the risk of preterm labour (Chapman et al, 2013; East et al, 2014). This article discusses the advantages of antenatal hand expressing and colostrum harvesting in view of the best available evidence.

Breastfeeding initiation rates in the UK have risen; in 2010, 81% of mothers chose to breastfeed their babies at birth, compared with 76% in 2005. However, breastfeeding is often short-lived as 24% of women breastfeed exclusively at 6 weeks postpartum in England (22% in Scotland; 17% in Wales; and 13% in Northern Ireland), 17% at 3 months and 1% at 6 months in the UK (UNICEF, 2014a).

It is important to find out why many women stop breastfeeding within weeks, despite such high initial breastfeeding rates. This article explores antenatal education and preparation for breastfeeding in the hope of finding solutions to overcome some of the postnatal breastfeeding problems experienced by women. The benefits of colostrum harvesting and extra support for diabetic women are discussed, using the best available evidence, as is the teaching of hand expressing during pregnancy. The inclusion of education in hand-expressing in routine antenatal care could improve women's experiences of breastfeeding and increase rates of breastfeeding continuation.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting British Journal of Midwifery and reading some of our peer-reviewed resources for midwives. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Limited access to our clinical or professional articles

  • New content and clinical newsletter updates each month