Prenatal Hand-Expression of Colostrum (Breast Milk)

Learn how to collect colostrum—your first, early breast milk—during the last weeks of pregnancy using a simple technique that can help you feel more confident and give your baby extra nutrition in the first few days.

What is Prenatal Hand Expression?  

Prenatal hand expression means using your hands to gently squeeze your breasts and collect small drops of colostrum.

This early practice may help your body get prepared to make milk once your baby is born. It also allows you to save extra milk to use during the first days after birth.

Learning the technique during pregnancy can help you feel more prepared. It’s one less new skill to learn when your baby arrives.

Important: Use only your hands, not a pump. Hand expression is a valuable skill you’ll use after your baby is born too.

Why Should I Do Hand Expression?  

Hand expression is ideal for collecting small amounts of milk. It’s especially helpful during pregnancy and right after birth, before your milk fully comes in.

Hands work differently from a pump—they use gentle pressure similar to a baby’s tongue, not just suction. Hands can also reach areas a pump may miss, like the sides of your breasts near your armpits.

Tip: A partner can learn the technique too, which may be helpful if you’re tired after birth.

How Do I Do Hand Expression?

These videos show step-by-step how to hand express:

• First Droplets
• Hand Expression
• How to Express Breastmilk (multiple languages)

When to start: Begin at 36 weeks of pregnancy or later.  

How often: One to three times a day, a few days a week—whatever fits your routine.

How long: About five minutes on each breast. If you have less time, do what you can.

Collect the drops using a clean 1 mL or 3 mL syringe, or let them drip into a clean spoon or cup before transferring them into a syringe.

How Do I Store the Milk?  

• Use 1ml or 3ml syringes without a needle to store milk. If you need syringes:
  • Ask your clinic for them at your next visit.  
  • Buy them online. You don’t need to buy an expensive colostrum kit—regular syringes work just fine.  
• Keep syringes in the fridge for up to two days. Use the same syringe to collect milk for the next two days.  
• After two days, put them in the freezer—even if they aren’t full.  
• Label each syringe with your name and the date.  
• Milk can be stored on the counter, fridge, and freezer.  

How Do I Take the Milk to the Hospital?  

• Bring your frozen syringes with you when you go to have your baby.
  • If you have many, bring just a few at first—you can bring more later.
  • Transport them in a cooler or lunch bag with ice packs.
• Tell your nurse you brought colostrum. They can store it in a freezer with your name on it.

When and How Do I Use the Colostrum?  

Colostrum is wonderful for your baby, but it should be used in addition to, not instead of, breastfeeding.

In the first days, try to breastfeed every one to two hours. This helps your body build a strong milk supply.

Use your stored colostrum if:

• Your baby is not feeding well
• You need extra milk in the hospital

Keep breastfeeding or pumping every two to three hours (eight to 12 times a day) to support milk production.

Your nurse can warm the stored colostrum when your baby needs it. You can feed it using a small cup or syringe.  

What Do I Do After I Leave the Hospital?

Any stored colostrum left at the hospital will be returned to you. Keep it in your home freezer—it lasts up to six months. Colostrum is rich in antibodies that help protect your baby from illness.