What is colostrum?

COLOSTRUM 101: Everything Your Need to Know About Your Liquid Gold 💛

Malama Clinical Team

Before your milk comes in, your body makes something even more powerful.nIt’s called colostrum, and your body has been making it since around week 16 of pregnancy. Your baby doesn’t need much of it and that’s the whole point.

“Colostrum is small by design. Your newborn’s stomach is the size of a marble. A few teaspoons is a full meal.”

WHAT’S ACTUALLY IN IT? 🔬

Colostrum is not just early milk. It’s closer to medicine. Here’s what’s packed into those first few drops:

• 🛡️ Antibodies (especially IgA) — coat your baby’s gut lining and protect against infection before their immune system is online
• 🦠 White blood cells — your baby’s first immune defenders, delivered directly from you
• 💪 High protein, low fat, low sugar — exactly calibrated for a brand-new digestive system
• 🧴 Growth factors — help your baby’s gut mature and seal properly in the first days of life
• 💧 A gentle laxative effect — helps your baby pass meconium (their first dark, sticky poop) and clear bilirubin, reducing jaundice risk

HOW MUCH IS NORMAL? 🤔

Very little — and that is perfectly okay. In the first 24 hours, you might produce just 1–5 milliliters per feeding. That is less than a teaspoon. It can feel like nothing is there but it is and it’s exactly what your baby needs right now. Their stomach cannot hold more than a few milliliters anyway — so small volumes are not a problem, they’re a feature.

By Day 2–3, volumes increase. By Day 3–5, your full milk comes in and colostrum transitions into mature milk.

DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING SPECIAL? 🤍

Just feed early and often. That’s it.

• 🕐 Aim to nurse within the first hour after birth if you and baby are both well enough
• 🔄 Feed 8–12 times in the first 24 hours — every 2–3 hours, even if it feels like nothing is coming out
• 🫴 Hand expression works well for colostrum — it’s thick and doesn’t respond as well to a pump in the early days
• 👩‍⚕️ Ask a lactation consultant to show you hand expression technique before you leave the hospital

🩸 GD Note: Babies born to GD moms are at higher risk for low blood sugar (neonatal hypoglycemia) in the first 24–48 hours. Colostrum is one of the most effective tools for preventing and managing this. Frequent early feeds — even tiny amounts — help stabilize your newborn’s glucose. If your baby needs supplementing, ask if donor colostrum or a small amount of formula can be given by syringe or finger-feed to protect your milk supply while breastfeeding is established.

WHAT ABOUT HAND EXPRESSING COLOSTRUM BEFORE THE BABY ARRIVES? 🤼

Some providers recommend hand-expressing and collecting colostrum in the final weeks of pregnancy — especially for moms with GD. You freeze the small amounts in syringes and bring them to the hospital as a ready supply in case your baby needs a glucose boost after birth.

This is called antenatal colostrum collection, and it’s not standard everywhere. Ask your midwife or OB around 36–37 weeks if it’s right for you. It’s safe from around 36 weeks in a low-risk pregnancy and can be a wonderful safety net for GD moms.

WHAT IF I’M NOT BREASTFEEDING? 🍼

If you’ve decided to formula feed, your baby will be fully nourished and cared for — formula is a complete food and a great choice. You’ll still produce colostrum, but without stimulation it will be reabsorbed. Your milk will come in briefly and then taper off over 7–10 days as described in our milk supply post^[a].

THE SHORT VERSION ✨

Colostrum is tiny in volume and enormous in value. Your body made it for months before your baby arrived. And if you have questions about whether your baby is getting enough in those first hazy days, ask your nurse or lactation consultant — that’s exactly what they’re there for.

You’ve been nourishing this baby since the beginning. This is just the first time you can see it. 🤍