You don’t need to (and usually can’t) set a strict target for “how much” colostrum to harvest before birth; even a few drops are valuable, and there is no medically defined “enough” amount.

Key point: volume really is small

  • Many parents only get drops at a time, especially at first; this is normal.
  • One source notes that a “normal” amount might be around 0.5 ml in a syringe per expressing session, and this can be saved and used later.
  • Colostrum is very concentrated; even tiny amounts can help with blood sugar support or if baby is slow to latch.

Think of it less as “stockpiling” and more as practicing hand expression and having a small safety net.

So how much should I aim for?

Professionally written guides and forum discussions generally suggest aims , not strict targets, such as:

  • Harvesting once or a few times a day from around 36–37 weeks if your midwife or doctor has said it’s safe.
  • Collecting whatever you get in a few minutes per breast (often 3–5 minutes, 1–3 times per day).
  • Many parents arrive at birth with several small syringes (for example, 1–10 ml syringes) partially or fully filled, but some only have a couple of milliliters total — and that is still useful.

A practical mindset that many midwives encourage is: any amount is a bonus ; there is no minimum you “must” reach before birth.

When to start and safety caveats

  • Hospital and midwifery leaflets commonly recommend starting colostrum harvesting at 36–37 weeks in an uncomplicated pregnancy.
  • It is generally considered safe and not likely to trigger labor when started at that time, but there are important exceptions.
  • You may be advised to avoid antenatal expression if you have:
    • Placenta praevia or certain placental problems
    • A cervical stitch
    • A history of preterm labor or other specific complications
    • Certain infections or medications (e.g., untreated HIV with high viral load)

Because of these caveats, most hospital leaflets explicitly say: discuss antenatal colostrum expression with your own midwife or obstetrician first.

Quick practical picture

Imagine you start at 36–37 weeks, hand-expressing for 3–5 minutes per side once or twice a day. Over a week or two you might gradually build up several small syringes, each holding fractions of a milliliter to a couple of milliliters. Some days you may get almost nothing; other days you may fill a syringe. All of that is normal, and all of it is worth saving.

Bottom line: there is no fixed “right” amount of colostrum to harvest before birth; whatever you can comfortably collect after your provider okays it is a bonus, and even a few drops can be very helpful.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.