Best Colostrum Collection Kits UK 2026: Elvie Packs 20 Syringes for £20, Fraupow Swaps Them for Silicone You Squeeze

COMPARISON · FEEDING TIME

Colostrum is the thick, golden first milk your body starts making during pregnancy, and more parents than ever are being encouraged to hand express a few drops from 37 weeks so there is a small stash in the freezer for the first days after birth. It is especially common advice if you have diabetes in pregnancy, have a planned caesarean, or your baby may need extra help keeping their blood sugar steady after birth.

The odd thing about this category is how little kit the job actually needs. You are collecting drops, not ounces: a good session in late pregnancy might give you anywhere from a few drops to around 1ml. Plenty of maternity units hand out plain 1ml oral syringes for free. So what are you paying £20 to £25 for? Mostly two things: how many containers you get before you run out, and whether you collect into a syringe or into a squeezy silicone collector you can feed from directly.

We compared the four branded kits we can actually sell, each from a different brand, and they split neatly down that line. Two are syringe kits (Elvie and My Expert Midwife) and two are reusable silicone kits (Fraupow and Momcozy). We went through every listing and spec sheet line by line, counted what is really in each box, and weighed it against what parents tell us matters when you are expressing in the bathroom at 38 weeks with one hand free.

One thing before you buy any of them: only start harvesting once your midwife or doctor has said yes. These kits are designed for use from 37 weeks, and if you have a cervical stitch, a low-lying placenta, a history of premature labour or you are carrying twins, you need that conversation first.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Overall: Elvie Colostrum Collection Kit · 8.5/10 - 20 syringes in two sizes plus a collection cup, the most storage for under £20
• Best Reusable: Fraupow Colostrum Collection Kit · 8.0/10 - six 5ml silicone collectors that go from breast to freezer to baby with no transfer
• Best for Nipple Care: My Expert Midwife Colostrum Harvesting Kit · 7.5/10 - a full-size 30ml nipple balm and midwife-led guidance, but only five syringes
• Best Ready Out of the Box: Momcozy Colostrum Collector Kit (6-Piece) · 7.0/10 - six sealed collectors and a storage box, though the listing reads generic

Quick comparison

Kit	Price	Collect into	Containers	Feed from it?	Extras	Rating
Elvie Colostrum Collection Kit	£19.95	Cup, then syringe	20 syringes (1ml + 5ml)	Yes, by syringe	2 storage boxes, labels, guide, 5 milk bags
Fraupow Colostrum Collection Kit	£24.95	Silicone collector	6 x 5ml collectors	Yes, via nib	Labels, brush, carry case
My Expert Midwife Colostrum Harvesting Kit	£19.50	Syringe	5 syringes + caps	Yes, by syringe	30ml nipple balm, guide, labels
Momcozy Colostrum Collector Kit (6-Piece)	£24.99	Silicone collector	6 x 5ml collectors	Yes, via nib	Labels, storage box, cloth, brush

How we picked the 4

We started with every product in our catalogue with colostrum in its name, then threw out anything that was not made for the job. That cut a surprising amount: several of the cheapest syringe packs are sold as general-purpose syringes for measuring liquids, feeding pets and watering plants, with colostrum tacked on as one use among many. We would rather you used the free syringes from your maternity unit than one of those.

What was left had to be a purpose-made colostrum kit from a recognisable baby brand, sold by a UK retailer we work with and in stock when we checked. We wanted both formats represented, and one product per brand. Four kits made the cut. We rated each on four things: how much you can collect before running out, how easy it is to use one-handed, how cleanly it goes from fridge or freezer to feeding your baby, and what you get for the money.

What to look for in a colostrum collection kit

Syringe or silicone. Syringes are sterile, cheap, single use and the format most hospital staff are used to handling. You can read the volume at a glance and feed with them drop by drop on to your baby's tongue or into the corner of their mouth. Silicone collectors are reusable: you squeeze, hold the tip to the nipple while you express, and let go so the drops are drawn in. They create less waste, but they take a bit of practice and you cannot read the volume as precisely.

How many containers you get. This is the number that really separates kits. Once a syringe or collector is full and frozen, it is out of action until your baby needs it. If you express once or twice a day from 37 weeks and your baby arrives at 40, you could easily fill 15 to 20 containers. A kit with five gets you about a week.

Size. 1ml is the workhorse size for antenatal harvesting, because you will rarely collect more than that in one go. Many units are happy for you to add to the same syringe across a day, kept in the fridge between sessions, before it goes in the freezer. Ask yours, since advice varies. 5ml containers are handy later, once your milk volume rises after birth.

Labels and storage. Every container needs your name, date and time, and hospitals will usually ask that they arrive frozen in a sealed bag or box. A kit that includes freezer-proof labels and a box saves a scramble.

What your unit wants. Some hospitals prefer syringes because staff can see exactly what they are giving, and some have limited freezer space on the ward. It is worth asking at your next appointment before you choose.

1. Elvie Colostrum Collection Kit / 10 · Best overall

Elvie is best known for its wearable pumps, but this is the most complete syringe kit we found. In the box: a collection cup to hand express into, 20 storage syringes split between 1ml and 5ml sizes, two storage boxes, a sheet of labels, a short Colostrum Collection 101 guide and a sample of five of the brand's milk storage bags for later on. It was developed with lactation consultants and is designed for use from 37 weeks.

The collection cup is the clever part. Rather than trying to catch drops on the tip of a syringe as they appear, you express into the cup and draw the colostrum up from it, which most first-timers find far less fiddly. Twenty syringes also means you are unlikely to run short before your due date, and the two boxes keep the freezer drawer tidy.

What parents love

• Most storage in the test. Twenty syringes is four times what you get with My Expert Midwife, for 45p more.
• The cup makes collecting easier. We hear repeatedly from parents that catching drops directly on a syringe is the hardest part of harvesting, and the cup takes that problem away.
• Two sizes. The 1ml syringes suit late pregnancy, and the 5ml ones are useful once your milk increases in the first days after birth.
• Organised freezer. Two storage boxes and a full label sheet mean the stash is easy to hand over on the ward.

What to know before you buy

• Single-use plastic. Syringes are meant to be used once, so this is the least eco-friendly approach here.
• Light on guidance. The guide is the brand's own short leaflet, so there is no one-to-one support built in.
• Patchy stock. One of our two retailer links was out of stock when we checked, so do not leave buying it until the last week.

Best for

• First-time parents who want everything in one box
• Anyone advised to build a bigger stash, for example with diabetes in pregnancy
• Units that prefer colostrum in syringes
• Planned caesarean births

2. Fraupow Colostrum Collection Kit / 10 · Best reusable

Fraupow's kit does away with syringes entirely. You get six reusable 5ml collectors made from food-grade silicone. Squeeze the bulb, hold the nib to your nipple while you hand express, then release, and the gentle vacuum draws the drops in. You can also take the nib off and drip colostrum straight into the chamber if you prefer.

The big advantage is that nothing moves between containers. The colostrum stays in the same chamber in the fridge or freezer, and once your baby is here you fit the nib back on and feed from it directly, so you do not lose drops on the side of a cup. The kit comes with date and time labels, a cleaning brush and a carry case, and the collectors can be cleaned, sterilised and used again. Some retailers bundle an online midwife consultation with it, so check the listing you buy from.

What parents love

• Collect, store and feed in one. No transferring means no drops left behind, which matters when you are dealing in fractions of a millilitre.
• Reusable. Six collectors you can sterilise and use again, rather than a drawer full of plastic syringes.
• One-handed. Parents we hear from regularly say a squeeze-and-release collector is easier to hold steady than a syringe while expressing with the other hand.
• Tidy carry case. Useful for the hospital bag and for keeping the clean collectors together.

What to know before you buy

• Takes practice. Getting the suction and timing right can take a few sessions.
• Less precise volume. You cannot read off exactly how much you have collected the way you can with a graduated syringe.
• Six is the limit. Once all six are full and frozen, you need to buy more or switch to syringes.
• Dearest here. At £24.95 it is about £5 more than the syringe kits.

Best for

• Parents who want less single-use plastic
• Anyone who found syringes fiddly
• Feeding colostrum straight from the container in hospital
• Hand expressing in the first days after birth as well as before

3. My Expert Midwife Colostrum Harvesting Kit / 10 · Best for nipple care

My Expert Midwife is a UK brand set up by midwives, and its kit is the one you are most likely to spot on the high street. It contains five sterile syringes with caps, five freezable labels, a step-by-step harvesting guide and, unusually, a full-size 30ml No Harm Nipple Balm. The brand also gives buyers free access to a midwife-led colostrum harvesting masterclass.

The balm is genuinely useful. Hand expressing several times a day can leave nipples tender, and most breastfeeding parents end up buying a balm anyway. The problem is the syringe count. Five is thin: if you express daily from 37 weeks, you will be looking for more within a week. Retailer ratings sit around three out of five from small numbers of reviews, and the complaints mostly come back to how few syringes you get for the price.

What parents love

• Full-size nipple balm. A 30ml balm on its own would cost a fair chunk of the kit price.
• Real guidance. The midwife-led masterclass and printed guide suit anyone nervous about the technique.
• Sterile syringes. The format hospital staff know, with caps for sealing each one.
• Easy to find. Widely stocked, so it is simple to pick up a kit quickly once your midwife gives the go-ahead.

What to know before you buy

• Only five syringes. Expect to top up with spare 1ml syringes, which your unit may give you free.
• No cup or box. You catch drops straight on the syringe and need your own bag or box for the freezer.
• Mixed reviews. Retailer ratings are middling, mainly on value.

Best for

• Parents who want step-by-step guidance from midwives
• Anyone already planning to buy a nipple balm
• Starting late or aiming for a small stash
• A thoughtful baby shower gift

4. Momcozy Colostrum Collector Kit (6-Piece) / 10 · Best ready to use

Momcozy's set takes the same silicone-collector approach as Fraupow: six 5ml BPA-free collectors, each sealed and ready to use straight from the pack, plus six labels, a cotton cleaning cloth, a portable storage box and a cleaning brush. Squeeze to create suction and collect through the nib, or remove the nib and drip straight in, then use the same collector to feed your baby.

It is essentially the Fraupow idea at the same price, and the differences are small. Momcozy's collectors arrive sealed, so your first session needs no prep, and the storage box keeps them together in the freezer. Against that, the listing also markets the collectors as pet droppers and plant waterers, which does not fill us with confidence, and the care instructions ask you to boil them for two to three minutes after every use.

What parents love

• Ready straight from the pack. Sealed collectors mean you can start the day your midwife says yes.
• Storage box included. Keeps the six collectors together in the freezer and in the hospital bag.
• Feed from the collector. Same no-transfer design as Fraupow, so no drops are lost.

What to know before you buy

• Generic marketing. The listing suggests uses from pet feeding to DIY, which makes it feel less purpose-made than the others.
• Boil after every use. Two to three minutes in boiling water each time is a chore in late pregnancy.
• No guidance. There is no harvesting guide or midwife support, so you will need to learn the technique elsewhere.

Best for

• Parents already using Momcozy pumps or accessories
• Anyone who wants to start without any prep
• Packing a reusable option for the hospital bag

What about the haakaa colostrum collector?

haakaa's silicone colostrum collector is the one many parents have heard of, and it works on the same squeeze-and-release idea as the Fraupow and Momcozy kits. We do not currently carry it in our channels, so we cannot show you a card for it. If you already own a haakaa pump and like the brand, it is worth a look, but the two silicone kits above give you six collectors plus storage in one box.

And before you buy anything, ask your midwife. Many maternity units give out 1ml syringes and labels for free, sometimes with a short session on hand expressing. If that is on offer, a paid kit becomes a nice-to-have rather than a must.

How to choose

Pick the Elvie Colostrum Collection Kit if you want one box that covers you from 37 weeks to the birth. Twenty syringes, a collection cup and two storage boxes is the most complete set here, and it is under £20.

Pick the Fraupow Colostrum Collection Kit if you would rather not fill a freezer drawer with plastic syringes, or you want to feed your baby straight from the container you collected into.

Pick the My Expert Midwife Colostrum Harvesting Kit if guidance matters more than quantity and you will use the nipple balm, and top it up with spare syringes from your unit.

Pick the Momcozy Colostrum Collector Kit if you like the silicone approach, want to start without any prep, and already use other Momcozy kit.

Add it to your Nest

Colostrum kits are small, inexpensive and easy to forget until the last few weeks, which makes them a great registry add. Pop your favourite on your free BubsNest registry so a friend can tick it off, and keep it next to your breast pump, nursing pads and nipple balm so everything for those first feeds is in one place.