We are all used to hearing how good breast milk is for both baby and mother but do you know what it is actually in breast milk? I didn't and I have a perpetual curiosity about everything, so I have tried my best to analyse it.......get ready! Breast milk is pretty amazing!!
As it is pretty complicated, please see below an overview. Our next blog post on this topic will explore the components of breast milk in more detail.
Overview
Breast milk "contains more than 200 important substances that stimulate and strengthen the baby's metabolism and immune system" [Penelope Ody "Herbs for a Healthy Pregnancy"] (Mama Tea's wonderful Medical Herbalist!) More than 200!! Wow!
Types of Breast Milk
There are three types of breast milk - Colostrum, Foremilk and Hindmilk. "Mature Milk" describes both Foremilk and Hindmilk.
Dr Paul has a good summary of the different types of breast milk http://www.drpaul.com/breastfeeding/colostrum.html
Colostrum
After birth, the baby should start suckling as soon as possible, as this will stimulate the production of colostrum. Colostrum is the yellowish fluid that is specifically designed to meet a newborn’s special needs. Colostrum is extremely high in proteins; the content has three times the protein content of fore milk and hind milk as it contains antibodies that are passed from the mother, which help provide immunity to your baby, as your baby's immunity is not fully developed at birth. These antibodies also help your baby to pass its first stool, known as meconium. It is best to try to breastfeed at least 8 to 12 times per 24 hours during this initial period. If you are having trouble getting your new born baby to latch on, try hand expressing, even just to get your baby to get this vital first form of breast milk.
Picture of mother hand expressing colostrum:
Breastmilk contains all of the nutrients needed by the newborn baby during the first weeks of life. These include the metabolic fuels (fat, protein, carbohydrate), water, and the raw materials for tissue growth and development, such as fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and trace elements.
In our next blog post - "What is breast milk? Nutritional components", we will investigate even further the composition of Mature Milk.
In the meantime, I think the under noted video is an excellent video for any breastfeeding mothers who are struggling with milk supply, or are looking to go back to work whilst breastfeeding, as it really shows how to get the maximum amount of milk expressed.
As it is pretty complicated, please see below an overview. Our next blog post on this topic will explore the components of breast milk in more detail.
Overview
Breast milk "contains more than 200 important substances that stimulate and strengthen the baby's metabolism and immune system" [Penelope Ody "Herbs for a Healthy Pregnancy"] (Mama Tea's wonderful Medical Herbalist!) More than 200!! Wow!
Types of Breast Milk
There are three types of breast milk - Colostrum, Foremilk and Hindmilk. "Mature Milk" describes both Foremilk and Hindmilk.
Dr Paul has a good summary of the different types of breast milk http://www.drpaul.com/breastfeeding/colostrum.html
Colostrum
After birth, the baby should start suckling as soon as possible, as this will stimulate the production of colostrum. Colostrum is the yellowish fluid that is specifically designed to meet a newborn’s special needs. Colostrum is extremely high in proteins; the content has three times the protein content of fore milk and hind milk as it contains antibodies that are passed from the mother, which help provide immunity to your baby, as your baby's immunity is not fully developed at birth. These antibodies also help your baby to pass its first stool, known as meconium. It is best to try to breastfeed at least 8 to 12 times per 24 hours during this initial period. If you are having trouble getting your new born baby to latch on, try hand expressing, even just to get your baby to get this vital first form of breast milk.
Picture of mother hand expressing colostrum:
Mature Milk
Engorgement of the breasts is common in 3-5 days after the birth. Be aware that when your "mature milk" comes in, sometimes it comes in all at once and far in excess of your baby's needs and your breasts become so engorged that it is actually hard for your baby to latch on. if this happens, the best solution is to use a breast pump to get rid of the excess milk or even to hand pump your breast. This happened to me and was extremely painful and also frustrating as my baby couldn't nurse. My midwife showed me how to hand pump my breasts which relieved the problem.
This is an excellent video showing you how to hand pump:
http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/AppendixG.html
This is an excellent video showing you how to hand pump:
http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/AppendixG.html
Foremilk
This is the milk released at the start of a feed and is watery, low in fat and high in carbohydrates. It is mainly water designed to satisfy your baby's thirst.
Hindmilk
Hindmilk is much creamier and is released after several minutes of feeding. It is much creamier and having a much higher content of fat is designed to satisfy your baby's hunger.
This is a picture comparing the two, with Foremilk on the left and Hindmilk on the right:
Breastmilk contains all of the nutrients needed by the newborn baby during the first weeks of life. These include the metabolic fuels (fat, protein, carbohydrate), water, and the raw materials for tissue growth and development, such as fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and trace elements.
In our next blog post - "What is breast milk? Nutritional components", we will investigate even further the composition of Mature Milk.
In the meantime, I think the under noted video is an excellent video for any breastfeeding mothers who are struggling with milk supply, or are looking to go back to work whilst breastfeeding, as it really shows how to get the maximum amount of milk expressed.
