Breast milk is milk that is produced by the mother and is given to the infant. It is the ideal nutrition for infants and contains a variety of essential nutrients, enzymes, and antibodies. Breastfeeding provides health benefits to both mother and infant beginning prenatally through the postpartum period. Breast milk is considered a living organism.
- The framework for producing breast milk begins during puberty, menstruation, and especially during pregnancy.
- Breast milk cannot be replicated – it has a unique blend of nutrients and other properties that are designed specifically for an infant.
- Breast milk should be food exclusively for the first six months of an infants life – if possible.
The process of producing breast milk begins during pregnancy. The hormones estrogen and progesterone, produced by the mother help stimulate the growth of milk-producing tissue in the alveoli.
When the placenta is delivered, it signals to the body to ramp up breast milk production with the sudden drop in progesterone. During the first few days after birth, colostrum is produced. Colostrum is an especially concentrated, yellowish milk that is high in protein and antibodies. Colostrum is extremely important for newborns because it helps their immature immune systems get stronger and provides them with the nourishment they need in the early days after birth.
Breast milk continues to be produced in small quantities, but in a normally lactating breast, it should increase in quantity fairly quickly. For the first few weeks, it’s considered transitional milk – as it transitions from colostrum to more mature milk, which is produced in higher quantities.
There are three different stages of breast milk production:
- Colostrum
- Transtional Milk
- Mature Milk
Colostrum is the first type of milk that is produced. Transitional milk comes next which continues to increase in quantity and changes from yellow, to off-white to nearly clear as it matures. Finally, mature breast milk is fully made over a period of two weeks after giving birth. Mature milk has been shown to contain the perfect blend of nutrients and antibodies for the infant. Milk produced between three to four days postpartum has been shown to be nutritionally sufficient and is recommended by many pediatricians, lactation specialists and midwives.
When a baby is first delivered, breast milk is produced through the endocrine system. However, within a few days, it switches to autocrine, which is when it becomes important to feed regularly and on demand. This is the supply and demand system.
Breast milk undergoes changes over the course of feeding in order to meet the infants changing nutritional requirements. During early lactation, breast milk is much higher in fat content than it will be later on – which helps the newborn’s brain development at this critical stage in their lives.
Breast milk changes in composition as an infant grows. Unlike formula, you don’t need to increase the quantity in which you feed after about four weeks. The composition will change to meet your infant’s unique needs.
There are a number of women who cannot produce sufficient quantities of milk for various reasons. These can be due to primary factors (which are usually due to an anatomical issue or an underlying health issue) or secondary factors (which are usually due to the insufficient transfer of milk).
