Mother’s Milk – Natural Health

Birth and the first hours of life

 

The magic first hour

The first hour spent with a newborn is an extraordinary experience. It is also and unusual opportunity to start breastfeeding.

Your breasts were ready to feed while you were still pregnant, but progesterone, the pregnancy hormone, prevented prolactin from activating milk production. After the placenta is delivered, progesterone levels begin to decline; however, the process takes several days. This is why the amount of milk in your breasts is low at first.

In order to initiate lactation in the first hours you spend with your newborn, a ‘stimulus’ is needed – the baby should start sucking rhythmically, which will activate the cells in your breasts.

If this is not possible, because the baby is ill or has been separated from the mother for other reasons, it is necessary to replace this process by pumping with a breast pump. Preferably with the lactation initiation function, i.e. emulating the natural suckling pattern of a newborn baby. The standard of perinatal care in Poland requires hospitals to provide each patient in need with appropriate equipment. If necessary, ask for a breast pump and lactation advice.

If you use such a breast pump within the first three hours after childbirth, then you can work out the lactation that would develop in natural, optimal conditions even if you are at risk of a lactation disorder (surgical delivery, age over 30, obesity, hypertension, breast surgery).

Skin-to-skin contact, i.e. placing a naked baby on your breast, accelerates the release of another hormone – oxytocin, which also helps initiate lactation. During the first few hours after giving birth, your and your baby’s oxytocin levels are unusually high, but it passes quickly.

However, the role of oxytocin seems to extend beyond initiating milk flow. Experts believe it can “prepare” the brain for the upcoming feedings. When you hug your baby skin-to-skin, they’ll be calmer and less likely to cry, and your pain resistance will increase. Both you and your baby will also have a drop in cortisol, the stress hormone. 

If your delivery has not gone as planned and you have had a C-section or other medical procedure, it is still important to make the most of the first hour – try to allow your baby to grasp the breast and hold it against your skin for as long as possible. If, for various reasons, this would not be possible, it is worthwhile for your partner to cuddle the child.

 

Mother’s milk: more than nutrition

First breast milk is significantly different from the milk a week-old baby needs.

Colostrum is a thick yellow liquid that is extremely nutrient-rich and easy to digest. Its task, however, is much more than just nutrition. It is often believed to be of more importance to your baby’s protection than to its nutrition. Colostrum is packed with ingredients:

• White blood cells, called leukocytes, fight infection and activate your baby’s natural immunity. They constitute as much as 70% of cells contained in colostrum as after leaving the mother’s womb, a newborn needs very effective protection against external factors.
• Antibodies which protect against bacteria and viruses. One type of them, called sIgA, cover your baby’s not yet fully developed, permeable intestines, which are prone to infections and diseases. This lowers the risk of digestive ailments and diarrhea, and prevents harmful substances from entering the bloodstream.
• Growth factors and hormones that support a baby’s development.
• Minerals such as magnesium, which strengthens bones and stabilizes the heart rhythm, and zinc, which supports the development of the baby’s brain and supports its immune system.

While the volume of colostrum seems small, these tiny amounts of protein-rich “liquid gold” are exactly what your baby needs.

In some situations, newborns do not receive enough breast milk to stay hydrated and nourished. The best indicator of your baby’s nutrition is their nappy. Usually, newborns baby will urinate once a day until around day three, when they should already need three diapers a day. From day five on you should see five or more wet, heavy nappies a day, as well as at least two soiled nappies. By the end of the fourth day at the latest, the meconium or green substance should turn into a loose, yellow stool.

 

 

Mom’s milk is remarkable

Colostrum contains trace amounts of minerals such as zinc (which helps babies to grow and develop their brain, and strengthens their immune system) and copper (essential for the growth and function of many organs, such as the heart and brain). One study found that the concentration of zinc in the colostrum is about four times higher than that of proper milk (after the first month of life). While scientists are not yet completely sure why this is happening, it is another proof of the remarkable dynamic properties of breast milk which is constantly changing!

Colostrum is not only food but also medicine. Preterm infants who have been properly fed orally, with colostrum and breast milk, achieve their normal development faster, especially of the nervous system, and also avoid many complications typical of premature births.

If your baby was born prematurely, the colostrum you produce will be particularly rich in proteins, protective substances and growth factors. It will give your newborn the best possible start to further life.

Giving a premature baby colostrum significantly reduces the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis. Preterm infants most often suffer from this serious disease that causes inflammation and damage to the intestinal tissue.

Breastfeeding a premature baby may be associated with additional difficulties; their suckling reflex is not fully developed yet and they may need to be placed in a neonatal intensive care unit. Despite this, with the support of the ward staff, it is still possible to administer milk to the infant either directly from the breast or via a syringe or bottle.

If it is necessary to express milk, use a double breast pump whenever possible and express milk every two or three hours, which is the standard feeding frequency for your newborn.

Simultaneous pumping of milk from both breasts will not only reduce the duration of the procedure by half; this way you will get an average of 18% more milk than with alternating pumping, and the resulting food will have a higher energy value.

Important: Breastfeeding reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (also known as SIDS) by 50%.

 

 

Breastfeeding in the first days after delivery

The beginning of lactation 

Between days two and four after your baby is born, your breasts will start producing more milk, making them appear fuller and firmer, a process known as engorgement.

If you are surprised by how much your breasts have grown so far, be prepared for an even bigger surprise (especially if your breasts are not opulent by nature)!

Your food also changes day by day, gradually evolving into proper milk. In the period from 5 to 14 days it is referred to as transitional milk. At this stage, it is  characterized by a high content of antibodies, which not only reduce the risk of infection in the short term, but also reduce the risk of disease in later years of life. Transitional milk also contains the right proportions of fat, lactose and water-soluble vitamins necessary for a rapidly growing baby.

One of the most important functions of milk at this stage is to protect the newborn’s digestive system. Its direct action is to protect against dangerous infections and intestinal ailments, especially if the child was born prematurely. But that’s not all – it also contributes to the long-term development of a healthy digestive system. Your babies’ gut development is directly dependent on what food they get.

Your milk also contains large amounts of complex sugars called oligosaccharides. These are prebiotics, substances that introduce “good” bacteria into your baby’s gut, helping to build up a protective microbiome (the microbial environment in the gut that is essential for digestion and the immune system). Some oligosaccharides also prevent harmful bacteria (including pneumonia) from sticking to your baby’s digestive tract.

Breast milk contains over 200 oligosaccharides and cow’s milk only 40.

Research has shown that as much as 30% of beneficial bacteria in an infant’s intestinal tract come directly from breast milk. But that’s not all – an additional 10% of bacteria is collected by the baby from the breast surface. This means that the very act of breastfeeding gives your baby extra protection.

 

Breastfed babies don’t often poop

Newborns typically poop several times a day, but by the time they reach the age of two or three months, only breastfed infants may poop once in a week or two! Why is it so? The reason is simple: your milk is the perfect food for your baby. It provides them with everything they need and little else – so there is almost nothing left to expel.

Though the need to poop is less frequent, a breastfed infant’s stool remains soft, so there are no problems with constipation and elimination. These are additional benefits of the amazing properties of your milk!

 

The importance of proteins

There are two types of proteins in your milk: whey proteins and casein. When milk enters the baby’s stomach, casein takes a solid form, forming so-called clots that fill the baby’s tummy. Whey proteins remain in an easily digestible liquid form. The proportions of these proteins adapt to the age and needs of the baby. Colostrum can contain up to 90% whey proteins and only 10% casein, making it an extremely gentle food for the sensitive stomach of a newborn. This is why your baby needs frequent feedings at this stage to feel full.

As your baby’s developing intestines cope with increasing amounts of casein, its content in milk rises to around 40%. After one year of feeding, the ratio of whey protein and casein is approximately 50:50.

The proportions of proteins in cow’s milk are opposite: it contains 20% whey proteins and 80% casein, which makes it difficult for babies to digest it. That is why it is not advisable to give cow’s milk to babies under one year old. Its safe use in milk mixtures requires proper preparation.

 

Breastfeeding can help you lose weight

When you breastfeed, you burn an additional 500 calories a day – that’s the equivalent of 8 km of running or 11 km of walking each day! Whether or not this translates into weight loss depends on many factors, such as physical activity and the number of calories consumed.

 

Your baby’s unique suckling rhythm

You may feel your baby is eats at an undefined pace, but in the first few days the baby has a special suckling rhythm, with series of quick sips and long pauses. Experts have proven that this rhythm is effective in stimulating the complex chain of reactions that leads to milk production. This is the lactation initiation process mentioned earlier.

 

The first month: setting the lactation level

Breastfeeding in full flow

During this period, your baby will begin to eat intensively. Your lactation will develop. At the end of the first month, your milk will be able to provide your baby with everything they need. Although proper milk is significantly different from colostrum as it is higher in fat and calories, and you produce much more of it, it is just as valuable.

Mother’s milk is a living substance that actively combats threats to the baby’s life. This is one of its most remarkable properties. Typically, milk contains a small number of immune cells – it amounts to the maximum of 2%. If, however, bacteria or viruses that can make you or your baby ill enter your body, the number of immune cells increases to 94% of all cells in milk! When the risk of infection is gone, the milk returns to its original composition.

Some of the oligosaccharides in your milk prevent dangerous bacteria from sticking to the walls of your baby’s gut. Others help build up a baby’s own protective gut microflora by providing “beneficial” bacteria that will protect your baby as they grows.

 

 

Remember: the more often you feed your baby, the more milk you produce. 

According to scientists, human milk contains a substance called Feedback Inhibitor of Lactation (FIL) which slows down milk production. When an infant eats milk, the amount of the inhibitor drops, allowing the lactocytes (milk-producing cells) to make more food to meet the baby’s needs. So when you feed regularly, the signal to produce milk is released more often. Thanks to this mechanism you can be sure your baby gets enough food, even if you’re feeding twins or triplets.

Your breasts work independently of each other, so if your baby likes one side more than the other, or you feed twins with different appetites, each breast can produce milk at a different intensity.

An opposite effect happens when you limit breastfeeding. Your breasts fill with milk, but are emptied less often. As a result, the FIL inhibitor remaining in the milk sends a signal to the cells to lower the lactation level. This is how weaning works.

If you change your mind about stopping breastfeeding, or if your baby is ill and doesn’t want to eat anything other than your milk, you can increase supply again by increasing the demand.

 

What does mature milk contain?

 Over 1000 proteins, which:

• provide nutrition,
• activate the baby’s immune system,
•  protect and develop neurons in the infant’s brain.

Over 200 types of oligosaccharides, which:

• enrich the intestinal flora,
• evelop the baby’s immune system,
• protect from infections,
• reduce the risk of encephalitis in an infant.

 Stem cells which can:

• support the development of the baby’s organs,
• act as an internal repair system.

1400 micro-RNA, which are credited with:

• key function in gene expression,
• the ability to prevent and regulate the development of a disease,
• actions supporting the immune system of the infant,
• role in breast development and transformation.

Long chain fatty acids which:

• support the development of the baby’s brain, eyes and nervous system.

Important: On the seventh day of a baby’s life, the stomach is the size of an apricot. Between days 10 and 14, its size resembles a large egg. Being aware of its size, it is easy to understand that the baby does not need and should not receive a large bottle of milk.

 

Breastfeeding and the fight against obesity

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of becoming overweight or obese in childhood and adolescence by 13%. Scientists partly attribute this tendency to the hormones in milk that regulate the weight of a growing baby. Among them, we can mention leptin and ghrelin – substances that stabilize the appetite. Breast milk also contains two hormones that have only recently been identified – obestatin and resistin. Both also affect the production and use of insulin in the body.

Thanks to these hormones, your baby will only get as much food as it needs to be satisfied – even if there is still milk in the breast. 39% of infants stop eating, even when milk is still coming out of the breast. The situation is different for formula-fed babies as most often they are encouraged to empty the bottle.

 

From the first to the sixth month: mature milk

Keep it up!

It is during this period that lactation finally stabilizes after all the changes that took place in the first four weeks. 

Your food is fully developed; all you need to do now is to continue breastfeeding and maintain an adequate level of lactation. For the first six months, your milk is actually the only food your baby needs.

If your breastfed baby is under six months old, you don’t need to give them water, even in hot weather. Studies conducted in hot, dry regions of the world have shown that breastfed babies receive the necessary amounts of fluid through breast milk. In hot weather, keep your body hydrated and consistently feed your baby on demand – they may be more thirsty than usual.

Perhaps you have already come across the concepts of foremilk and hindmilk. However, the transition from one stage to the next does not happen at a specific point in time – milk composition changes gradually.

By looking at the milk, you can see that in the first phase of the feed it seems more watery than in the second phase. However, this does not mean that it is inferior in quality. In fact, it is rich in proteins, sugars, vitamins and minerals. The fat and caloric content gradually increases over time. Although the level of fat in milk may vary from session to session, your baby will receive a similar amount each day.

One milliliter of breast milk can contain millions of cells, including stem cells, good bacteria and immune cells. Although their proportions are more or less stabilized, your food still reacts to threats to your baby’s body.

If one of you catches a bacterial or viral infection, your body will start producing protective antibodies which will end up in your milk. Scientists have also found that the amount of leukocytes, the living, immune-boosting cells found in large quantities in colostrum, increases in response to your or your baby’s illness.

If your baby is healthy and developing, you don’t need to worry about whether you are still producing enough milk. Your breasts are most likely less swollen (and tender!) now, and the problem of leaking is not as often as in the first crazy weeks. It simply means that they have now got used to lactation and are producing exactly what your baby needs. No matter how long you breastfeed, they will adapt to the situation and produce, store and deliver milk more and more efficiently.

 

Benefits not only for the baby

The following advantages have been attributed to breastfeeding:

• lowering blood pressure in moms,
• lowering cortisol levels (the stress hormone) in moms.

In the long term, breastfeeding for at least six months lowers your risk of:

• ovarian cancer
• breast cancer,
• endometrial cancer,
• heart disease,
• stroke.

 

Remember

At the beginning, it is not always easy to breastfeed. Small babies eat small amounts of food and do it very often. This is normal, but can make the first month extremely challenging.

If you have problems latching, sore nipples, swelling, inflammation of the nipple or blocked milk ducts, seek help from your doctor, lactation consultant or breastfeeding specialist. These issues are best resolved in the first four weeks – it’s never too late.

Medela breast pumps, developed by Swiss engineers and used by mums all over the world, can help you solve most lactation problems. The newest ones, with the Flex technology, i.e. an oval funnel that adapts to the changing shape of the body, allow for gentle and effective pumping, e.g. during milk stasis, oversupply, mastitis or simply preparing a portion of valuable food when you have to visit the doctor, do your workout, or return to other activities.

Expressing milk with a breast pump with Flex technology yields 11% more milk than before.

If dad stays at home with the baby, then he can easily feed the baby using Calma which is a feeding set that imitates breastfeeding.

 

 

Seek all the help available, and remember that any difficulties can be resolved. The benefits of natural breastfeeding for you and your baby are huge 🙂

 

The material was developed in cooperation with Medela Polska www.medela.pl

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