Your Superpower: Making Breastmilk!

by Glenni Lorick, IBCLC

Did you know that you have a superpower (well, maybe more than 1...but today we're just focusing on one)? If you are a female, your superpower is that you can make breast milk! You are able to completely sustain another living being on this incredible liquid that your body makes. It is really mind-boggling to think about, but the whole human race would have long since died out if you didn't have this superpower!

Your Amazing First Milk

The bottle on the left contains colostrum; the bottle on
the right contains mature milk. Picture from Wikipedia.

Some mothers actually begin leaking colostrum while they are still pregnant. As soon as your baby is born and the placenta is delivered, there is a huge hormonal shift that puts your body into milk-making mode. From the moment he is placed on your chest skin-to-skin right after birth and takes his first meal at your breast, you are giving him just the right amount of colostrum. His tiny stomach can only comfortably hold about 5-10 cc of fluid, and that is just what he gets in his first feed.

Colostrum is pretty thick and has a yellowish color. Some moms call it "Liquid gold!" It really is very valuable because it does some amazing things for your baby!

• It coats his intestinal tract forming a protective seal against any pathogens.
• It is very high in IgA and IgG, two immunoglubulins that offer your baby tremendous protection.
• It has higher concentrations of Vitamin K than mature milk.
• It is low in fat, but high in proteins and enzymes that a newborn needs.

From Familyholiday.net

Your Milk Keeps Changing

Between day 3 and 6 your milk will "come in." Your breasts will feel full, and the colostrum will begin changing to milk. It is really important to avoid getting engorged; the best way to do that is to nurse frequently. 

Your milk is absolutely amazing in so many ways:

• It has natural DHA and ARA, two fatty acids that are critical for brain development. Although many formulas have added artificially created forms of these two acids, they do not function the same way that the naturally occurring substances do.
•  Although it is relatively low in protein, it is high is specific proteins that your baby needs like taurine. 
• It contains lipase and lysozyme which helps breastmilk to be more rapidly digested and utilized by your baby. That's why breastfed babies need to nurse every 2-3 hours.
• It is low in iron, but lactoferrin makes that iron highly bioavailable to your baby!
• Specific IGA antibodies that form in response to any bacteria or toxin a mother is exposed to.

The Difference Between Breast Milk and Formula

Recently an expectant mom was in the store getting some last minute supplies for her baby. I love getting to know our customers, and since I'm a lactation consultant, I usually ask moms if they plan to breastfeed. Usually they say "yes." Sometimes they are undecided, but want to try. And every once in while, a mom will flat out say "no." That's what this mom said. But her reason absolutely floored me. She said, "I don't have to pay for formula, I'll just get it free, so there's no need to breastfeed." I was so taken aback by her comment that I was speechless!

I've had some time to think about it now, and if I could have that conversation again, here is what I would say:
"Breast Milk actually sets the standard for what your baby needs. We often say it is 'ideal' or 'nature's perfect' food for baby. However, it really is the norm. Anything else is substandard. Breastmilk is a living fluid filled with antibodies, enzymes, proteins and nutrients that are specifically designed for your baby. In fact, your breast milk changes as your baby grows.

"The very first milk your baby receives is called colostrum. It is particularly high in antibodies. In fact, doctors sometimes refer to colostrum as baby's first vaccination. It helps to protect baby's lungs, throat and intestines, and to "seal" baby's intestines to prevent harmful substances from penetrating the gut. It also has a laxative effect to help baby eliminate the meconium more quickly and prevent newborn jaundice. The small quantities of colostrum that your newborn receives are the perfect amount for his tiny stomach and readily digested. It is low in fat, but high in proteins and carbohydrates so baby gets exactly what his body can handle.

"No formula has ever been created to even attempt to replicate the properties of colostrum. So even if a mother isn't planning to breastfeed, we encourage her to pump her colostrum and give that to her baby.

"Between the 2nd and 6th day of baby's life, your breast milk "comes in." The breasts fill up and begin producing more copious supplies of milk designed to fill baby up and help baby achieve optimal growth. Actually for about the first two weeks, colostrum is still present in the milk, so we call it "transitional milk."

"Your milk changes from morning to evening and continues to evolve to meet your growing baby's needs.  In the morning you have a more abundant supply of milk, but in the evening it is higher in long-chain fatty acids. No man-made substance can copy these diurnal variations!"

That is what I would have said if I had been able to collect my thoughts quickly enough. And I would have told her that when her baby gets a little older, the amount of free formula she gets won't be enough to satisfy him, so she'll still end up buying formula. Then I might have added that by not providing breast milk for her baby, she is increasing her baby's risk of developing a myriad of health problems from juvenile diabetes to obesity to  childhood leukemia.

Do you think it would have made a difference?