5 fascinating facts about breast milk and the breastfeeding process
Breast milk is the ideal source of nutrition for babies during their first months of life. In addition to providing the nutrients they need to grow and develop, it contains components that help strengthen their immune system and support their overall well-being from birth. At the same time, breastfeeding also offers important health benefits for mothers.
If you’ve ever wondered why breast milk is considered the best food for babies or what the benefits of breastfeeding are, these five fascinating facts will help you understand why this process is so important for both mother and child.
Breast milk changes according to the needs of the growing baby. In the first few days, it is called colostrum, which is more yellow in color and thicker in consistency. It helps baby learn to suck. Breast milk changes to meet the baby’s evolving needs as they grow. During the first few days after birth, it is known as colostrum, which is usually more yellow in color and thicker in consistency, helping the baby learn how to latch and suckle. Colostrum also supports the maturation of the newborn’s digestive system, preparing it to absorb the nutrients in breast milk while acting as a first line of defense against infectious agents.
Three to five days after birth, the milk begins to change. It becomes whiter and thinner, until it becomes what is sometimes called “mature milk,” usually during the second week after the baby’s birth.
As the baby grows, breast milk continues to adapt to their changing nutritional needs. Even during a single feeding, its composition changes: the milk at the beginning of the feeding contains a higher proportion of water to help keep the baby hydrated, while the milk toward the end is richer in fat, providing more energy and helping the baby feel full.
In addition, according to the KidsHealth.org website, breast milk may have slight variations in taste, depending on foods the mother eats. Some say this gets baby ready to recognize the flavors of its culture.
Breast milk is an indispensable food packed with all essential nutrients and vitamins. It contains everything a baby needs up to thrive during the first six months of life. According to information from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), breast milk reduces the chances of baby contracting a wide array of illnesses, including leukemia, sudden infant death syndrome, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, allergies, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
In addition, breastfeeding in the first months has shown to result in higher IQ scores in children and fosters better long-term cognitive development. Breast milk also contains hundreds of bioactive components, such as enzymes, hormones, and growth factors, which continue to be studied for their role in the development of the immune system and other essential processes involved in infant growth.
According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), breastfeeding helps mothers from having hemorrhages because the oxytocin released during breastfeeding contracts the uterus. In addition, according to PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), it helps reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, anemia and osteoporosis.
Breastfeeding also helps mothers regain their pre-pregnancy physical condition due to the calories burned, the uterus returning to its normal size, and the improved muscle tone stimulated by oxytocin. In addition, this hormone helps strengthen the bond between mother and baby.
When the baby suckles, it stimulates the mother’s anterior pituitary gland, which produces oxytocin and prolactin, which influence milk secretion. Therefore, the more stimulation the mother has from baby, the more milk she can produce. Therefore, when a mother does not produce enough milk, it is recommended she nurse the baby more frequently.
This process works on a supply-and-demand basis. That’s why, during periods known as “growth spurts,” when babies need more nourishment, they usually nurse more often to naturally stimulate an increase in milk production.
According to the FAO document “Human Nutrition in the Developing World,” the amount of milk produced by mothers increases from 100 to 200 ml on the third day after birth, and from 400 to 500 ml 10 days after baby is born.
Without a doubt, breast milk is an essential food for baby. In addition to providing them with all the necessary nutrients, it helps baby’s immune system to develop more fully.
According to the FAO, breast milk has antibodies and immunoglobulins, which prevent infections; living cells, such as white blood cells, which help fight viruses; and a carbohydrate called Bifidus factor, which helps generate good bacteria, such as lactobacilli, which proliferate in the baby’s stomach and help prevent the growth of pathogens.
Thanks to these components, breast milk not only protects babies while they are being breastfed, but also contributes to the gradual development of their own immune system during the first months of life.
