Components of Breastmilk

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There are really four different kinds of breastmilk:

(A)  Colostrum,
(B)  Transitional milk,
(C)   Mature milk, and
(D)   Involutional milk.

Here, a newborn latches on for the very first time - he
will reap the benefits of colostrum and breastmilk .

Colostrum is the thick, yellowish milk that can start to
appear during pregnancy. Before birth, your baby
receives the nutrients it needs to grow and develop
through the placenta; after birth, your colostrum and
milk take over.

“Colostrum is a living fluid, resembling blood in its
composition. It contains over [sixty] components, [thirty]
of which are exclusive to human milk. It is species-
specific, designed for human babies.” Among these
sixty components are immunoglobulins, high amounts of
lipids, milk fats, and protein, high levels of beta-
carotene, and high concentrations of leukocytes.
Each component has a specific function to nourish and
protect your newborn.

  Benefit from colostrum.
1) Colostrum is the Only 100% Safe Vaccine
As soon as your baby is born, bacteria begin to colonize
on his skin and in his mucous membranes. Newborns
are more susceptible to the negative effects of bacteria
and viruses, but colostrum offers protective immunities.
Colostrum is rich in immunoglobulins, which produce
antibodies specific to the environment. These antibodies
also continue to provide “the passive immunities that
were provided in utero by the placenta, such as
poliovirus and rubella.”  The high concentrations of
leukocytes found in colostrum can actually “destroy
disease-causing bacteria and viruses.”

2) Nature’s Finest Painter
Besides producing antibodies to protect newborns
against infection, colostrum also protects by helping to
“seal” a newborn’s intestines. A new baby’s intestines
are very permeable. Immunoglobulins in colostrum
“‘paint’ the lining of the infant’s stomach and intestines.
These surfaces are then able to defend the baby against
viruses and bacteria by not allowing pathogens to
adhere to them. Some of these incredible
immunoglobulins actually attack pathogens and kill
them.”

3) Because You Want to Get Past the Meconium Stage
When your baby is born, her stomach is the size of a
marble. This is why she wants to nurse so often – not
only does she not eat much at any one feeding, but
colostrum is also easily digestible, so it passes quickly
through her system. Colostrum has a laxative effect on a
newborn, and it will help your baby pass meconium
(baby’s first poo).
Passing meconium is important to rid your newborn’s
body of excess bilirubin and prevent jaundice. When the
meconium has passed, your baby’s stomach will then
grow to the size of her fist, and she will start nursing
(and ingesting) more milk.
Interestingly, colostrum is not on a supply/demand
schedule – the amount of colostrum your body produces
is hormonally driven, it is not related to how much your
newborn nurses. This is in direct contrast to mature
milk: your body will make more the more your baby
nurses. 

4) Colostrum Encourages Optimal Development of the
Brain, Heart, and Central Nervous System
Colostrum is high in several nutrients that assist in the
cell membrane production necessary for growth and
development of the brain, heart, and central nervous
system. These nutrients include sodium, potassium,
milk fats, chloride, and cholesterol. (9)
One truly amazing fact about colostrum is that the
amount of certain nutrients changes depending on
whether the newborn is term or premature. For example,
the amount of certain lipids and milk fats are
significantly higher in the colostrum of mothers with
preterm babies; these substances are vital in helping the
underdeveloped newborn “catch up” in terms of growth
and brain and retinal development. Some of these
nutrients remain at higher levels for as many as six
months after a premature birth – our bodies are
phenomenally designed to give our babies the perfect
nutrition. 

5) It’s the Perfect – and Only – Food Your Newborn
Needs
“ Colostrum is saturated with fat-soluble vitamins and
minerals. It is often a yellow or orange color, reflecting
the high levels of beta-carotene, one of the many
antioxidants present. Antioxidants act as cell protectors
in the infant’s body and enhance his immune system.”
Colostrum is high in proteins for nutrition and to
regulate blood sugar.
Colostrum provides the ideal, easily digestible nutrition
that your newborn needs. It protects your newborn from
illness and helps develop her immune system.
Colostrum is delivered in the perfect amount for your
newborn’s tiny stomach – it is measured in teaspoons
rather than ounces.
Under normal circumstances, the vast majority of women
can breasteed – there is rarely a need to supplement
with formula. “[E]ven one supplemental bottle of
artificial infant milk can sensitize a newborn to cow’s
milk protein. Formula changes the gut flora in breastfed
babies by breaking down the mucosal barrier that
colostrum provides them. This violation allows
pathogens and allergens entry into the baby’s
system.”
There is nothing more beautiful than a contits name implies, transitional breastmilk is the milk
you produce while your body transitions from colostrum
to mature milk.  A woman may produce transitional
milk for up to two weeks after childbirth, longer if she
gives birth prematurely.  While colostrum is
hormonally driven, transitional milk marks the beginning
of breastmilk’s supply/demand production – a mother’s
“breasts are stimulated to produce transitional milk by
breastfeeding her baby regularly, about every 2
hours.”
Transitional milk is really just a mixture of colostrum
and mature milk. It has high levels of lipids necessary
“for growth, brain development, and salt synthesis[,]”
proteins needed for nutrition and blood sugar regulation,
fats and lactose for calories, energy, brain development,
and retinal function, and water-soluble vitamins.
Please check back for Part 2 to learn more about mature
and involutional milk!