There Is No Non-nutritious Milk

For many young mothers, breastfeeding is a serious problem, and in many cases it is impossible due to common myths. One of them, which may play a leading role in those who refuse to breastfeed their babies, is that their milk is non-nutritious.

Breastfeeding mothers often worry about the quality of their milk. Unfortunately, nowadays, there are still incompetent pediatricians about breastfeeding who tell inexperienced mothers that their breast milk is not nutritious enough to satiate the baby. Following the advice, mothers switch to formula supplementation and thus risk the milk secretion to gradually decrease and stop.

But you should know that breast milk is nutritious and unique in composition just for your own child.

Learn more in the topics:

• "What does breast milk contain?"
• "Is breast milk changing?"

The nutrients in it are extracted from the food you eat. Therefore, it contains all the necessary substances necessary for the proper growth and development of your baby. To make sure your child is taking everything he or she needs, evaluate your own diet.

Know that you do not need to overeat. The amount of food consumed is not very important. Even women who eat little produce enough breast milk, although the amount may decrease slightly.

Breast milk varies for each woman according to the food she eats (immediately before breastfeeding and the overall diet), the individual fractions during one breastfeeding, the different hours of the day, the frequency between feedings and the age of the baby.

The mother's diet affects the concentration of various components in milk

For example, a mother who is a vegetarian has different amounts of fatty acids in her milk than a woman who eats meat. Another example is the change in the taste and smell of breast milk in mothers who eat garlic. The substances passed from the mother's food into the milk can reduce the risk of allergies in the infant.

Changes in milk are also found during the baby's feeding

The most famous change that has been found is in the fat content. When the baby is breastfed, their concentration increases. At the beginning of breastfeeding, milk may have contained about 1% fat, but by the end it reached 5% or more.

The content of breast milk varies widely throughout the day

For example, lactose in breast milk is higher in the late afternoon than in the early morning. The amount of fat is highest at night and lowest in the late afternoon. Proteins are lowest in the morning and highest in the evening. It is not clear why this is the case, but the variations are likely to be significant.

Breast milk also changes depending on the age of the baby

Premature babies have different needs than those born prematurely. The interesting thing in this case is that the milk of mothers whose babies are born prematurely is different from that of mothers who gave birth on time. Premature babies need more protein, sodium, white blood cells, antibodies and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The mothers of these children, respectively, have in their milk exactly those substances that the infant needs.

Other changes have been identified

• the milk offered by only one breast in two consecutive feedings differs. During the second breastfeeding, it will have a higher concentration of fat;
• the breast milk of mothers who have had several pregnancies is also different from that if the pregnancy is the first;
• the amount of breast milk may decrease during the menstrual cycle, and usually recovers after its completion.

It is obvious that the milk in the first days after birth, which we call colostrum, is different from what the baby takes at a later stage.

Colostrum differs from mature milk in color, texture and taste.

                                                    Colostrum               Mature milk

It is thicker, sticky and yellowish in color (due to high levels of beta carotene). It has a high protein content and a lower content of carbohydrates and fats (because newborns find it difficult to digest fat), which makes it less caloric than mature milk. Colostrum contains high concentrations of leukocytes (protective white blood cells) that can kill bacteria and viruses that cause disease, vitamin E and zinc. Newborns still have an immature digestive system, and colostrum delivers its nutrients in a very concentrated form and low volume. It has a laxative effect and in this way facilitates the passage of the baby's first stools, called meconium. Clears excess bilirubin (waste product from dead red blood cells), which is produced in large quantities at birth and thus helps prevent jaundice. Colostrum also contains a large number of antibodies called immunoglobulins, which protect the lining of the throat, lungs and intestines. By taking colostrum, beneficial bacteria are delivered to the baby's digestive tract.

Breast milk quickly changes its composition in the first week after birth.

During this period from the production of colostrum to the secretion of transitional milk. It is very similar to milk mixed with orange juice. Unlike colostrum, it contains lower levels of immunoglobulins and protein, but has more lactose, fat and calories. Between the 10th and 21st day of birth, breast milk passes into the so-called mature milk. It has a much rarer texture and gray-white color. Although it looks like watery skim milk, it is full of all the fats and other nutrients that are needed for the baby's growth.

Another thing that confuses mothers and they may consider their breast milk to be non-nutritious is the so-called "Front and rear milk". Little knowledge of them can be a cause for anxiety, worry, breastfeeding problems and even premature weaning.

The milk that the baby receives at the beginning of breastfeeding is called "breast milk". It is in large quantities and looks quite watery due to its low fat content. During the diet, the amount of milk decreases, the fat content in the milk increases and it looks more creamy - it is referred to as "back milk".

                                                 Front milk Rear milk

Differences in the type of milk can lead mothers to decide that they are producing two different types of milk, which is not the case. The mammary gland cells actually produce only one type of milk, but the fat content varies depending on how long the milk has remained in the milk ducts.

When milk is produced, fat is deposited on the cell walls, while the aqueous portion of the milk moves down the milk ducts to the nipple, where it mixes with the milk left over from the last feeding. The longer the interval between feedings, the more diluted the milk becomes. This "watery" milk has a higher lactose content and less fat than the milk that is stored in the cells higher up in the breast.

When the baby starts breastfeeding, the first thing he gets is this low-fat liquid ("milk"), which quenches his thirst and at the same time triggers the expulsion of fat left in the cells above the breast. This higher fat content ("back milk") is mixed with the lactose-rich "front milk" and the baby receives a balanced diet with enough calories, fat for growth and lactose for energy and brain development.

However, the changes that are observed in the type of breast milk make mothers doubt its nutritional value. In fact, they are the result of differences in composition, corresponding to the nutritional needs of the child at the appropriate age!