WHAT IS COLOSTRUM?
Your body starts producing colostrum mid-pregnancy, around 20-22 weeks as it prepares for the arrival of the baby. This is essential because it is the first milk that is available for your newborn after birth.
Your baby’s gut, body and developmental mechanisms are designed to thrive on your milk right from when they are born. Colostrum is the first optimal nutrition for your baby - it is rich in antibodies, proteins, vitamins and minerals - important for the newborn’s body and immune system. It is often called “liquid gold” because of its yellow colour and the many benefits it provides for your baby.
The period when your body is only producing colostrum for the baby can last for up to 4 days post childbirth. Within a couple of days, a “transitional milk” comes in and then breastmilk, but trace amounts of colostrum remain for another few weeks.
BENEFITS OF COLOSTRUM FOR YOUR BABY
- It is packed with white blood
cells and other antibodies to protect and build your baby’s immune system.
For example, Secretory Immunoglobulin (SIgA) fights off infections.
- It has minerals like zinc,
copper and magnesium which help in further development of the immune
system, brain and body. Colostrum’s yellow colour comes from Vitamin A,
which is critical for the eyesight of the baby, as it improves vision.
- It is high in protein and low in
fat and sugar, which makes it easy for your newborn to digest.
- It creates a thick layer over
the baby’s stomach and intestines, keeping your baby’s digestive system
safe and avoiding any kind of infections.
- It comes in a low quantity
(which is all your newborn needs!) and your baby is able to practice how
to breathe, suck and swallow, even though it was already doing this in the
womb!
- It is a natural laxative and helps your baby pass its first stool, a dark greenish-blackish tar like substance known as meconium. This helps its body get rid of bilirubin which causes newborn jaundice.
Your
body produces very small amounts of colostrum, but your baby’s tiny stomach
cannot handle very large amounts at this time. This means shorter feeds but
also feeding your baby several times every day.
The “liquid gold” colostrum is part of Nature’s blueprint to protect your baby right from the beginning. Isn’t it amazing how your body naturally knows how to customise the colostrum to your baby’s needs, thus keeping your little one safe and healthy right from Day 1? It is the first food you will feed your baby and those first feeding sessions are what will create and sustain a lifelong bond between you and your child.
