What is breast milk made of?

The breastfeeding is one of the most important moments in the life of a baby. Sometimes we consider that the fact that a newborn receives breast milk is overrated, but the truth is that the moment of breastfeeding is the most important thing in a person’s life because it is the moment from which they will receive many of the vitamins, proteins and nutrients necessary to grow healthy and strong.

Today at PregDream we want to talk to you a little about breastfeeding and especially about the components and properties of this breast milk so important in the arrival of any baby, and of course, their mothers.

TYPES OF BREAST MILK

The first thing we must distinguish when talking about breastfeeding are the types of breast milk that arise from the birth of a baby. We can find three types of breast milk such as colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk.

Colostrum is the first signs of lactation after the arrival of the baby and occurs during the first 5 days after birth. Colostrum has several main differences from mature milk, mainly the color, quantity and its components. It is a milk that is intended to be ingested quickly and to create a habit in the baby after 9 months of pregnancy . But the main and most important function of colostrum is to protect the baby from the infections that they face in their first days of life. For this reason, colostrum is made up of a high number of leukocytes.

After a few days after the baby is born, the colostrum disappears, giving rise to transitional milk. This type of milk has few differences with respect to the previously mentioned. The colostrum color gradually fades and becomes more liquid. It is at this time when the mature milk is formed, which will have all the nutrients and proteins necessary for the baby to grow healthy and without any type of infection.

Mature milk is much more liquid and white in color than the two previously explained and, of course, it is produced in greater quantities since it will be the one that will be present during the first months of the baby’s life. Its main component is water , around 90%, and the rest correspond to proteins, fats and carbohydrates necessary for the correct growth and protection against infections.

COMPONENTS OF BREAST MILK

As we have commented previously, we can find many components in breast milk that help babies grow healthy and strong. All these components will vary depending on the amount produced or the time of intake.

– Lactoferrin, immunoglobulins and Bifidus Factor : these are proteins that protect the baby from bacteria in the intestines, such as fungi or the E coli bacteria. The bifidus factor for its part acts as a generator of beneficial bacteria that protect the child from other infections.

– Fats : It is one of the most important components of breast milk since they are necessary for the proper development of the brain as well as the primary source of calories necessary for the baby during its first months of life. Normally, most of the fat is found at the end of the feed, so it is necessary to calmly breastfeed the baby so that it does not lose these properties.

– Vitamin C and D : They act as an essential component for the baby to properly absorb iron and calcium . Despite how necessary these vitamins are in the first months of a person’s life, the amount of these depends largely on the mother’s diet, so a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is recommended.

– Carbohydrates : These components are mainly found in lactose, which provides the baby with most of the calories consumed during lactation. The main function of these carbohydrates is none other than to protect against infections and especially to promote the child’s bacterial flora.

Despite all the components that mother’s milk has, it is very important to note, as we have mentioned in the case of vitamins, that the quality and quantity of milk produced will depend a lot on the mother’s diet , something that It is vitally important for the health of all children.