Did you know the World Health Organization recommends feeding your baby breast milk up to two years and beyond? Extended breastfeeding can support your baby’s growth and brain development, lessen the likelihood of infections, and provide lifelong protection against type 1 diabetes and obesity. And the benefits aren’t all for your baby. The longer you produce breast milk, the less likely you are to suffer from cancers of the breast, uterus and ovaries, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. We tell you the amazing truth about breast milk’s benefits after six months, and why every breastfeeding mum should consider it.

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Discover the truth about the complex health-giving ingredients in every drop of mother’s milk. Find out how it’s live and fights off threats to your baby’s health with white blood cells and helpful bacteria. We’ll show you how breast milk’s ingredients include stem cells, as well as all the proteins, essential fatty acids, hormones, growth factors and enzymes your baby needs. We’ll tell you about the link between breastfeeding and health, and how your breast milk is truly amazing for your baby’s development.

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The story of the first hour of your baby’s life and the critical importance of breastfeeding after birth. We’ll show you how your baby can ‘breast crawl’ to find your nipple and latch on. Find out about the breastfeeding hormones released when you start nursing in this magic first hour – and the amazing emotional and physical benefits they can bring to both you and your baby.

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Discover the secrets of colostrum, the first breast milk you produce. Find out why it is called ‘liquid gold’, and how it nourishes and protects your vulnerable newborn by helping to fight infection and promote development. And what happens as your colostrum turns into transitional milk? We’ll tell you how often you can expect to be feeding, and how much your baby’s tiny stomach will grow in just one week.

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Having your newborn latch on early and often helps your uterus (womb) contract and encourages the ‘third stage’ of childbirth, expelling the placenta. It can then protect you from losing too much blood.²

“When a mother breastfeeds, her uterus shrinks more rapidly than that of a mother who doesn’t,” explains Professor Peter Hartmann, a world-renowned expert on the science of breastfeeding, based at The University of Western Australia. “When a woman haemorrhaged in times gone by, doctors would put the baby on the breast as quickly as they could to stimulate this contraction.”

In the days after your baby is born, the oxytocin produced in your body during breastfeeding helps prevent further blood loss, so you’re less likely to suffer from iron deficiency anaemia.³

How breastfeeding benefits your health

Oxytocin also has an antidepressant effect. One study found that mothers who had higher levels of the hormone had fewer anxiety and depression symptoms.⁴ In fact, for as long as you continue to breastfeed, oxytocin will help you feel calm, reduce stress and blood pressure, and even raise your pain threshold.⁵

The longer you continue to breastfeed, the more health benefits you’ll enjoy. “There are so many advantages for mums,” says Professor Hartmann. “Breastfeeding lowers your lifelong risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.^6,7 Every extra month that you breastfeed also reduces your risk of a number of cancers, including those of the breast, ovaries and uterus.”^8,9

Breast milk: The ultimate convenience food

Although it can be exhausting in the early weeks, once you and your baby are practised at breastfeeding the convenience is a huge benefit. You can feed at any time with minimal hassle and effort. There’s no boiling, mixing, cooling and sanitising – simply unclip your bra and get going. You don’t have to remember to pack formula feeding-related paraphernalia when you’re out – a real bonus when you’re already laden down with nappies, spare clothes, wipes and other essentials.

Breastfeeding also suppresses ovulation, so your periods stop – which for many mums is a benefit in itself. This means that exclusive breastfeeding (giving your baby no other fluids or foods) is also a pretty good method of contraception – in fact it’s at least 98% effective,¹⁰ which is a similar success rate to the pill¹¹ or condoms.¹²

“In the not-too-distant past, probably more pregnancies were prevented by breastfeeding than any other contraceptive. And that’s still the case in some developing countries,” says Professor Hartmann. But remember, some women do find their periods return while exclusively breastfeeding, so take extra precautions if you don’t want to get pregnant.

Get more sleep when you breastfeed

When your baby wakes for milk at night (as most under-ones do, whether they’re breastfed or bottle-fed),¹³ breastfeeding tends to be the quickest, easiest way of feeding him. You can even do it lying down! And the oxytocin and other hormones released during breastfeeding should help both of you doze off again quickly afterwards.¹⁴

If you breastfeed you may actually get more sleep than if you give your baby formula or practise mixed feeding.¹⁵ One study found the difference to be 40 to 45 minutes of extra shut-eye per night.¹⁶ Over time, that adds up to precious additional hours that could have a big impact on your wellbeing.

Breastfeeding helps you bond

The oxytocin surge you experience during every breastfeed also helps strengthen your bond with your baby. Scientists have linked raised oxytocin levels with what they describe as ‘enhanced mothering behaviour’. This means things like mums making eye contact for longer, having faster responses, and caressing their babies more¹⁷ – it’s not called the love hormone for nothing!

How breastfeeding can help you lose weight

If you’ve ever wondered how many calories are burned breastfeeding, the answer is up to 500 a day¹⁸ – about the same as an hour-long bike ride. And if you’re pumping breast milk the results should be similar. These extra calories burned with breastfeeding can help you shed any weight you’ve put on during pregnancy. Or alternatively, it might just let you get away with eating a few extra cakes and biscuits!

You may have to be a bit patient, too, as Professor Hartmann explains: “Mothers can lose body weight when they’re breastfeeding, but mostly that takes a while. You have to breastfeed past the six-month period to really get some benefit of weight loss.”

Why breastfeeding saves you money

The financial benefits of breastfeeding are worth considering too. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding, you don’t need to buy formula. Over a few months that can add up to a tidy sum – in the US, breastfeeding typically saves families USD 1,200 to USD 1,500 over the first year.¹⁹ Not to mention that you won’t have to panic if you can’t find your preferred formula brand in the shops.

And because breastfed infants tend to be ill less often,²⁰ you’re likely to spend less time looking after a poorly baby. If you’ve gone back to work, this could mean you take fewer days off due to sickness and missed childcare.

They don’t! Believe it or not, you could still be reaping the rewards of breastfeeding now in your twilight years. “Breastfeeding improves bone mineralisation, so you’ll be less likely to suffer from osteoporosis and fractures in later life if you breastfeed,”22 explains Professor Hartmann.

Breastfeeding can even boost your brainpower: “Putting it simply, breastfeeding improves a mum’s IQ,”²³ says Professor Hartmann. “Mothers undergo alterations in their brains that mean they can undertake some tasks more effectively.” So if you feel like a superwoman now you’re a mum, you are!

Now you know how much good it’s doing you, find out how beneficial breastfeeding is for your baby too.

For more information, read our free ebook The Amazing Science of Mother’s Milk now.

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What’s breast milk made of?

Here are some of the other constituents of human milk present at every feed, many of which can’t be replicated:

• Millions of live cells. These include immune-boosting white blood cells, as well as stem cells, which may help organs develop and heal.²
• More than 1,000 proteins³ that help your baby grow and develop, activate her immune system, and develop and protect neurons in her brain.
• All that breast milk protein is made up of amino acids. There are more than 20 of these compounds in your milk. Some of them, called nucleotides, increase at night and scientists think they may induce sleep.^4,5
• Over 200complex sugars called oligosaccharides⁶ that act as prebiotics, feeding ‘good bacteria’ in your baby’s gut. They also prevent infections entering her bloodstream and lower her risk of brain inflammation.
• More than 40 enzymes.⁷ Enzymes are catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in the body. The ones in your milk have jobs such as aiding your baby’s digestion and immune system, as well as helping her absorb iron.
• Growth factors that support healthy development.¹ These affect many parts of your baby’s body, including her intestines, blood vessels, nervous system, and her glands, which secrete hormones.
• On the subject of hormones, your breast milk contains lots of them!⁷ These clever chemicals send messages between tissues and organs to ensure they work properly.Some helpregulate your baby’s appetite and sleep patterns, and even aid the bond between you.
• Vitamins and minerals –nutrientsthat support healthy growth and organ function, as well as help build your baby’s teeth and bones.¹
• Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins. There are five basic forms of antibodies and all of them can be found in your milk.⁸ They protect your baby against illnesses and infections by neutralising bacteria and viruses.
• You may have heard of long-chain fatty acids because they play a pivotal partin building your baby’s nervous system, as well as aid healthy brain and eye development.⁹ And, you’ve guessed it, there are several of these in your milk too!
• 1,400 microRNAs, which are thought to regulate gene expression, as well as help prevent or halt disease development, support your baby’s immune system, and play a role in remodelling the breast.¹⁰

While this is a long list, it’s only some of the ingredients in your breast milk – and scientists are still discovering more. Remarkably, the levels of these ingredients can fluctuate over time, depending on your baby’s age and needs.

Let’s start at the beginning…

The first few days: Colostrum

The early milk your breasts produce after your baby’s birth is called colostrum. This thick, sticky breast milk is often called ‘liquid gold’, not just because of its yellow or orangey colour, but because it’s so important for nourishing and protecting your vulnerable newborn.

At first you’ll produce very small amounts – just 40 to 50 ml (1.4 to 1.8 fl oz) over 24 hours¹¹ – but as your baby’s stomach is only the size of a marble, that’s all she needs. Colostrum is also very easy to digest. And what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality.

The composition of colostrum

Colostrum has the same ingredients that your later milk will have – it’s just that the amounts of these ingredients are different, as it’s tailored to your newborn’s needs.

For example, colostrum is sometimes referred to as a natural vaccination because its levels of antibodies and white blood cells are so high. Your first milk needs to contain these so it can protect your baby from infections and diseases after she leaves the safety of your womb.

Colostrum’s protective qualities are also important for your baby’s digestive system. Babies are born with a permeable gut lining, which colostrum coats and seals.^12,13 This is particularly important if your baby is premature, as she’ll be more at risk from the dangerous gut condition necrotising enterocolitis (NEC).¹³

It’s also rich in minerals and vitamins, with higher concentrations of vitamins A, E and K than mature breast milk. The percentage of protein in colostrum is higher too.¹ Colostrum also acts like a laxative that helps your baby pass her first poo, meconium.¹⁴

The next couple of weeks: Transitional milk

During the first week of your baby’s life, around two to four days after delivery, your breast milk changes in quantity. You may feel your breasts become fuller and firmer – a change known as your milk ‘coming in’. On the third day, your baby will consume 300 to 400 ml (10.5 to 14 fl oz) of breast milk per 24 hours, and by the fifth day this increases to 500 to 800 ml (18 to 28 fl oz), so it’s not surprising your breasts may feel bigger!¹¹

From day five to 14, your milk is called transitional milk.¹⁵ As the name suggests, it’s changing from colostrum to mature milk. It becomes creamier in colour and texture, and also higher in fat, calories and lactose (a natural sugar), making it the ideal food for your rapidly growing newborn.

But rest assured it’s still full of protective antibodies, live cells, ‘good’ bacteria and other bioactive ingredients to help keep her healthy.¹⁵

Four weeks onwards: Mature milk

By the time your baby is four weeks old, your breast milk will be fully mature. It’s rich in protein, sugar, vitamins and minerals, plus numerous bioactive components – such as hormones, growth factors, enzymes and live cells – to support your baby’s healthy growth and development.⁷

From four weeks, the nutritional content and levels of ingredients in mature milk generally remain fairly consistent. But the composition of your breast milk can still change from day to day and feed to feed.

For example, if you or your baby are ill, your body will make antibodies to fight that particular illness, which become part of your milk. And, remarkably, as your baby begins exploring the world and putting toys in her mouth, the level of protective bacteria-fighting enzymes in your milk rises.¹⁶ This variation in breast milk composition shows how it adapts to your baby’s changing needs.

What are foremilk and hindmilk?

You may notice your milk seems thicker and creamier towards the end of a feed. This is because, as the feed progresses, the fat composition gradually increases due to the mechanics of milk moving through the breast. It’s often referred to as hindmilk, while the first more ‘watery’ milk is known as foremilk. These two names might lead you to think there’s a switch where foremilk becomes hindmilk, but there isn’t. The change is a gradual process.¹⁵ Both are essential parts of a completed feed, and rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and sugars.

Your milk’s fat content relates to how drained your breast is. Your breasts will be fuller at the start of some feeds (milk lower in fat) and more drained at the start of other feeds (milk higher in fat). So don’t worry too much about foremilk and hindmilk – over 24 hours your baby will end up consuming a similar amount of fat in total each day.¹⁷

Breast milk composition after six months

You may be wondering what happens to your milk if you continue breastfeeding long-term. Can your body really keep producing such high-quality mature milk for months and months, or even years? The answer is, don’t underestimate your breasts!

While it’s true you’ll need to start introducing solids at six months to bolster your baby’s stores of certain nutrients, such as iron,¹⁸ your milk will still make up a large part of her diet.

For example, when your baby is seven months old she will still be getting 93% of her calories from breast milk. Even between 11 and 16 months, around half of her daily calorie intake will be from milk.¹⁹

So relax in the knowledge that you can both continue to enjoy the benefits of breastfeeding for many months to come.

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