The orange or bright yellow color of colostrum (in the picture on the left) is explained by the fact that, unlike mature milk (on the right), it is very rich leukocytes and other anti-infective proteins. Leukocytes- protective white bodies that destroy pathogenic bacteria and viruses. All anti-infective proteins provide the first immunization against diseases that the baby may encounter after birth. Yes, colostrum is rich antibodies, which are called immunoglobulin A. It protects the weakest places in the body, where it is easiest for infections to penetrate - the mucous membranes of the throat, lungs and gastrointestinal tract .
Therefore, experts compare colostrum with medicine - during the first application of the baby to the breast immediately after birth, the baby sucks out about a teaspoon of colostrum, but this is enough to reduce the risk of developing bacterial infections.
Many components of colostrum help furthergrowth and adaptation of the baby’s body. Thus, beta-casein7 affects the functions of the central nervous system, helps to develop intellect, emotions, and general mental development. Special nerve growth substances promote the development of the peripheral and central nervous systems.Growth factorin colostrum promotes the development of the baby's immature intestines after birth. Colostrum protects the baby from developing allergies and intolerance to other foods.
Oligosaccharides(also known as prebiotics), of which there are more than 130 types in colostrum, protect the child from intestinal infections. Prebiotics nourish healthy intestinal flora. Two of these 130 oligosaccharides are added today to infant formulas in order to bring them at least a little closer in composition to mother’s milk. And a colostrum component like lactoferrin helps the baby absorb iron without being a breeding ground for harmful intestinal flora - which is artificially added iron in the formula.
According to the content of some vitamins Colostrum is much richer than mature milk: in particular, vitamin A, which reduces the severity of any infections in the child, and vitamin E, which promotes development of the nervous system, muscle tissue and retina of the eyes.
In addition, colostrum also has a mild laxative effect, which clears the baby’s intestines of meconium (primary dark-colored stool). This is why babies fed colostrum poop much more often than they pee in the first days of their lives. At the same time, the child’s intestines are cleared of excess bilirubin, which prevents the development of pathological jaundice.
Moreover, colostrum compared to mature milk very concentrated and much more nutritious. On the first day of a child's life, the protein content in colostrum reaches 14% - this is approximately three times more than in mature milk. The amount of colostrum may vary, but in any case, due to its increased nutritional value, it is enough for a newly born baby. There is very little water in colostrum, and this is good, because the baby is not yet able to process large volumes of fluid: his kidneys are not able to undergo instant adaptation from the prenatal period. At the same time, the child is already born with a supply of water, which protects his body from dehydration until mature milk rich in liquid arrives.
How does it all begin?
If the mother has the opportunity, it is best to put the baby to the breast 15-30 minutes after birth and let her nurse longer (about 20 minutes on each breast). It is during this period that the baby comes to his senses a little after childbirth and begins to show searching behavior - to look for his mother’s breast. He tries to raise his head, opens his mouth, sticks out his tongue. Sometimes the baby lying on the mother’s belly begins to literally crawl towards the breast!
However, you should not expect miracles from nature - a healthy newborn can indeed reach the mother’s breast, but this costs him a lot of effort and all the strength remaining after childbirth, so, of course, it is better to help him get what he wants. If this moment is missed, the baby will fall asleep and then no amount of persuasion can be applied to his mother’s breast - he will rest.
The baby's sucking reflex is especially strong in the first hour after birth, and this helps develop proper attachment to the breast. ExactlyCorrect attachment should be given special attention in the first days of life.
Correct attachment can be briefly described as follows: the mother presses the baby tightly with her tummy so that the nipple points to his nose. The chest must be supported with your hand so that thumb was on top, where the baby’s nose is, and the index and others were on the bottom, parallel to the baby’s lower lip. The index finger should be far from the nipple, no closer than 5 centimeters, so as not to limit the opening of the baby’s mouth. Wait until the child opens his mouth wide - as when yawning. At this moment, press the baby even closer to you, pointing the nipple at the top of the mouth: the nipple and areola will be deep in his mouth, more from below than from above. The lower and upper lips turn outward when sucking.
Most often, on the first day after childbirth, the breasts are soft to the touch and seem empty. Very little colostrum is released, although in some women it may slowly flow out of the breast on its own, while others, on the contrary, have difficulty squeezing out a single drop.
This still does not say anything about the actual amount of colostrum and, especially, milk in the future - it all depends only on the individual characteristics of the structure of the breast.
The babies themselves behave differently: most sleep off, recovering from childbirth, and latch onto their mother’s breasts only 5-7 times a day, but for a long time, sometimes up to an hour. But some, on the contrary, from the first day of life ask for their mother’s breast very often.
There is another interesting pattern: on the second or third day of life, provided they are together with their mother, even calm and rarely suckling babies suddenly begin to demand a kiss literally every half hour. This means that the baby has already matured to receive food more plentiful than colostrum - and thanks to more frequent breastfeeding and changed movements of the mouth, the mother begins to produce milk.
And it is at this moment that young mothers are often afraid that the baby is “starving”, and they run for formula, trying to feed at least something, so that the child - which the mother herself tears off from the breast in such cases - does not cry. But is it worth doing this if the mother has the opportunity to put the baby to the breast?
Why is supplementary feeding with formula dangerous?
Indeed, a baby who has eaten formula usually falls asleep for several hours, but this happens not just because he is full, but because the formula is much harder to digest than breast milk. A child’s body simply does not have enough strength for anything other than sleep. And, of course, the mother’s milk supply is inevitably delayed.
At the same time, supplementary feeding with formula is not at all harmless, especially if the formula replaces colostrum and is the first thing the newborn baby received. In materials on the theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2008 - “Breastfeeding in the first hour after birth would save a million lives” - there are the following data. One study clearly showed that 41% of all babies who died between 2 and 28 days of life could be saved by a simple intervention: starting breastfeeding within the first hour after birth.
What kind of food a newborn baby receives has a direct impact on the development of intestinal microflora. Breastfeeding women have a lower acidic environment in the intestines - approximately 5.1-5.4 pH during the first six weeks, represented mainly by bifidobacteria with a small amount of pathogenic flora. And babies fed exclusively with formula have an acidity of approximately 5.9-7.3 pH with a variety of putrefactive bacterial flora.
That is why children who are fed formula are much more likely to suffer from intestinal infections and various forms of allergies. Unfortunately, in families where there is a high risk of developing allergies due to heredity, even after one feeding with formula instead of colostrum, sensitivity to cow's milk protein can develop.
In breastfed children, when supplemented with formula, the acidity is average - 5.7-6.0 pH during the first four weeks, by one and a half months it decreases to 5.45 pH. Unfortunately, the intestinal flora under such conditions develops very similar to that which occurs when feeding with formula - very unstable, with a predominance of pathogenic ones. Even one feeding of formula per day, but regular, quickly leads to the development of an imbalance of the intestinal flora - the number of enterobacteria and enterococci quickly increases, the number of clostridia and anaerobic streptococci increases. This is the same phenomenon that is usually called dysbiosis.
If in the future the mother continues to exclusively breastfeed, it will take two to four weeks to return to a state that supports positive flora in the intestines.
In addition to disrupting the formation of normal intestinal flora, supplementary feeding with formula during the period when the baby should still receive colostrum increases the likelihood of difficulties with the breast (the occurrence of cracks and stagnation of milk against the background of not entirely correct latching).
And statistical studies by both foreign and Russian doctors have shown that mothers whose children were supplemented with formula in the first days of life usually stopped breastfeeding earlier than if the child had been exclusively breastfed from birth.
At the same time, there are, of course, cases when supplementary feeding with formula is objectively necessary - it is prescribed by a doctor, and, as a rule, this is due to the serious condition of either the mother herself or the baby. But if there are no strict indications for the introduction of supplementary feeding with formula, a new mother needs to understand what exactly she is risking when she goes to the nursery to ask for “just one bottle of formula.”
But does he still have enough colostrum?
And yet, the fear that the child is malnourished often haunts mothers who have recently given birth. And here it is important, first of all, to calm down yourself and think that nature could not have counted on inventing the mixture. If there really wasn’t enough colostrum for the baby, then humanity simply wouldn’t survive as a species.
There are also clear guidelines that a mother can rely on to make sure that everything is okay with her baby. Weight loss, which doctors will definitely tell you about, is common to all children on the third or fourth day of life. By this time, the baby gets rid of meconium - the original stool that accumulated while still in the womb, and from moisture reserves that were supposed to help pass through the birth canal without injuring the baby’s skin.
If the weight loss is within 5-8% of birth weight, then this is normal, and such loss is called physiological.
For comparison, with a newborn baby weighing 3500 g, it is quite normal if on the third or fourth day of life he loses 175-280 g. But with a greater loss, the doctor may already prescribe supplementary feeding.
To know for sure that the baby receives as much nutrition as he needs in the first days of life, you can count the number of wet diapers. Until the child is one week old, with sufficient nutrition, he will pee as many times as he is days old, sometimes one more time. So, a baby two days old, if his nutritional needs are satisfied, will pee 2-3 times, at three days old - 3-4 times, and so on.
If the baby still needs supplementary feeding, it is better to give it not from a bottle, but from a spoon, a small cup or a special system for supplementary feeding at the breast. All this reduces the likelihood of problems with the child’s further behavior under the breast. .
Health to you and your children!
The issue was prepared by Irina Ryukhova, consultant of the Association of Natural Feeding Consultants ().
- Why is he crying though did you eat colostrum?
- Why doesn't he cryafter eating the mixture?
In the very first days of a baby’s life, young mothers often wonder: does my baby have enough colostrum and should I supplement him with formula?
Colostrum appears in the breast several months before the baby is born; it is a food unique in its composition. It contains absolutely all the nutrients and valuable substances your baby needs in the first 2-3 days of life. Later it is replaced by “transitional milk” (4-5 days after birth), and then by “mature milk” (the first week after childbirth - every mother remembers how her breasts suddenly suddenly fill up: “milk has arrived”).
Why such difficulties and what is the value of colostrum? Let's look at its composition, as well as the main differences from mature milk.
Composition of colostrum
Colostrum differs from mature milk in color, consistency and chemical composition.
Immunity
Colostrum contains increased content leukocytes, A T lymphocytes there is even more in it than in blood! High immunoglobulin-A content allows it to actually “line” the gastrointestinal tract of a newborn.
” In a word, colostrum is a ready-made immune response, a substance that effectively suppresses the development of most pathogenic bacteria: E. coli, the causative agent of dysentery, streptococcus, and dangerous viruses (we are talking primarily about rotaviruses and enteroviruses) are also not opponents for colostrum.
Nutritional properties
Colostrum is incredibly nutritious thanks to increased protein content. On the first day, the protein in colostrum is about 6%, with albumin and globulin predominating, which are easily absorbed, passing through the intestinal walls. In terms of amino acid composition, colostrum is close to maternal blood serum. Gradually, the protein content decreases and in mature milk reaches only 1-2%. Most of it is already casein (the same protein as in cow's milk), it is this that “curdles” in the stomach and is, accordingly, somewhat more difficult to digest.
” In short, colostrum is a kind of diet for a newborn, which helps him “protect and complete” the imperfect digestive system. Speaking of imperfections...
Not only nourish, but also excrete!
The main feature of colostrum is its concentrate. In him much less water(and mature milk is quite “liquid” - it contains more than 85% water), which means that the load on the child’s immature excretory system, especially the kidneys, is reduced. Everything has been learned, nothing comes out!
“How is it not displayed?”- you will be surprised. Indeed, in the very first days after birth, the newborn’s intestines are cleansed, meconium, original feces come out of it - everything that your baby has digested while still in life. prenatal period. And colostrum also contributes to this - ideal laxative for a newborn.
Finally, colostrum rich in growth factors and hormones. First of all, they are addressed to the baby’s intestines, which are transformed with each sucked drop: the cells of the epithelium of the small intestine, which is responsible for the correct absorption of most nutrients, change.
” Now, having “trained” on colostrum, your baby is ready to eat!
Is the amount of colostrum not enough?
And yet, the fear that the child is hungry visits many mothers. Despite the small amount of colostrum, there is no need to worry about this, because on the first day the volume of your baby’s stomach is approximately 5-6 ml and is simply not designed to digest more than a few drops. Remember advertising cat food“A kitten’s stomach is smaller than a thimble”? Well, the stomach of a newborn is also the size of a thimble!
Every day the newborn’s stomach increases: if on the first day it can be visually compared to a cherry, then on the third day it is already Walnut, and its volume is already 22-27 ml. Just at this time, transitional milk begins to be produced in the amount necessary for your baby.
Why is he crying even though he has eaten colostrum?
But why then does the child cry and behave restlessly? Don't worry if your baby tends to suck constantly. This is not at all an indication that he is hungry. It’s just that for him this is the only way to survive the stress received at birth, and to gain the attention of his mother, on whom his survival entirely depends.
Why doesn't he cry after eating the formula?
With rare exceptions, supplementary feeding with formula in the maternity hospital is unjustified. Even the most best mixture is an artificial product that cannot even imitate the complex (more than 400 components!) composition of colostrum.
” However, if you feed your baby formula, he will fall asleep calmly. Are you full? Rather, I overate! Having received a disproportionately large portion of food that is not very suitable, the newborn’s body “throws” all its resources into assimilating it. There is no strength left for anything - not even to stay awake and attract mom's attention.
However, the moments of calm are very short-lived: if instead of colostrum the child receives formula, the body may react sharply to such intervention. Primary consequences can manifest themselves in the form of indigestion, disruption of intestinal microflora and, as a result, allergies.
Finally, from the first days receiving the instruction “food in a bottle”, the child simply cannot learn to suck on his mother’s breast, and it will be much, much more difficult to establish breastfeeding!
The story would be incomplete without the opinion of an expert. Breastfeeding consultant Elena Shmakova will answer your questions.
- Elena, is it necessary to feed the baby until the milk comes in?
In most cases, colostrum is sufficient until the baby's milk comes in. The composition of colostrum and its volumes correspond physiological characteristics newborn and fully provide for his needs. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that newborns should not be given any food or drink other than breast milk (except for medical reasons). The use of supplementary feeding in the first days after birth carries certain risks: the likelihood of developing allergic reactions and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in a child, stimulation of lactation is reduced. Also, when feeding a newborn with a bottle, there is a risk of improper attachment to the breast and even refusal of the breast. Of course, if the weight loss is more than 10% of birth weight, the baby does not have the signs described below, and the woman does not experience an increase in milk supply, it is worth paying attention to the correct organization of breastfeeding (frequent latching to the breast, correct latching), and the doctor may prescribe supplementary feeding (expressed milk or formula) using a spoon, cup or syringe.
- How to determine whether the baby has enough colostrum?
The following criteria are commonly used to determine the adequacy of colostrum:
on the first day the child urinates 1-2 times, on the second day - 2-3 times, the urine is colorless and odorless;
by day 2-3, the baby's stool changes from meconium (black) to greenish and then to yellowish with lumps;
after the 4th day the child has bowel movements three or more times
- How often should a baby be put to the breast?
- In the first days, the baby may attach unevenly to the breast. Some babies are ready to nurse every 30 minutes, and some fall asleep for 3-4 hours. There are cases when, on the first day after birth, babies sleep for a long time, and then nurse almost continuously for 2-3 hours. WHO recommends feeding on demand, that is, as often as the newborn is ready to breastfeed, without looking at the clock. It is important for mom to know that with frequent (10 or more times a day) breastfeeding, lactation is stimulated, and colostrum is quickly replaced by milk. Therefore, it is advisable to ensure that during the day the intervals between feedings are no more than 2 hours, and to offer the baby both breasts at one feeding.
Breastfeed your baby, because mother's milk is not only food, it is a way of understanding the world around us, a way to satisfy the needs for affection, love and care!
Prepared by Natalya Baeva
We have already said that the main source of nutrition for a child in the first days after birth is colostrum. And if so, then a reasonable question arises: how much colostrum does a newborn need in order for him to be full and satisfied with life?
To answer this question, it is very important to know that colostrum is a nutritious physiological fluid with a colossal calorie content (1,500 kcal/l). In the womb, the child feeds through the placenta, receiving from the mother’s body all the necessary substances, the main one of which is protein, acutely necessary for the fetus for the construction of tissue cells. Also via placental barrier The baby’s body receives carbohydrates for energy, vitamins, minerals and other substances necessary for the proper course of metabolic processes. This way the child receives everything he needs for growth and development. But then comes the solemn moment when it’s time for the child to be born, and the issue of his nutrition outside the mother’s body becomes very acute, because physiological processes the formation of organs and tissues is not yet completely completed.
In addition, the placental barrier acts as a kind of filter for various pathogens, bacteria, viruses and other microcreatures that can cause various diseases. The functions of nutrition and protection during this period are realized without the participation of the gastrointestinal tract, and therefore it is this system of the body that is the most imperfect and not fully formed at the time of birth. In the first days of his life, a newborn baby is not able to accept large amounts of unfamiliar food and still needs special protection from various infectious agents. Nature has made sure that the transition from parenteral nutrition to breastfeeding is as comfortable as possible, and therefore in the first few days the baby should receive colostrum, which, without undue stress on the gastrointestinal tract, will allow all organs of the newborn to begin to function normally.
How much colostrum is needed
Once born, the child begins to eat on his own, and in this regard, every mother has a number of natural questions:
- how often to feed the baby;
- how to tell if a child is getting enough;
- whether the baby received all the substances necessary for life during feeding.
It should be understood that in its composition, colostrum is a liquid that is more similar to the mother’s blood than to her milk. This means, first of all, that even a small amount of such liquid contains in a very high concentration all the necessary components for the child to be full. In addition, like blood, colostrum contains white blood cells that will protect the baby from bacteria, viruses and pathogens.
The answer to the question of how often you should feed your baby has long been sought in scientific debate by scientists of all stripes. Modern science about the care of infants, neonatology has a completely unambiguous opinion on this: it is necessary to feed infants on demand, and not in accordance with some schedule or table in a textbook. Each baby has very individual requirements, and therefore it is quite difficult to talk about a specific time period from one feeding to another.
You should also know that the amount of colostrum that a child receives at one meal is not constant, and the duration of feeding does not affect the amount eaten. On average, a child receives approximately 70-80 grams of colostrum in the first day of life in 7-10 doses of 10-15 ml. On each subsequent day after birth, this figure gradually increases, and the baby begins to receive a little more colostrum, which gradually increases in volume, but becomes less caloric, gradually moving to the state of mature breast milk. It is these approximate indicators that should be taken as the answer to the question of how much colostrum a newborn baby needs per day.
It happens that mothers, in an effort to feed their child, go to extremes, which can negatively affect the baby’s health. Early complementary feeding, additional feeding, additional feeding with dry milk formulas, etc. - far from it full list mistakes that young and not so young mothers often make. You should understand that the child himself knows how much food he needs and regulates everything associated with this action. He won't eat too much, but he won't go hungry either. Every mother needs to learn to understand her baby, who will definitely “tell” in a language he understands both that he is full and that he wants to eat.
There are a number of signs that a child is eating and feels comfortable:
- he actively suckles at the breast for quite a long time;
- a well-fed baby behaves calmly and, as a rule, falls asleep after each feeding;
- if the baby is awake between feedings, he is active, but does not show signs of anxiety;
- Having eaten, he releases his mother's nipple.
Of course, there are situations when, for one reason or another, the mother’s body produces little colostrum or does not produce it at all, but this is the exception rather than the rule. If you have any doubts about whether your baby is full, you should contact specialists who can assess the quality of breastfeeding using certain indicators. You should not discuss this with your friends, make hasty decisions and draw the wrong conclusions.
Nature has provided for everything, and if there are no deviations from the norm, and you follow the recommendations of medical personnel, you have no reason to worry! The baby receives exactly as much colostrum as he needs. Whether it’s a lot or a little is quite difficult to assess, and it’s not worth doing. Try to calm down and focus on positive emotions communication with a newborn. No less than the issue of nutrition, tactile contact and satisfaction of the sucking reflex are also very important for a newborn child - this has a beneficial effect on the formation of the nervous system.
Very often I hear from acquaintances and not so women - “the milk has not come yet, so I supplemented it with formula, otherwise the child was hungry.” For members of this group, this information may not be very useful, since the first days are clearly behind them
But it might be useful to someone you know...
Colostrum, a secretion of the mammary gland of mammals and humans. It is produced in the last day of pregnancy and in the first 5-7 days after birth. Compared to milk, it contains more proteins, fats, and minerals. An irreplaceable food for newborns and young animals. (Soviet encyclopedic dictionary)
There is another definition of the word “colostrum”. According to it, Colostrum is a sticky, thick liquid of yellow or gray-yellow color. It can be secreted from the mammary glands starting from the fourth month of pregnancy, as well as in the first days after childbirth.
First of all, it should be noted that Colostrum has a high calorie content. If you compare Colostrum and mature milk, then it contains:
1. Several times more protein.
2. 2-10 times more vitamin A and carotene.
3. 2-3 times more ascorbic acid.
4. 1.5 times more salts.
5. High content of immunoglobulin A.
Composition of milk and colostrum (g/liter)
Colostrum
Sugar: 40-76 Fat: 28-41 Protein: 58
Transitional milk: (from 4-5 days)
Sugar: 57-76 Fat: 29-44 Protein: 23
Mature milk: (from 2-3 weeks)
Sugar: 73-75 Fat: 33-34 Protein: 9-18
Particular attention should be paid to the fact that before breastfeeding, Colostrum contains the highest protein content (102.6-132 g/l), and then this figure gradually decreases. The content of fat and milk sugar, as can be seen from the data presented, is also gradually decreasing.
Calorie content of Colostrum: kcal per 1 liter
Baby's life day: (1st to 5th)
1 day - 1500 kcal per 1 l
Day 2 - 1100 kcal per 1 l
Day 3 - 800 kcal per 1 l
Day 4 - 750 kcal per 1 l
Day 5 - 700 kcal per 1 l
Concerning useful properties Colostrum is a valuable nutrient, and in addition to the above, it contains enzymes, hormones, vitamins and antibodies. Colostrum contains the maximum level of staphylococcal antitoxin.
Colostrum is the most suitable food for a child in the first days of life. High calorie content and significant content of complete protein allow newborns to receive nutrients in full.
What is the value of colostrum? The orange or bright yellow color of colostrum is explained by the fact that, unlike mature milk, it is very rich in white blood cells and other anti-infective proteins. Leukocytes are protective white bodies that destroy pathogenic bacteria and viruses. All anti-infective proteins provide the first immunization against diseases that a child may encounter after birth. Thus, colostrum is saturated with antibodies called immunoglobulin A. It protects the weakest places in the body, where it is easiest for infections to penetrate - the mucous membranes of the throat, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, experts compare colostrum to medicine - during the first application of the baby to the breast immediately after birth, the baby sucks out about a teaspoon of colostrum, but this is enough to reduce the risk of developing bacterial infections.
Many components of colostrum help further growth and adaptation of the baby’s body. Thus, beta-casein7 affects the functions of the central nervous system, helps to develop intelligence, emotions, and general mental development. Special nerve growth substances promote the development of the peripheral and central nervous systems. The growth factor in colostrum contributes to the development of the baby's immature intestines after birth. Colostrum protects the child from developing allergies and intolerance to other foods.
Oligosaccharides (also known as prebiotics), of which there are more than 130 types in colostrum, protect the baby from intestinal infections. Prebiotics nourish healthy intestinal flora. Two of these 130 oligosaccharides are added today to infant formulas in order to bring them at least a little closer in composition to mother’s milk. And the colostrum component, lactoferrin, helps the baby absorb iron without being a breeding ground for harmful intestinal flora - which is artificially added iron in the formula.
In addition, colostrum also has a mild laxative effect, which cleanses the baby’s intestines of meconium (primary dark-colored stool). This is why babies fed colostrum poop much more often than they pee in the first days of their lives. At the same time, the child’s intestines are cleared of excess bilirubin, which prevents the development of pathological jaundice.
At the same time, colostrum is very concentrated and much more nutritious compared to mature milk. On the first day of a child's life, the protein content in colostrum reaches 14% - this is approximately three times more than in mature milk. The amount of colostrum may vary, but in any case, due to its increased nutritional value, it is enough for a newly born baby. There is very little water in colostrum, and this is good, because the baby is not yet able to process large volumes of liquid: his kidneys are not able to undergo immediate adaptation from the intrauterine period. At the same time, the child is already born with a supply of water, which protects his body from dehydration until mature milk rich in liquid arrives.
How does it all begin?
If the mother has the opportunity, then it is best to attach the baby to the breast 15-30 minutes after birth and let her nurse longer (about 20 minutes on each breast). It is during this period that the baby comes to his senses a little after childbirth and begins to show search behavior - to look for his mother’s breast. He tries to raise his head, opens his mouth, sticks out his tongue. Sometimes the baby lying on the mother’s belly begins to literally crawl towards the chest! However, you should not expect miracles from nature - a healthy newborn can indeed reach the mother’s breast, but this costs him a lot of effort and all the strength remaining after childbirth, so, of course, it is better to help him get what he wants. If this moment is missed, the baby will fall asleep and then no amount of persuasion can be applied to his mother’s chest - he will rest.
The baby's sucking reflex is especially strong in the first hour after birth, and this helps develop proper attachment to the breast. It is the correct attachment that should be given the main attention in the first days of life. Correct attachment can be briefly described as follows: the mother presses the baby tightly with her tummy so that the nipple points to his nose. The chest must be supported with your hand so that the thumb is on top, where the baby’s nose is, and the index finger and the rest are below, parallel to the baby’s lower lip. The index finger should be far from the nipple, no closer than 5 centimeters, so as not to limit the opening of the baby’s mouth. Wait until the child opens his mouth wide - as when yawning. At this moment, press the baby even closer to you, pointing the nipple at the top of the mouth: the nipple and areola will be deep in his mouth, more from below than from above. The lower and upper lips turn outward when sucking.
Most often, on the first day after childbirth, the breasts are soft to the touch and seem empty. Very little colostrum is secreted, although in some women it may slowly flow out of the breast on its own, while others, on the contrary, have difficulty squeezing out a single drop. This still does not say anything about the actual amount of colostrum and, especially, milk in the future - it all depends only on the individual characteristics of the structure of the breast. The babies themselves behave differently: most of them sleep off, recovering from childbirth, and attach themselves to their mother’s breast only 5-7 times a day, but for a long time, sometimes up to an hour. But some, on the contrary, already from the first days of life ask for their mother’s breast very often.
There is another interesting pattern: on the second or third day of life, under the condition of being together with their mother, even calm and rarely suckling babies suddenly begin to demand a kiss literally every half hour. This means that the baby has already matured to receive food more plentiful than colostrum - and thanks to more frequent attachments to the breast and changed movements of the mother’s mouth, milk production begins.
And it is at this moment that young mothers are often afraid that the baby is “starving”, and run for formula, trying to feed at least something, so that the child - whom the mother herself tears from the breast in such cases - does not cry. But is it worth doing this if the mother has the opportunity to put her baby to her breast?
Why is supplementary feeding with formula dangerous?
Indeed, a baby who has eaten formula usually falls asleep for several hours, but this happens not just because he is full, but because the formula is much harder to digest than breast milk. A child’s body simply does not have enough strength for anything other than sleep. And, of course, the arrival of mother’s milk is inevitably delayed.
At the same time, supplementary feeding with formula is not at all harmless, especially if the formula replaces colostrum and is the first thing the newborn baby receives. The materials on the theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2008 - “Breastfeeding in the first hour after birth would save a million lives” - contain the following data. One study clearly showed that 41% of all babies who died between 2 and 28 days of life could be saved by a simple intervention: starting breastfeeding within the first hour after birth.
The type of food a newborn baby receives has a direct impact on the development of intestinal microflora. Breastfeeding women have a lower acidic environment in the intestines - approximately 5.1-5.4 pH during the first six weeks, represented mainly by bifidobacteria with a small amount of pathogenic flora. And babies fed exclusively with formula have an acidity of approximately 5.9-7.3 pH with a variety of putrefactive bacterial flora. This is why children who are fed formula are much more likely to suffer from intestinal infections and various forms allergies. Unfortunately, in families where there is a high risk of developing allergies due to heredity, even after one feeding with formula instead of colostrum, protein sensitivity can develop cow's milk.
In breastfed children, when supplemented with formula, the acidity is average - 5.7-6.0 pH during the first four weeks, by one and a half months it decreases to 5.45 pH. Unfortunately, the intestinal flora under such conditions develops very similar to that which occurs when feeding with formula - very unstable, with a predominance of pathogenic ones. Even one feeding of the mixture per day, but regularly, quickly leads to the development of an imbalance of the intestinal flora - the number of enterobacteria and enterococci quickly increases, the number of clostridia and anaerobic streptococci increases. This is the same phenomenon that is usually called dysbiosis. If in the future the mother adheres to exclusive breastfeeding, then it will take from two to four weeks to return to a state that supports positive flora in the intestines.
In addition to disrupting the formation of normal intestinal flora, supplementary feeding with formula during the period when the baby should still receive colostrum increases the likelihood of difficulties with the breast (the occurrence of cracks and stagnation of milk against the background of not entirely correct latching). And statistical studies by both foreign and Russian doctors have shown that mothers whose children were supplemented with formula in the first days of life usually stopped breastfeeding earlier than if the child had been exclusively breastfed from birth.
At the same time, there are, of course, cases when supplementary feeding with formula is objectively necessary - it is prescribed by a doctor, and, as a rule, this is due to the serious condition of either the mother herself or the baby. But if there are no strict indications for introducing supplementary feeding with formula, a new mother needs to understand what exactly she is risking when she goes to the nursery to ask for “just one bottle of formula.”
But does he still have enough colostrum?
And yet, the fear that the child is malnourished often haunts mothers who have recently given birth. And here it is important, first of all, to calm down yourself and think that nature could not have counted on inventing the mixture. If there really wasn’t enough colostrum for the baby, then humanity simply wouldn’t survive as a species.
There are also clear guidelines that a mother can rely on to make sure that everything is okay with her baby. Weight loss, which doctors will definitely tell you about, is common to all children on the third or fourth day of life. By this time, the baby gets rid of meconium - the original stool that accumulated during his stay in the mother's womb, and from moisture reserves that were supposed to help pass through the birth canal without injuring the baby's skin. If the weight loss is within 5-8% of birth weight, then this is normal, and such loss is called physiological. For comparison, with a newborn baby weighing 3500 g, it is quite normal if on the third or fourth day of life he loses 175-280 g. But with a greater loss, the doctor may already prescribe supplementary feeding.
To know for sure that the baby receives as much nutrition as he needs in the first days of life, you can count the number of wet diapers. Until the baby is a week old, with sufficient nutrition, he will pee as many times as he is days old, sometimes one time more. So, a baby two days old, if his nutritional needs are satisfied, will pee 2-3 times, three days old - 3-4 times, and so on.
If the baby still needs supplementary feeding, it is better to give it not from a bottle, but from a spoon, a small cup or a special system for supplementary feeding at the breast. All this reduces the likelihood of problems with the child’s further behavior under the breast.
The issue was prepared by natural feeding consultant Irina Ryukhova (Barnaul).
AKEV member Irina Maltseva (Voronezh) took part in the work on the issue. Publication date: July 18, 2009
Adequate nutrition of a newborn baby is the key to health and proper development. Nature made sure that from the first minutes of life the baby received all the most useful and nutritious things from mother's milk. However, not all expectant mothers know that milk is not produced immediately and for the first few days the baby feeds on colostrum.
The first drops of nutrition
Colostrum appears in a woman's breasts recent months pregnancy. This is an invaluable product for its nutritional qualities. The clear liquid that is released from the breast is rich in vitamins, immune bodies and calories. Despite the small volume of fluid released, it is enough to fill the baby in the first days after birth.
According to WHO standards, the baby is placed on the mother's breast in the first minutes after birth. It is at this moment that the baby receives the first drops of an invaluable product called colostrum.
These droplets help the baby adapt to the environment, protect the baby from infections and help improve the newborn’s digestion.
In the first days after childbirth, many mothers are worried about the lack of milk; they worry that the baby is not getting enough colostrum. Today we can confidently say that these fears are groundless. Nature itself took care of everything. The fact is that in the first days of life, the baby’s digestive system is not yet ready to digest milk. In order for the baby to be able to eat mother’s milk, he needs to cleanse the intestines of original feces, and it is colostrum that prepares the baby’s intestines for normal functioning.
Composition of the first meal
After childbirth, the composition of colostrum changes significantly. Vitamins E and A, present in large quantities in colostrum, are antioxidants. These vitamins help activate the baby’s immune system and remove toxins accumulated in the intestines. Proteins nourish the baby’s body. Immunoglobulins, contained in large quantities in the first diet, help populate the child’s intestines with beneficial bacteria and build immunity.
What to do if your breasts hurt while feeding your baby
Thanks to these substances, the child is protected from various infections, including herpes and E. coli. Colostrum also contains large amounts of white blood cells, insulin and cortisol. All these valuable substances help the baby adapt to new living conditions in the first days and protect him from possible infections.
First food quantity
In the first days after birth, the baby does not need large quantity food. The volume of his stomach these days is 7 ml. It is for this reason that mothers’ worries about their baby being hungry are groundless. A few ml of colostrum is enough to keep the baby full.
The main condition for feeding in the first days is frequent breastfeeding. The more often the baby suckles at the breast, the faster the mother will produce milk.
Calm baby
Many mothers complain that the baby cries a lot in the first days after birth. They think that the baby's crying is due to hunger. However, this is not quite true. Children are all different. There are babies who sleep peacefully in their crib and only wake up to be fed. And there are children for whom it is very important to feel their mother’s presence and they cry simply because they want their mother’s warmth.
If your baby was born restless and cries all the time, take him in your arms, give him breastfeeding and first of all calm down yourself. It is very important for a child to feel his mother’s calm, because even in the womb he has already learned to determine his mother’s mood. As soon as you stop being nervous, your baby will calm down too.
When does milk appear?
In most cases, milk begins to be produced in the mammary glands 3-5 days after birth. It is at this time that the baby’s intestines are ready to digest milk. By the fifth day, the baby can already suckle properly, and the mother is ready for breastfeeding. In the first days of milk production, the mother may experience painful sensations in the breast. Calluses and cracked nipples may also occur. The lump in the breast will go away in a few days when lactation is established. During this period, it is important to put the baby to the breast as often as possible.
How to avoid crises when breastfeeding your baby
But calluses and cracked nipples appear from improper feeding. If such phenomena occur, you should seek advice from a breastfeeding specialist. Ideally, feeding a baby should not bring painful or unpleasant sensations to the mother.
Remember that food breast milk very important for the baby. Only this product is able to protect the baby from infections and give him everything he needs for full development substances.
