The Breast Milk Came in with the Tears
July 25, 2008 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under breast milk, breastfeeding, health of the mother
As I sobbed at the end of a movie the other day, two things occurred to me: (1) The Other Boleyn Girl is probably not the best choice for postpartum (or pregnant) viewing, and (2) I must be experiencing the change in hormones that accompanies the transitional milk coming in. Sure enough, with the very next nursing session, I felt a sensation of letdown and watched my baby suck and swallow vigorously as she received more milk that she had been getting when it was the liquid gold colostrum alone.
For first-time moms it can take three to four days for …read more
The Amazing, Ever-Changing Breast Milk
October 10, 2006 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under advantages of breastfeeding, breast milk, breastfeeding basics, extended breastfeeding, toddler nursing
The way breast milk miraculously adapts to the changing needs of the baby reminds me of the old joke about the befuddled man first encountering a thermos. “It keeps the hot things hot and the cold things cold. How do it know?”
Colostrum. Colostrum is the nutrient-rich early milk that the baby receives for the first few days after birth. The yellowish “liquid gold” colostrum is low in quantity but high in quality. Colostrum contains beneficial immunities that help protect the baby from illness while the baby’s own immune system is still developing. It acts as a laxative to help the baby pass …read more
