Introduction to breastfeeding

Department of Health guidance says that breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed your baby. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first 6 months of your baby’s life.

Breast milk:

• Is always available at the right temperature and is sterile
• Can be used to comfort your baby and relieve pain
• Is free
• has no carbon footprint
• Is the most natural food for babies

Colostrum:

• Concentrated milk produced in the first few days, tailored to baby in small amounts.
• Gives your baby immunity. It is protective and coats the intestines/gut to fence germs out so they cannot be absorbed into your baby’s system. This barrier seals your baby’s insides, preparing your baby for a healthy life.
• Kills harmful microorganisms and provides protection from inflammation.
• Is a laxative, and will help clear your baby’s system of the meconium and therefore help to reduce jaundice.
• ‘Mature’ milk production increases after the first few days.
• Your babies stomach capacity is quite small and breastmilk is easily digestible, meaning that your baby will probably feed frequently in the early weeks of breastfeeding.

Hormonal Influence:

There are three key factors that work together in breastfeeding:

Prolactin

• Following delivery, your levels of pregnancy hormones decline. This causes levels of the milk producing hormone, prolactin, to rise.
• Prolactin levels peak every time your baby sucks or nuzzles at the breast.
• Lots of peaks in prolactin levels in the early days “switch on” milk producing cells – one of the reasons why newborn babies feed frequently/cluster feed –they are “putting the order in”!
• Overnight, your prolactin levels – the hormone designed to support milk production – are at their highest. So, when your baby feeds frequently at night, the message to your body to boost milk supply is even stronger.

Oxytocin

• Oxytocin is also known as the love hormone – it helps you to fall in love with your baby and want to hold, stroke and protect them.
• It causes the lobules in the breasts to contract, letting down the milk to the baby (the let down).
• It can be delayed by stress – this can be overcome by relaxed, skin-to-skin time at the breast.
• Additionally, oxytocin increases circulation to the breast, helping to release stored nutrients into the milk, and warm baby.

Feedback Inhibitor of Lactation (FIL)

• This is a protein within the milk which alerts the milk producing cells to stop producing milk.
• It helps control and regulate the supply.
• As milk is removed, levels of FIL fall.
• Milk removal drives milk production.

Formula feeding increases the risk of:

For children:

• Raised blood pressure
• Obesity
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
• Raised cholesterol levels
• Childhood leukemias
• Type 1 and 2 diabetes
• Urinary tract infections
• Necrotising enterocolitis & late onset sepsis in preterm babies
• Gastro-intestinal infections
• Ear infections
• Respiratory infections

For parents:

• Breast cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Postnatal depression
• Hip fractures and reduced bone density
• Maternal type 2 diabetes