Colostrum vs. Milk: What New Parents Need To Know
By Wendy, Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
If you are a new parent, you’ve probably heard about the benefits of breastfeeding. You may have heard that your milk doesn’t “come in” right away and that colostrum—your baby’s first meal—is super healthy for your little one.
Let’s take a look at the whole colostrum vs. milk thing, and what you need to know as you welcome your newborn into the world.
What’s the difference between colostrum and mature milk?
Colostrum is the yellowish milk you produce right after your baby is born. After about 3-4 days, colostrum transitions to mature breastmilk, at which point your breasts become fuller. Mature milk is similar to colostrum, but has a different balance of nutrition, is whiter in color, and is much greater in volume.
What is colostrum?
Fun fact: You’ve actually been producing colostrum since about 12-18 weeks of pregnancy and will continue to produce it (mixed in with your mature milk) for a few months after birth. You may have leaked a little of it during pregnancy (not everyone does, and that’s okay!).
What are the benefits of colostrum?
Colostrum is small in amount but matches the small size of your baby’s stomach at birth
Colostrum provides a protective coat to your baby’s intestines, guarding them from germs and bacteria
Colostrum acts as a laxative, helping your baby pass their first stool (meconium) and lowering their risk of jaundice
Colostrum provides antiviral and antibacterial protection
Colostrum is especially vital for premature babies or babies with medical vulnerabilities
What does it mean when your milk comes in?
At about 3-4 days after birth, you will start to notice that your breasts become fuller. This is a sign that your mature breastmilk is starting to come in. This milk is much higher in volume than colostrum and has a different nutritional composition to meet your baby’s needs (for example, mature milk is lower in protein but much higher in fat than colostrum).
What are the benefits of breastmilk?
Breastmilk has a great balance of nutrition for your child and changes to meet their needs
Breastmilk contains antibodies to help your baby fight viruses and other infections
Breastmilk is generally easy for your baby to digest
Breastmilk protects your baby from common childhood illnesses like ear infections and protects NICU babies from serious infections like necrotizing enterocolitis
Breastmilk has health benefits for moms, too, including decreased risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer
What to do if you are separated from your baby?
After hearing about the many benefits of colostrum and breastmilk, you may be wondering what happens if you are separated from your newborn. This can be a stressful experience, but you should know that expressed colostrum and breastmilk is just as healthy for your baby as direct breastfeeding.
What is the best way to express colostrum?
Once your milk is fully in, using an electric pump is your best bet for maximizing pumping output. But when you are expressing colostrum, it’s actually easier to do so via hand expression. Hand expression usually yields more colostrum. It’s simple to learn—ask your hospital lactation consultant for assistance.
The bottom line
Hearing about the benefits of colostrum and breastmilk can sometimes make new moms feel pressure to succeed at breastfeeding at all costs. Breastfeeding isn’t all or nothing—any amount you can give your baby is awesome. And if breastfeeding doesn’t work out for you, that’s okay too: you are still an incredible mom.
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