page_title: Breastfeeding
section_title: Breast milk
hierarchical_section_title: Breastfeeding / Breast milk
caption_attribution_description: English: Two 25ml samples of human breast milk pumped from the same woman, at the same time to illustrate what human breast milk looks like, and how human breast milk can vary. The left hand sample is Foremilk, the first milk coming from a full breast. Foremilk has a higher water content and a lower fat content to satisfy thirst. The right hand sample is Hindmilk, the last milk coming from a nearly empty breast. Hindmilk has a lower water content and a higher fat content to satisfy hunger. [1] As breastmilk is made continuously including during the feed itself, the milk can switch between Foremilk and Hindmilk until the baby has had enough. Français&#160;: Deux échantillons de 25 ml de lait maternel pompé à partir du même sein d'une même femme pour illustrer combien le lait maternel humain peut varier en peu de temps. L'échantillon de gauche est le premier lait (teneur en eau plus élevée et moindre teneur en matières grasses&#160;; il satisfait la soif). L'échantillon de droite est celui qui provient du sein presque vidé, correspondant à une fin de têtée. Sa teneur en eau est moindre, mais son taux de matières grasses est plus élevé&#160;; il satisfait la faim Nederlands: Links voormelk; rechts achtermelk
context_page_description: Breastfeeding, also known as nursing, is the feeding of babies and young children with milk from a woman's breast. Health professionals recommend that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a baby's life and continue as often and as much as the baby wants. During the first few weeks of life babies may nurse roughly every two to three hours, and the duration of a feeding is usually ten to fifteen minutes on each breast. Older children feed less often. Mothers may pump milk so that it can be used later when breastfeeding is not possible. Breastfeeding has a number of benefits to both mother and baby, which infant formula lacks.
  Deaths of an estimated 820,000 children under the age of five could be prevented globally every year with increased breastfeeding. Breastfeeding decreases the risk of respiratory tract infections and diarrhea for the baby, both in developing and developed countries. Other benefits include lower risks of asthma, food allergies, and type 1 diabetes. Breastfeeding may also improve cognitive development and decrease the risk of obesity in adulthood.
context_section_description: Not all of breast milk's properties are understood, but its nutrient content is relatively consistent. Breast milk is made from nutrients in the mother's bloodstream and bodily stores. It has an optimal balance of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development. Breastfeeding triggers biochemical reactions which allow for the enzymes, hormones, growth factors and immunologic substances to effectively defend against infectious diseases for the infant. The breast milk also has long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids which help with normal retinal and neural development.
  The composition of breast milk changes depending on how long the baby nurses at each session, as well as on the child's age. The first type, produced during the first days after childbirth, is called colostrum.  Colostrum is easy to digest although it is more concentrated than mature milk.  It has a laxative effect that helps the infant to pass early stools, aiding in the excretion of excess bilirubin, which helps to prevent jaundice. It also helps to seal the infants gastrointestional tract from foreign substances, which may sensitize the baby to foods that the mother has eaten. Although the baby has received some antibodies through the placenta, colostrum contains a substance which is new to the newborn, secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA).  IgA works to attack germs in the mucous membranes of the throat, lungs, and intestines, which are most likely to come under attack from germs.
  Breasts begin producing mature milk around the third or fourth day after birth.
  Early in a nursing session, the breasts produce foremilk, a thinner milk containing many proteins and vitamins. If the baby keeps nursing, then hindmilk is produced.  Hindmilk has a creamier color and texture because it contains more fat.
caption: Two 25 mL samples of human breast milk. The sample on the left is foremilk, the watery milk coming from a full breast. To the right is hindmilk, the creamy milk coming from a nearly empty breast.[23]
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