
What is breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding is when you feed your baby directly from your breast. Breast milk is the best food for your bub, and it is the only food your baby will need for the first six months.
How does breastfeeding work?
When you’re pregnant, your body starts preparing itself to feed your baby from your breast.
A couple of days before you give birth, your breasts will start making the ‘first milk’ (colostrum). It’s a thick, yellowish fluid that helps kick start your baby’s digestion and helps them fight off germs. Colostrum will be made for a couple of days after birth.
After five days, your breasts will start making ‘transitional’ milk, which looks and feels like pouring cream. This special milk is higher in healthy fats, calories and lactose (a natural sugar), making it a perfect food for a growing baby. After four weeks, the ‘mature milk‘ comes in and is high in protein, vitamins and minerals.
Every day your breast milk responds to your baby’s need. If your baby is sick, your body will make germ-fighting antibodies which goes into your breast milk for bubs – to help keep them healthy.
Breast milk is made in special milk-making cells in your breasts, and after the baby is born, these cells start filling with milk.
Each group of the special cells have muscles around them. When bub comes onto your nipple they draw your breast into their mouth. Nerves around the nipple are activated causing hormones to go in the bloodstream, making the little muscles around the cells squeeze the breast milk out. This squeezing is called the ‘letdown reflex’. During a letdown, you might feel