Breastfeeding: All you need to know about Colostrum!

What is Colostrum?

It is a light yellow, gold, or sometimes clear in color, and is a thick, creamy liquid. And wow, is it packed with amazing properties that protect and nourish the baby in first days of life!

“Colostrum is rich in immunologic components such as secretory IgA, lactoferrin, leukocytes, as well as developmental factors such as epidermal growth factor. Colostrum also contains relatively low concentrations of lactose, indicating its primary functions to be immunologic and trophic rather than nutritional. Levels of sodium, chloride and magnesium are higher and levels of potassium and calcium are lower in colostrum than later milk.”

How Long Will Produce Colostrum?

For the first 2–5 days after birth, mother body will produce only colostrum, later switching over to transitional milk,”. While each woman’s body is different, colostrum tends to stick around closer to 5 days.

The next stage is called “transitional milk,” and this lasts for 10–14 days. Transitional milk is a blend of colostrum and breast milk, which will eventually be replaced by regular (and thinner) breast milk.