Did you know the undeniable urge to kiss your baby’s face off serves a biological purpose? Kissing your baby changes your breast milk. How cool is that? Keep reading to learn some other amazing facts about breastfeeding.
When a mother kisses her baby, she samples the pathogens on her baby’s face, which then travel to the mom’s lymphatic system. The mother’s body then creates the antibodies to fight those pathogens, which she feeds to her baby in her milk. So amazing, right!?
Here are some other things you might not know about breastfeeding.
- Breastfeeding can be hard. It’s such a natural thing, you can assume that mom and baby “just know” what to do. And sometimes, they do. My second baby practically crawled up my chest and latched on in the recovery room after delivery. My first baby, however, required several trips to a lactation consultant. Even then, he still required some extra help from a nipple shield to latch on every time.
- Breastfeeding affects the human microbiome. A microbiome is the collection of bacteria, fungi, and archaea that we carry around. That might sound gross, but the human microbiome is imperative to your overall physical and mental health. The microbiome is its own ecosystem and keeping it in a healthy balance can affect everything from depression to obesity. Breast milk is full of healthy bacteria which helps promote healthy gut flora in your baby.
- Breast milk composition is different for girls vs. boys. Researchers have found that humans and other mammals produce milk that changes composition depending on the sex of the baby and the level of stress and safety within the family.
- Breast milk can change from feed to feed. You produce foremilk, which is watery and more hydrating, when your hungry baby causes your milk to let down in the first phase. After the baby thirst has been quenched, your milk changes to hindmilk, which has a higher fat content and is thicker. As your baby grows and develops, you’ll notice that your milk is changing as well.
It always amazes me how God designed our bodies to work, especially in the intricate designs of pregnancy and childbirth! Check out this website to learn even more amazing facts and tips about breastfeeding. Interesting in booking a newborn session with me? You can see more about my newborn sessions here.
