Becoming a mother is a miracle of nature and a magical experience. However, being the mother of a newborn also demands a lot from a woman's body and psyche. Once a woman has had the challenging birth, in addition to the big changes in her life and the postpartum period, she is already faced with another new challenge: breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is a crucial period for mothers and especially for their newborns. A woman's body has already completed the impressive task of creating a new human being for nine months - now the infant is to be nourished and strengthened by the woman's breast milk. While breastfeeding, it is important that a mother receives enough nutrients to ensure optimal health and development of the baby, without compromising her own nutritional needs. In the context of breastfeeding, colostrum, the so-called first milk, has proven to be a special kind of valuable food that can help women maintain sufficient milk production and promote the health of the newborn and their own health.
In this article we would like to take a closer look at how taking cow colostrum can help mothers breastfeed.
Breastfeeding challenge
Breastfeeding can be challenging because of the high demands placed on the body as it recovers from childbirth. Various factors can cause difficulties for some women that can make breastfeeding difficult. This can unsettle mothers because science agrees: breast milk is the best food for the baby. However, initial difficulties when breastfeeding are not uncommon, especially in the first few days after birth, as both the mother and the baby have to adapt to the new living conditions. Correctly latching the baby to the breast and learning to suck effectively sometimes requires practice and patience for both mother and child. Breastfeeding is not just a physical matter, but also a bond that is created and grows during the intimate moments between mother and child.
But how does a woman actually produce breast milk?
Breast milk – a gift from nature
Typically, a woman's body begins to prepare for milk production during the second trimester, around week 16 of pregnancy. At this point, changes occur in the mammary glands and milk ducts.
The hormones progesterone, estrogen and prolactin play an important role in a woman's milk production. During pregnancy, prolactin levels increase and promote the development of the mammary glands. At the same time, the hormone progesterone inhibits milk production and prevents breast milk from escaping before birth.
After the birth of the baby and the separation of the placenta, the level of progesterone in the woman's body drops rapidly, while the level of prolactin remains high. This imbalance of hormones signals the body to start producing milk. It usually takes around two to four days after birth until actual milk production begins and the mother has enough milk for her baby.
Every woman is individual and the time at which milk production begins may vary slightly.
What problems can occur when breastfeeding?
One problem women may face when breastfeeding is insufficient milk production. This can have various causes, such as hormonal problems, stress, an unbalanced diet, taking certain medications or medical problems. In such cases, it may be helpful to take additional measures to stimulate milk production if you do not want to resort to baby milk or pre-milk products.
Another big issue for some women is pain or discomfort while breastfeeding. Sore nipples, blocked milk ducts, or breast infections can occur and make breastfeeding uncomfortable. These problems can cause women to give up breastfeeding prematurely.
Another factor that can make breastfeeding difficult is a lack of knowledge and support. Many women may not have received enough information about breastfeeding or receive enough support from healthcare professionals or experienced lactation consultants. This can lead to uncertainty, confusion and frustration and can make breastfeeding difficult.
Our modern lifestyle can also have an impact on breastfeeding. Many women return to work early or have hectic schedules that make it difficult for them to breastfeed regularly or find enough time to express milk.
In addition to a healthy diet, rest and the care of medical staff, lactation consultants and midwives, taking colostrum can help make breastfeeding easier and ensure optimal nutrient supply for mother and child.
What is colostrum?
Colostrum is the first form of breast milk produced by female mammals and mothers in the first few days after birth. It contains a high concentration of nutrients, antibodies (immunoglobulins), immune factors and growth factors that are crucial for the newborn, for example a calf or a baby.
First milk is yellow, thick and rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids that support the development of the immune system and other important body systems. A woman's body produces colostrum itself in the first few days after birth and the baby can benefit from her first milk. Taking cow colostrum for mothers to also optimize their nutrient supply and immune defense can support the mother's health, her milk production and also the health of the baby. The choice of the preparation is essential.
Support breastfeeding with high-quality colostrum preparations
Taking colostrum as a high-quality dietary supplement can support women breastfeeding in a number of ways. We would therefore like to go into some of these positive aspects in more detail.
Promote milk production
Colostrum contains bioactive substances that can stimulate the production of prolactin - a hormone responsible for milk production. By taking colostrum supplements, women can naturally boost their milk production and ensure adequate supply for the baby.
Improving nutrient supply
During breastfeeding, women have increased nutritional needs. Colostrum contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids that can meet the nutritional needs of the nursing mother. By taking colostrum supplements, women can ensure that their bodies receive sufficient nutrients to maintain milk production while maintaining their own health.
Strengthening the immune system
Colostrum is rich in immunoglobulins (antibodies) and immune factors, which help a newborn build a strong immune system and prevent infections. By taking colostrum, women can use these important immune factors both for themselves and pass them on to their baby, thereby strengthening their immune system.
The importance of organically high-quality colostrum supplements
It is crucial to only purchase colostrum supplements from manufacturers who have direct access to your farmers and can guarantee antibiotic-free colostrum. Colostrum is offered in different qualities on the market, and the differences in quality are enormous.
For the best quality, the overall health of the cows is crucial, just as with conventional cow's milk. The well-being of the animals is directly related to the range of animals on healthy pastures, the local and natural diet, as well as species-appropriate and loving animal husbandry, so that high-quality and rich colostrum can be produced, which in turn leads to high-quality cow's milk.
quality assurance
As a producer, we ensure that our colostrum supplements are free of harmful substances such as pesticide residues, antibiotics or other potentially harmful contaminants. Our colostrum production is subject to strict Swiss quality controls to ensure that the first milk is of the highest purity and retains its full natural effectiveness.
Natural origin
High-quality colostrum supplements come from cows that are raised appropriately and receive a natural diet. The colostrum in these products is carefully and ethically sourced without harming the cows or potentially depriving calves of colostrum that need it to survive. Colostrum from regenerative agriculture has a high content of valuable nutrients and bioactive substances, while highly processed preparations often have lost most of the nutrients through processing.
sustainability
Regenerative producers rely on sustainable practices to minimize environmental impact and promote the long-term health of animals and the ecosystem. Purchasing colostrum supplements from such producers supports these sustainable practices and contributes to the preservation and ultimately regeneration of the environment .
Avoidance of additives
High-quality colostrum supplements contain no artificial additives, preservatives or colorings. They are also carefully and gently processed to preserve the effectiveness of the nutrients they contain.
Swiss made: colostrum from BE THE CHANGE ®
We operate exclusively in a sustainable, animal-friendly manner and in harmony with human biochemistry, as well as regenerative and organic agriculture. We have done pioneering work and offer the first 100% cold-processed Swiss colostrum , with the highest immunoglobulin concentration and bioactivity.
We work exclusively with selected farmers who respectfully nurture and lovingly care for the nature and natural needs of the calf and the mother animal. In our opinion, humans are only allowed to appear when the calves have received the colostrum they are entitled to in sufficient quantities. We only collect the excess and unused colostrum that would otherwise be thrown away. This is because a calf only drinks a small portion of the colostrum from its mother cow before some reserve is milked and frozen. This supply may be given to another calf that is weaker or whose mother cow does not have enough colostrum. However, a cow usually produces many liters of surplus, which we collect directly from the farm. Our upcycling leads to the highest quality colostrum preparations, supports our agricultural partners with additional income and contributes to the development of regenerative and therefore species-appropriate agriculture.
So we know exactly which colostrum collection comes from which mother cow. Our high-quality colostrum is gently microfiltered after collection. This gentle processing using ultrafiltration of our colostrum without pasteurization, i.e. without heat, is of great importance for our high quality. Through our special filtration method, we ensure that the colostrum retains its natural strength and especially the immunoglobulins. This complex process preserves the valuable bioactive nutrients and guarantees food safety. All of our products are Swiss made .
If you, as an expectant mother or perhaps as a new mother, are looking for healthy and natural support for breastfeeding and your milk production, then you are well advised with our high-quality colostrum preparations.
Sources
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- Li Y, Juhl SM, Ye X, Shen RL, Iyore EO, Dai Y, Sangild PT, Greisen GO. A Stepwise, Pilot Study of Bovine Colostrum to Supplement the First Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants (Precolos): Study Protocol and Initial Results. Front Pediatrics 2017 Mar 3;5:42. doi: 10.3389/fped.2017.00042. PMID: 28316968; PMCID: PMC5334325.
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1 comment
So it is safe to take bovine colostrum while breastfeeding?