What makes breast milk in women. Psychological fatigue of both participants in the process

With the advent of the child into the world, every mother is faced with the question of the proper feeding of her baby. Proper feeding, implies providing the body of the newborn with all the necessary nutrients for normal physical and neuropsychic development. Therefore, every mother should think about what kind of food she chooses for her child.

Why should you breastfeed?

The most useful and ideal nutrition for a newborn is breast milk, which provides the most better development baby. Nature has provided for the composition of breast milk, which is ideal for newborns, it contains proteins, they include essential amino acids, fats, carbohydrates, trace elements, vitamins contained in the right amount and easily absorbed by the baby's body. It also includes immune proteins and leukocytes, with the help of which the body's resistance to diseases increases, since infants have underdeveloped immunity.

Breast milk has optimal temperature, sterility and at any time, anywhere ready for use. Breastfeeding provides emotional contact between mother and child, the development of maternal instinct. When sucking on the breast, which has elasticity and softness, the child's bite is correctly formed. With problems that develop during the eruption of milk teeth, breast milk helps to relieve symptoms. It is also known that children who were breastfed at an older age are less prone to various diseases, compared with children who were fed artificially (infant formulas). Therefore, in order to achieve best result in the development of the child, the development of immunity, it is necessary to use breastfeeding and lasting as long as possible, at least one year.

How to prepare breasts and nipples for breastfeeding?

Even during pregnancy, you should pay attention to the shape of the nipples, it depends on them how the baby will take the breast. Nipples are pronounced, flat or inverted. Pronounced nipples are the most comfortable for the baby at the moment of capturing the breast with the mouth, and flat and inverted are less comfortable. Recall that the child sucks the breast, not the nipple, but still with a comfortable nipple shape, the child takes the breast easier and with pleasure. Women with flat or inverted nipples should not be discouraged as all that is needed is a little nipple preparation before delivery.

Applying special silicone caps to the area of ​​the areola (peripapillary circle), which have a hole, the nipple is pulled into it. It is recommended to wear such caps 3-4 weeks before childbirth, and half an hour before each feeding in the first weeks of breastfeeding. If you still didn’t have time to prepare the nipples, it’s okay, using a breast pump after childbirth will solve this problem for you in a couple of weeks. For all mothers who are breastfeeding, it is recommended to wear special bras, they do not squeeze and do not press the enlarged breast filled with milk, and also prevent contact with the skin of the breast and nipples harmful substances from clothing or the environment. In such bras, you can put special pads that collect leaking milk, preventing clothes from getting dirty.

It is also recommended to wear clothes for nursing mothers, they provide easy access to the breast. Be sure to wash your hands with soap before each feeding. The chest should be washed once a day, frequent washing breast per day, leads to a violation of the natural microflora of the peripapillary region, and possible inflammatory processes. The chest is washed with warm water, without using soap products (if you take a shower, then rinse clean water), they are harmful to the health of your child.

What is the mechanism of milk formation, the composition of breast milk?

Breast milk is produced by the mammary gland, under the influence of oxytocin (a hormone that birth pains) and prolactin (a hormone whose concentration increases when sucking the breast of a woman giving birth). Both hormones are produced by the pituitary gland (a gland located on the underside of the brain), and they influence the process of milk production. With an increase in the concentration of prolactin, milk production is stimulated by the cells of the mammary gland. Oxytocin promotes its expulsion by contraction of the muscles that are around the milk-forming cells, further along the milky canals (ducts), the milk comes to the nipple, the woman feels this process as breast engorgement (milk rush). The rate of milk production depends on the degree of breast emptying. When the breast is filled with milk, its production decreases, and when it is empty, its production increases accordingly. Also enhanced education milk contributes to the frequent application of the child to the breast. Enhanced milk production is noted only in the first 3-4 months of breastfeeding, in subsequent months it decreases.

The composition of milk changes over time. At the birth of a child, "colostrum" is secreted for several days, it is thick and sticky, yellow color, contains a large amount of immune proteins, they provide the development of immunity, for adaptation, the sterile body of a born baby, to environment. Colostrum is secreted in drops, and compared to milk, it is fatty, so even a very small amount is enough to saturate the baby.
"Transitional milk" appears on the 4th day after childbirth, it becomes more liquid, but its value remains the same as that of colostrum.

Mature milk appears at 3 weeks after birth, when breastfeeding, it white color, liquid consistency, less fat compared to colostrum, but fully meets the requirements of the baby's body. Almost 90% consists of water, so you should not give water to children, this only applies to children who are purely breastfed. Fat content in breast milk about 3-4%, but this figure often changes.

At the beginning of feeding, the so-called foremilk (the first portion) is released, there are fewer of them in it, therefore it is less high-calorie. In hindmilk (subsequent portions), the amount of fat increases, such milk is more high-calorie, and the child is saturated faster. In the first months of breastfeeding, milk is richer in fats than in the following months (starting from 5-6 months). Protein in breast milk is approximately 1%. The composition of proteins includes essential amino acids, which are easily absorbed by the baby's body. Among the usual beks that are necessary for the development of the child, there are also immune proteins that contribute to the development of immunity. Carbohydrates contain approximately 7%, the main representative is lactose. Lactose regulates the intestinal microflora, the absorption of calcium by the body. Also in the composition of milk, leukocytes (white blood cells) are included, when they enter the intestines of a child with milk, they destroy harmful bacteria. Milk also contains vitamins, various microelements involved in the complete satisfaction of the child's body.

How can you tell if your baby is getting enough milk?

A breastfed baby should be breastfed at will during the day and at least 3 times at night, averaging 10-12 times a day. Feeding on demand - this means that at the first sign of restlessness of the baby, it must be applied to the breast. In order for the child to be sated, it must be properly attached to the breast, it must be sucked rhythmically for about 5-20 minutes, swallowing movements should be heard during sucking (swallowing milk), a well-fed child may fall asleep under the breast, after feeding the breast should become soft. Signs of hunger an infant: opens its mouth wide, turns its head in different sides(looking for a nipple), whimpering, sucking fist.

A child suckles at the breast not only to quench thirst or hunger, but also to calm down, comfort, it is easier to fall asleep, recover, and get gassies out. Newborns are not able to regulate their bowels, so in order to push out gassies, they need a new portion of milk. Therefore, the younger the children, the more often they need to be applied to the chest. If the child is not naughty, gains weight well, neuropsychic development corresponds to age, this indicates that the body develops normally, it has enough food and enough milk, but this only applies to children under 6 months old. A child who is breastfed (up to 6 months), gain weight, must be at least 500 g per month, the upper limit of the increase for each child is individual. But if the process of eruption of milk teeth began earlier, then weight gain is possible and less than 500 g.

How to stimulate milk production?

• As mentioned above, the formation of milk occurs under the influence of two hormones, prolactin and oxytocin, which are produced in response to the suckling of the breast of a woman who has given birth. Therefore, in order to stimulate the production of milk, frequent stimulation of these two hormones is necessary, this implies frequent attachment of the child to the breast (necessarily night attachments), proper breast latch.
• Elimination of stress, tension, increased mental and physical tension, fatigue, these factors contribute to a decrease in the production of oxytocin and prolactin, and if they are not enough, the muscle cells will not be able to form and secrete milk, as a result of which the child will not be able to get the amount of milk he needs. Thus, all nursing mothers need: calmness, rest, calm environment, they should try to sleep well (daytime sleep is required, next to the child).
• Constant contact with the child (affects the production of hormones).
• A warm shower promotes better milk flow.
• Special lactogenic (better milk excretion) teas (sold in pharmacies) for nursing mothers.
• Lactic preparations, for example: Apilak.
• Walnut with honey also has a lactogenic effect, use honey with caution for mothers with children suffering from allergies.
• A nursing mother should follow a diet: eat on time, high-calorie foods and rich in vitamins (it doesn’t matter if your weight changes or not), drink more fluids, forget about any diets.
• Under no circumstances should you smoke or drink alcohol.

If there is insufficient milk production, it is urgent to seek help from a breastfeeding consultant.

How to apply the baby to the breast?

Proper attachment to the breast contributes to the sufficient supply of milk to the child, gaining weight, preventing the appearance of pain in the nipples and their cracks.

You can breastfeed while sitting or lying down, whichever is more comfortable for you. The baby should be turned with the whole body, and pressed against the mother. The baby's face should be close to the mother's chest. The baby's nose should be at the level of the nipple, tilting his head back a little, for free breathing through the nose, for convenience, a woman can hold her breasts at the base. The chin of the baby should touch the chest. The contact of the nipple with his lips will cause a search reflex and an opening of the mouth. The mouth must be open wide to capture maternal breast full mouth, underlip should be turned outward, so the baby should capture almost the entire areola with his mouth. During attachment to the chest, he makes rhythmic deep sucking movements, while swallowing milk is heard.

Expression of milk - indications and methods

Indications for expressing milk:

• feeding a premature or sick baby (in the case when the baby cannot suckle);
• leave milk if the mother needs to leave the baby;
• in case of lactostasis (stagnation of milk), to prevent mastitis (inflammation of the breast);
• increased milk production (when the baby has already eaten, and the breast is still full of milk).
• At inverted nipples mother (temporary pumping).

Breast milk can be expressed in 3 ways:
Expressed milk can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or in the freezer for up to 3 days.

Cracked nipples, what to do?

Nipple cracks are caused by improper attachment the baby to the breast, or improper expression of milk, frequent washing of the breast and the use of soap (when taking a shower, it is recommended to rinse the breast with clean water). If an infection penetrates through a damaged nipple, then mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland) may develop, therefore, if there are cracks, their timely treatment is necessary.

With small cracks, breastfeeding is continued through special silicone pads; with pronounced and painful cracks, it is recommended to stop feeding with a diseased breast, and the breast must be carefully expressed. For treatment, use: washing with a solution of furacilin, Bepanten ointment, Panthenol spray, 5% Synthomycin ointment, washing with 2% Chlorphyllipt solution, celandine juice and others. After each feeding, it is necessary to dry the nipple, treat it with one of the above means, cover the nipple with a sterile gauze pad.

Diet and hygiene of a nursing mother

A nursing mother should observe body hygiene (take a shower every day, rinsing her breasts with clean water), wear clean underwear, wash hands with soap before each feeding. Before each feeding, it is necessary to express a few drops of milk, to remove germs that could get from clothes.

A woman who is breastfeeding should not smoke, drink alcohol, drugs, strong tea, coffee, and, if possible, medicines.

Nursing mothers are recommended to take frequent walks with the baby on fresh air, frequent rest and daytime sleep.
Follow the diet, exclude all diets, plentiful drink. The diet should include foods rich in vitamins (vegetables and fruits), iron (found in meat, it is better to eat veal), foods rich in calcium (dairy products), rich in phosphorus (fish). With caution, use red vegetables and fruits (tomatoes, strawberries and others), eggs, as they can cause allergies in a child. Exclude citrus fruits from the diet, they also cause allergies. Products containing vegetable fiber (peas, beans) should also be excluded, as they lead to bloating in the baby. Garlic, onions, spices can spoil the taste of milk.

Breast milk is indispensable product for a newborn baby. It contains a large amount of nutrients that are formed during digestion. The appearance of milk is due to the hormone prolactin. Preparation of the body for its production begins from the very first day of conception.

The milk of a nursing woman has a slightly sweet taste. Sometimes you can see that it is salty. The composition of breast milk includes the following useful components.

During feeding, the child receives milk of different composition. First he drinks the front contents, and then the back.

The table clearly shows how useful and rich in various nutrients breast milk is.

The composition and properties of this product do not always remain constant. Many factors influence them.

• IN daytime milk is thicker during the day than at night.
• In hot weather, it thins out, and in cold weather it becomes thick.
• Weakening of the mother's immunity, taking medications, products with a strong, pronounced odor affect the composition, color and taste of the product.
• From the strength and perseverance with which the baby sucks the breast, its consistency depends. With strong, intense sucking, the milk becomes thick and fatty.

For a woman, time is important breastfeeding lead healthy lifestyle life. You can only eat high-quality and hypoallergenic food. Worth giving up bad habits(alcohol, nicotine). Do not eat spicy, salty, too sweet.

It is useful to feed the child not by the clock, but on demand. This helps to improve lactation and the appearance useful substances. How much does a child need in the first days after birth?

Initially, about 40 milligrams will be enough, by the month the amount of milk will increase to 100 milligrams. The baby usually decides how much milk he needs.

Features of the production of breast milk

To answer the question of how breast milk is formed, you should know the structure of the mammary gland and physiological processes lactation.

The mammary gland consists of cavities, between which there are narrow ducts. Near the nipple, they expand and turn into lactiferous sinuses. On the other base of the ducts there are cells that are responsible for the production of milk.

Several cells grouped together form an alveolus. There are several million similar alveoli in the mammary gland.

Prolactin is responsible for milk production in the alveoli. It enters the blood of a woman after the birth of a child. If for some reason breastfeeding is delayed, don't worry. Prolactin in large quantities remains even after a month. During sucking, the muscles contract and fluid is released from the cells.

The hormone oxytocin is responsible for the functioning of the muscle fibers that carry milk through the ducts. mammary glands.

It expands the lactiferous sinuses so that it can be freely released during sucking. The work of oxytocin can be felt due to the appearance of a feeling of fullness in the chest.

It is important to know how much mature milk should be produced per day. Its amount should reach 1.5 liters. Mature milk is divided into foremilk and hindmilk. Each of them has characteristic properties.

The foremilk is bluish in color and is runny. Appears at the beginning of breast sucking. It is rich in carbohydrates, salts and water. The anterior content helps replenish fluid loss and quench thirst.

The hindmilk is yellow and thick. This is a complete food for babies. The formation of the posterior contents is improved due to the frequent application of the baby to the breast, during night feeding and with prolonged and frequent application to the same chest. Back milk improves the intestinal microflora.

In order for the baby to evenly receive foremilk and hindmilk, you can give after each feeding different breasts. It happens that the baby refuses to suck out the hind milk, as it takes energy. The woman hurriedly offers another breast. As a result, the baby receives only foremilk. But foremilk cannot satisfy hunger.

With the age of the child, the composition of breast milk also changes. It adapts to the needs of a growing organism, which needs some vitamins in larger quantities, others in smaller quantities.

When a baby is 6 months old, the need for fats and proteins decreases. Large amounts of lipids and carbohydrates are produced. During the growth of teeth, the amount of calcium increases. It is useful to continue feeding after a year.

It is a great source of vitamins and antibodies that protect against infections. On this stage milk is very thick and yellow.

Characteristics of milk

Many factors affect how breast milk looks. The main characteristics that define it appearance, are:

• color (yellow, white);
• taste (salty, sweet);
• consistency (thick, liquid).

The color of the milk is affected by its consistency and the time of day at which the feeding takes place. Liquid milk has a bluish color. Thick - yellow or white.

The color of the liquid depends on the food. For example, Orange color milk can be from carrots or pumpkins. Greenish milk may indicate the presence of spinach, broccoli in the diet. Sometimes it can be seen pink color. This indicates the ingress of blood (cracks in the nipples, rupture of blood vessels). In any case, you can drink it.

The taste of milk depends on the products that the woman consumed. It can be salty or sweet. Sometimes children may refuse to drink such milk. Emotional condition Mom also determines the taste and color of breast milk.

Salted milk becomes like this because of a large number mineral salts. This phenomenon is related to the needs of the baby. As soon as his body gets enough of them, salted milk will lose this property.

Breast milk is constantly renewed. For example, from the age of four months, the amount of calcium increases. This is due to the fact that the baby begins to learn to sit down, get up. During this period, the first teeth appear. If the child has pain, then an analgesic component appears in the composition of the milk. In the case when my mother had viral infection, antibodies increase in milk, and it can be drunk. The amount of lysozyme increases when the child himself is ill.

Milk is updated almost every minute. This is very convenient, since the condition of the baby can also change very often.

Useful characteristics of breast milk

Useful properties that are contained in a woman's milk are necessary for the full growth and development of the baby.

Breast milk is a source of all the essential nutrients necessary for the development of the brain, for the normal functioning of the digestive organs. It strengthens the immune system of the child and is able to protect him from infectious diseases.

This is great prophylactic from diseases such as allergies, pneumonia, diarrhea, atherosclerosis.

Often the question arises whether a woman can drink her milk. It will not bring harm, but still you should not drink it. Some women do not produce enzymes that can break down the complex composition of breast milk. If you drink your own milk, you may experience signs of indigestion (nausea, heartburn, abdominal pain, impaired stools).

Dairy products, which we are used to buying in the store, undergo complex fermentation processing. As a result, complex proteins break down and are easily digested.

It is very important to establish lactation from the first days. Mother's milk cannot replace any other product. It improves the functioning of all organs, has a beneficial effect on emotional sphere not only the baby, but also the mother.

How breast milk is formed, and what mechanisms make the mammary gland fill with nutrient fluid - it is useful for all women to know. This will help develop the right mechanisms lactation and avoid common mistakes that nursing mothers make.

Physiological processes that trigger lactation and maintain it long time are regulated by several hormones and one polypeptide. Hormones are responsible for the growth of the secretory tissue of the mammary glands, the production of colostrum, mature milk, and control the level of nutrient fluid in the glands.

Stop lactation prematurely can disrupt the functioning of the organs of internal secretion. At normal condition nervous system and satisfactory functioning of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, milk production will continue for a long time. healthy women can feed their babies with milk until they decide to end the process themselves.

What biochemical substances are involved in the process

Changes in female breast begin with the beginning of pregnancy under the influence of estrogen and progesterone. These two female hormone are responsible for the normal development of the fetus and control all the changes that occur in the body of the expectant mother. They stimulate the formation of milk ducts, at the end of which alveoli are formed. Their walls are made up of cells covered with special kind epithelium, and are called lactocides. Of these, colostrum is produced after 4 months of pregnancy. In the middle of the second trimester, the formation of the mammary gland ends, and it is ready to produce milk. It prevents this process from starting high level progesterone, which is produced by the placenta.

After the release of the newborn birth canal out, the placenta can no longer change hormonal background. It is removed, progesterone is no longer produced, and processes are launched in the body that regulate the production of breast milk. They are controlled by prolactin and oxytocin.

How Prolactin Works

Prolactin stimulates the work of lactocides, which produce milk under its influence. The process starts when the baby takes the nipple and its areola into his mouth. At this point, the pituitary gland receives a signal that feeding has begun, and this stimulates the production of prolactin.

The hormone first enters the bloodstream, then it is delivered through the bloodstream to the mammary gland, where it is taken to work. This happens every time the baby is near the breast and stimulates the nipple with the areola. Therefore, the nurses on duty in the maternity hospital force women in childbirth to constantly hold the baby under the breast so that they stimulate lactation.

The hormone is produced when a woman herself stimulates the areola and nipple with a breast pump or with her hands. Regular increases the production of prolactin, and the amount of milk increases. The body does not care what caused the emptying of the breast. The pituitary gland receives a signal about its devastation, and it resumes the production of the desired hormone. This property of the organism is often used in living conditions when to maintain a high level of lactation or increase its level. A significant part of prolactin is excreted from the body an hour and a half after feeding due to its suppression by the polypeptide, and a new feeding is required for the process to start again.

The pituitary gland actively produces this hormone after 3 am and continues to work until 7 am. For 4 hours in the morning it is produced daily rate hormone. Therefore, women who put babies to sleep in their bed have more possibilities for breastfeeding than mothers who do not breastfeed their babies in the early hours of the morning.

Nighttime baby feedings naturally increase lactation. Even those women who keep their children on because they suffer from insufficient milk due to hormonal disruptions have the opportunity to breastfeed their baby for up to three years. To do this, they need to apply in the early morning hours.

What does oxytacin do

Nutrient fluid comes out of the nipple only when oxytocin is present. Its production by the pituitary gland stimulates the sucking of the child. How longer baby breastfeeding, the more oxytocin is produced. He's working on reducing the lactic acids, and they're draining the milk into the ducts. Its production occurs not only during the stimulation of the areola. The hormone is produced when:

• thoughts about the baby
• crying baby;
• a sharp change in ambient temperature;
• mechanical stimulation of the areola by hand.

Thanks to this hormone, women feel pleasure during feeding. A nursing mother can determine the moment of active work of this hormone by tingling in the mammary gland. At this time, the ducts dilate, and the baby begins to suck more slowly, because he needs time to swallow the liquid.

Oxytocin is produced when the nervous system works well. Cessation of lactation can occur not only at the request of a woman. Stressful situation, experienced by the mother, is able to completely suppress the production of oxytocin. Therefore, a woman who is breastfeeding a child is advised to maintain a good mood and engage in raising a baby.

Young women must understand that everything that happens around is the course of everyday life, which cannot be changed by manifestations of negative emotions. Ability to calm down and relax difficult moments life allows not only to maintain lactation, but also to have a healthy, properly developing baby.

The role of the polypeptide in the body

The amount of milk in the mammary gland is regulated by the polypeptide. It suppresses the process of lactation when the baby stops eating. This mechanism allows you to protect the breast from overflow and rupture of breast tissue. The longer the breaks between feedings, the more the inhibitor percentage increases. At high concentrations of the polypeptide, milk is produced more slowly in the breast. After the baby is attached to the breast, the substance that inhibits lactation is excreted along with the milk, and this allows you to speed up the process of lactation.

Feeding on demand is the most natural way to breastfeed your baby. In this mode, the mechanisms of hormone production are regulated by the baby. Milk production is worked out by the frequency of attachment of the baby to the breast. Doctors recommend feeding on demand. This allows you to regulate the production of hormones and polypeptide. The appetite of an infant naturally determines the daily milk production of a nursing woman, and this allows him to grow and develop normally.

All feeding mechanisms are debugged in the first three months of feeding. Transition to mature lactation eliminates the sudden rush of milk to the breast. The breast ceases to actively fill with milk, and remains soft in between feedings. Breast milk appears only at the moment when the baby begins to eat. It arrives at the moment of active sucking. It will be enough for feeding up to 6 months without complementary foods. To get properly formed mechanisms of lactation, women must first months on demand and be sure to feed the baby before the morning.

Thanks to the ability to produce milk in the breast of a woman, we can provide the newborn baby with the nutrients he needs. The production of breast milk in the female breast after pregnancy is called lactation.

The internal structure of the mammary glands

Milk production occurs in the glandular tissue represented by the alveoli. This is the name given to the small "pouches" in a woman's breasts that produce milk. The ducts come out of these “sacs”, which connect with each other and merge into the milk sinuses next to the nipple. From these sinuses, approximately ten to twenty ducts exit to the nipple.

Many mothers with small size breasts worry about the amount of milk that will be produced in their mammary glands after childbirth. However, the difference in the size of the mammary glands is mainly affected not by the amount of glandular tissue, but by the content of adipose tissue. In addition, by the end of pregnancy, most expectant mothers have breast augmentation.

Breast changes during pregnancy

Although milk production begins when the baby is already born, breast milk during pregnancy occurs. different processes and changes to prepare her for lactation. This is first of all hormonal changes. Simultaneously with the increase in the amount of estrogen in the body of a woman during pregnancy, stimulation of the production of the hormone prolactin begins. This hormone stimulates mammary glands start producing milk. Its amount increases by the end of the gestation period, but due to the circulation of progesterone and estrogens in the blood of the pregnant woman, milk is not yet formed.

The nipples, as well as the areas of the breast around them (they are called areolas), become darker and enlarge. Small bumps appear on them, represented by glands that secrete sebum. It will serve as a natural moisturizer responsible for the elasticity and softness of the nipples.

During pregnancy, the breasts are already preparing for lactation and feeding the baby.

By the end of pregnancy, along with a decrease in the level of progesterone, as well as estrogens, the activity of prolactin increases, which is a stimulus for the alveoli of the mammary glands. The alveoli fill with milk and stretch, so the woman's breasts increase in size. However, milk often does not flow out, but remains in the breast until the baby begins to suck it. Also, one of the factors in the increase in female breast size during pregnancy is an increase in blood flow to the gland.

Colostrum

The first liquid begins to stand out from the female breast yellowish tint which is called colostrum. This type of milk is different great content proteins, but more valuable for colostrum is a significant content of antibodies, as well as minerals. Thanks to this composition, colostrum will protect the baby from inflammatory and infectious diseases, as well as have a laxative effect to cleanse the baby's intestines from meconium.

Although there is not much colostrum, it is fully capable of meeting the needs of a newborn baby. Moreover, in this form women's milk contains active substances that prevent the development of allergic reactions and stimulate the work of the children's intestines. That is why it is important that the baby is applied to the breast in the first minutes after childbirth.

Colostrum is secreted in the first few days after childbirth. Already three to four days after childbirth, milk begins to stand out from the breast, which is called transitional. In it, the concentration of minerals and protein decreases, and fat becomes more. The amount of milk also increases. Often 3-4 days postpartum period a woman has a strong flow of milk.

Colostrum differs in color from mature milk, but contains great amount necessary trace elements for a newborn

mature milk

This type of human milk begins to be produced in the breast of a nursing mother from the second week after birth. Its composition is constantly changing to meet all the needs of a growing baby. On average, such milk contains about 1% protein, about 6-7% carbohydrates and 3-4% fat. Read more about the composition and fat content of breast milk in another article.

Formation of human milk in the postpartum period

The formation of milk in the female breast is influenced by both hormones and the reflexes formed with their participation. Due to a certain hormonal balance, milk begins to be produced in the mammary glands, and the flow of this valuable fluid to the baby is provided by reflexes.

The role of prolactin

The main function of this hormone is to stimulate the formation of mother's milk in the breast. When the baby suckles, the nerve endings located on the nipple are stimulated and send signals to the mother's brain tissue. It produces prolactin. The peak of its appearance in the mother's body falls on the time immediately after the baby sucks the breast. This helps to store milk inside the breast for the next feeding.

The process linking the stimulation of the nipples by sucking and the secretion of milk in the breast is called the prolactin reflex. Note that this hormone is produced more at night, so sucking during a night's sleep is especially important for maintaining lactation. Another action of prolactin is to suppress the activity of the ovaries and delay menstruation in lactating women.

Role of oxytocin

The main function of this hormone is to stimulate the release of milk from the breast. When a baby suckles at the breast and stimulates the nerve receptors of the nipple with this action, this affects not only the level of prolactin. At the same time, oxytocin is also produced. It is responsible for the contraction of muscle cells inside the mammary glands. These cells are located around the alveoli, so milk begins to flow through the ducts to the sinuses and nipples. Another action of this hormone is to reduce muscle tissue uterus, which is especially important for stopping bleeding after childbirth.

The woman's body is full of interesting reflexes, one of which is the release of milk into right moment

The process that links a baby's stimulation of the nipple and the release of milk from the breast is called the oxytocin reflex. Since oxytocin "works" during feeding, therefore, it ensures the release of milk for the baby's nutrition precisely in the process of breastfeeding.

This reflex can be influenced by the emotions and feelings of the mother, which can make it difficult or easier for the baby to receive milk from the breast. If the mother is confident in the success of breastfeeding, relaxed and positive, oxytocin is actively produced. If the mother feels discomfort, pain, doubts, worries and worries, the oxytocin reflex can be suppressed.

Lactation is strongly affected psychological factors, which is why a nursing mother needs to relax and rest more

Relationship between baby's requirements and milk supply

It is important for a nursing mother to understand that more milk will be produced in the breast in response to the baby suckling. The more the baby sucks on her mother's breast, the more milk will be produced. That is why the breast gives exactly as much milk as the baby “requests” from it. And if the mother's goal is to increase lactation, then the child needs to be applied more often and longer, or to express breast milk left after feeding.

When infant crying means he needs something: crying is his only way to attract attention. It does not have to be a feeling of hunger: it can be thirst, and the need for closeness and warmth of the mother (skin contact). native mother will always give the baby a breast if he is hungry. The infant is breastfeeding not only in name, it must at this stage of its life be nourished by mother's milk in order to full development- this is the meaning of the mammary glands in women. allowed only in extreme cases. Breastfeeding allows mother and baby to develop close relationships with each other. love relationship. The close bond of the child with the mother is a prerequisite for what he will later have a good relationship with other people. This gives the child the opportunity to develop normally. If the baby is being bottle-fed, it is easier for the mother to give the baby to someone else to feed or to simply place the bottle next to the baby so that the baby suckles on its own. So the child gets less love, warmth and encouragement.

Mother's milk has not only a unique individual composition. Many infants distinguish "their" milk from "someone else's" by smell. Sucking requires certain physical efforts from the child, which is fully consistent with the assertion of Hippocrates that a person cannot maintain health only with the help of proper nutrition, without physical activity. Since the baby does not live on milk alone, all his other needs - physical, social, mental and spiritual - are satisfied simultaneously with touching the mother's breast, feeling the beating of his own heart nearby, hearing the mother's voice, which lays the foundation for further language development, etc. d.

About the properties of breast milk

Mother's milk - unique product created by nature itself. It is able to ensure the life and health of the baby, protect the child's body from early development" class="wordlink" title="https://www.7ya.ru/pub/early">раннего развития !} allergies, dysbiosis, infections, prevent the occurrence of various diseases and metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes, etc.). The exceptional value of breast milk is primarily determined by its composition, which has kinship with the composition of cells and tissues of the child's body. Breastfeeding is the main link in the "biological umbilical cord" that provides contact between the newborn and his mother.

During fetal development, the baby receives all the nutrients from the mother's blood. After birth, the way of feeding changes: the child begins to receive food from the outside. All the digestive organs of the newborn are not yet sufficiently developed, therefore, the closer the composition of food to the composition of the tissues of the infant, the easier it is for him to process food digestion, assimilation and metabolic processes. Most of all, these requirements are met by mother's breast milk.

Human milk protein consists mainly of so-called whey proteins (albumins and globulins), which are very easily absorbed by the child's body. Coarse protein - casein in women's milk is 10 times less than in cow's. In addition, the protein molecules of human milk are smaller than cow's. Under the influence of gastric juice, they form thin loose flakes that are easily processed by digestive enzymes. The processes of digestion are also facilitated by special enzymes of human milk involved in the processes of protein breakdown (trypsin, pepsinogen, etc.).

Breast milk fats also have features that ensure their high assimilation (by 90 - 95%). Human milk fats are a thin emulsion - finely divided particles suspended in water, easily amenable to the action of digestive juices. The composition of human milk fat is different high content polyunsaturated fatty acids(1.5-2 times higher than in fat cow's milk) and low melting point. Easier digestion and complete assimilation of breast milk fat is facilitated by the special enzyme contained in it - lipase, which breaks down fats.

Carbohydrates of women's milk are 90% represented by milk sugar - lactose, which is different in structure from lactose in cow's milk. Lactose is absorbed more slowly in the small intestine of the child and therefore, in a partially unsplit form, reaches the large intestine, where it has a stimulating effect on the development of beneficial microorganisms. Under the influence of lactose, microbes that produce B vitamins develop better. Lactose and other carbohydrates in human milk promote the growth of bifidobacteria, which suppress the development of pathogens in the intestine. Therefore, children who are breastfed are much less likely to suffer from acute intestinal diseases.

Women's milk is also distinguished by the optimal composition of minerals necessary for normal growth And . Calcium and phosphorus salts are ideal for baby ratio 2:1 (in cow - 1:1). According to the content of iron, copper, zinc and other trace elements necessary for normal development a child, breast milk is much richer than cow's milk, and their degree of digestibility is higher.

The vitamin composition of women's milk also mainly satisfies the needs of the child's body. However, this largely depends on the quality of the mother's nutrition. Women's milk is superior to cow's in the content of vitamins (A, E, D). Vitamins are found in compounds that are well absorbed by the child's body.

It is estimated that the digestion of human milk requires three times less gastric juice, hydrochloric acid, and enzymes than the same amount of cow's milk.

To the number unique properties breast milk is the content in it of the so-called protective factors - special immunologically active substances and cellular elements that protect the body from infections. These factors include lysozyme, lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, etc., which inhibit growth pathogenic microbes that promote the growth of beneficial microflora, increasing the level of protection of the cells of the child's body.

And one more irreplaceable artificial mixtures The quality of mother's milk is the content in it of a whole complex of growth factors, special hormones that regulate the growth and development of the child. Therefore, in children receiving mother's milk, optimal rates of physical and neuropsychic development.

Breastfed children are much less likely to suffer from rickets, anemia, pneumonia, acute respiratory and other infectious diseases, they do not often manifest allergic reactions. It has been noticed that children who were breastfed are distinguished by good physical development, they are more calm, balanced, friendly and benevolent, they have a better development of the intellect, they are more contact, more attached to their mother and relatives.

Benefits and conveniences of breastfeeding:

• Breast milk is always ready to drink and does not require preparation
• Breast milk cannot sour or spoil in the breast, even if the mother has not breastfed the baby for several days
• Breast milk is free - you don't have to buy it
• Breast milk is for your baby only.
• Breast milk reduces the risk of intestinal infections
• Breast milk - reducing the risk of respiratory viral infections
• Breast milk - reduced risk of allergic diseases
• Breast milk - the benefits of the physical development of children
• Breast milk - regulation biological age and maturation of children
• Breast milk - the benefits of the neuropsychological development of children
• Breast milk - reduced risk of obesity and diabetes.

Ten steps to successful breastfeeding

Given the importance of the fight for breastfeeding, in 1989 World Organization Health (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have published a Joint Report titled "Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding: The special role of maternity services". It describes how maternity services can support breastfeeding. After all, the style of work of medical institutions most of all affects the spread of breastfeeding. Poor organization of work contributes to the spread artificial nutrition. Good - successful breastfeeding that will continue for a long time. In maternity hospitals, mothers are helped to start breastfeeding immediately after giving birth. Other medical institutions help keep it going. The Ten Steps is a summary of the main recommendations of this joint report. They also formed the basis of the "Baby Friendly Hospital" initiative.

To each maternity hospital and a newborn care hospital should:

1. Strictly adhere to the established rules for breastfeeding and regularly bring these rules to the attention of medical personnel and women in labor.
2. Teach medical staff skills needed to practice breastfeeding.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and techniques of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within the first half hour after birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to keep lactating even if they are temporarily separated from their babies.
6. Do not give newborn babies any food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
7. Practice round-the-clock finding of the mother and the newborn side by side in the same room.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand rather than on a schedule.
9. Do not give newborns who are breastfed, any sedatives and devices that mimic the mother's breast (nipples, etc.).
10. Encourage the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to these groups after discharge from maternity hospital or hospitals.

Employees of the Department of Children's Diseases N3 with courses of endocrinology and homeopathy FUV of the Russian State Medical University L.I. Ilyenko and A.Yu. Kostenko.
Article from the book "A book for parents about breastfeeding and rules for the care of newborns.

Kostenko A.Yu. Ilyenko L.I.,

Discussion

And mine sucked at the breast until the age of 3, but from the age of 1.5, an often ill child also suffers from allergies

09/13/2015 05:36:23 PM, Bota Mukanova

My daughter is 2.5 and still breastfeeding. We tried everything that was advised, but nothing helped. It doesn’t bother me, although many say that it’s harmful for a child to suck until so many years old

06.11.2004 22:40:08, Tatyana

My son is a year old and has been breastfeeding day and night for three months. I have been at work since September 1st. Tell me how to properly wean a baby from the breast without injuring him.

09/04/2004 19:21:58, Larisa

Who can tell me how to contact the author of the book "We are expecting a baby" William and Martha Serz?
I will be very grateful.
The fact is that I really liked the book, but there is no answer to a question that worries me extremely. I'm already waiting fourth child, was first born with caesarean section and since then, even under normal vaginal delivery every time they do the so-called. manual examination of the uterus. I want to know the opinion of the authors of the book and, perhaps, other people, how necessary it is, whether it is possible to refuse, what can happen and how likely it is. Thanks to everyone who will answer me, and especially to professionals (just do not once again express the generally accepted point of view of Soviet gynecologists - I have already heard this more than once).

08/23/2003 07:16:09 am

I have two girls - 4 years and 1 year 8 months. She nursed both of them, and she gave birth to both at home, so she first applied to the breast in the first hour after birth. As a result, I still don’t know any problems with allergies, the eldest was fed up to 1.5 years, the youngest - up to 9-10 months. Refused themselves, each in its own time. And about night feedings - no problems, from three months each began to sleep all night. So it's really very individual. True, with the eldest it turned out that in 15 months she had to live with her grandmother for a week or two. The breasts didn’t demand much, they just missed me, of course. And upon returning, she did not remember the breast. Only when she fell asleep, she asked me to hold her in my arms, and after 2 months - to sit by the bed. So we unlearned, by themselves. You just need to feel your baby and then everything will work out. And I, after I finished feeding, even regretted that everything ended so quickly. After all, we will live together for a long, long time, and there will no longer be such love and close contact with the baby, as during breastfeeding. Even about night feedings she recalled with sadness. After all, I always fed lying down - I put my daughter under her side and slept together, after 30-40 minutes I shifted the sleepy one to the crib and that's it, no problems. So wind on your mustache :).

04/05/2001 02:22:43, Rose

Statja interesnaja. Jazivu v Svecii. Zdes s kormleniem grudju bolee or menee situacija normalnaja.Hotja i zdes
hvataet zansin, stremjasihsja "sunut" butilku so smesju
like mozno ranse.
Moemu sinu 10 mesjacev. Butilku's soskoj on nikogda ne videl, tolko grud. Napitki pjot iz kruzki.
Ja planiruju kormitgrudju do 1.5-2 let.K takomu reseniju mne pomogla pridti kniga amerikanskogo vracha William Sears "The baby book"(Vas rebjonok).
All recommenduju.

With your mouth! Then why am I, who has been breastfed since birth, a nervous, restless, unbalanced allergy sufferer. The only thing that is still "mother's daughter."
Everything is very individual, it seems to me that it is impossible to generalize like that.

01/19/2001 06:49:11 PM, sichan