 When you give birth to your baby, your milk-producing cells also starts the process of making the thick, yellowish, protein-rich colostrum that will enrich your baby on the road to good health. Colostrum provides all the nutrients and fluid that your newborn needs in the early days, plus it contains many sub-stances to protect your baby against infections. The protein content of Colostrum is high compared to mature milk. While the sugar and fat content is considerably lower than the mature milk. Its color and thickness are due to the fact that it is higher in these protective factors. Your body will produce colostrum for several days after delivery until your milk becomes more creamy or white in color and increases in amount-a time that mothers frequently refer to as the milk "coming in."
Your baby will be born with a suckling instinct, which is stronger in some babies than in others. You should introduce the breast as soon as possible since this instinct is at its peak immediately after birth. His suckling at your breast will serve two purposes, firstly it will stimulate your breasts to produce more milk, thus beginning the establishment of a reliable milk supply and secondly your uterus will start contracting thereby decreasing the chance of ex-cessive bleeding after delivery. This first feeding will also help him begin to learn how to nurse.
In fact, the initial phase of breastfeeding is a learning process for both mother and baby. Some newborns may not be inclined to suckle. Fortunately, the need for fluids is much less in newborns and their mothers` breasts contain only small amounts of the very important colostrum. Since the breasts are not yet extremely full of milk, they remain soft and supple after delivery, making it eas-ier for the baby to learn to suckle. Your baby may lose some weight during his first few days of life, which is absolutely normal. Gradually his appetite and need for fluids will increase. Be-tween approximately two to five days after birth, the colostrum production will give way to a higher volume of transitional milk.
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