The Wonders & Beauty of the Female Body
Today I would like to write a short post celebrating the incredible powers of the female body. Our bodies have the amazing superpower of growing a baby, giving birth to a baby, and then nourishing that baby ourselves, all of which is, to say the least, mind blowing.
In this post I would like to focus on breastfeeding, a uniquely female ability, which in my estimation is such an incredibly beautiful thing. Breastmilk, after all, is no ordinary substance.
For example, did you know that the composition of breastmilk, the production of which begins once you give birth, changes over time? A woman’s breastmilk is tailor-made for her baby’s specific needs at each stage of development.
- In the first few days after a baby is born the mother produces colostrum, which is a kind of pre-milk packed with antibodies, nutrients, and white blood cells. All of which the baby needs. Colostrum also coats the baby’s stomach, preventing his/her new digestive system from harmful bacteria.
- After a few days of colostrum, the mother produces transitional milk. This milk has more lactose, fat, and calories.
- After the tenth day postpartum, the mother produces mature milk, which is what the baby feeds on the longest.
The composition of breastmilk also changes during each feeding session:
- In a single feeding session the composition of breastmilk changes. First the foremilk comes out, which is lighter and more of a thirst quencher for the baby. After a few minutes, the hindmilk starts to come out, which is fattier and full of protein so the baby can develop properly. It’s important for the baby to feed long enough to get the hindmilk out, as that allows the baby to put on weight and grow.
Breastmilk begins to be produced once the placenta is pushed out or removed via c-section. Once this happens, the woman’s body starts shifting the levels of hormones around to prepare for lactation. Estrogen and progesterone levels decline after delivery and prolactin levels increase, which tells the breasts that it’s time to make milk. As baby starts suckling, the level of prolactin keeps increasing, which in turn increases milk production.
Breastmilk is a supply and demand situation, and our bodies have the incredible ability to regulate our milk production to the exact amount that baby needs. The more baby feeds, the more milk we produce, and the less baby feeds, the less we produce.
INCREDIBLE!
So this is just one of the many wonderful things that the female body is capable of and should be celebrated all the time. Evolution has allowed us to care for our young from our own bodies. Incredible. Incredible. Incredible!
Bibliography:
Murkoff, Heidi. What to Expect the First Year. 3rd Edition. New York, Workman Publishing, 2014.
