What’s in Breastmilk

To mark International Breastfeeding week, Debra Hennessy, IBCLC, Family Nursing and Home Care (FNHC), and Deborah McCoy, Infant Feeding Specialist Midwife, Health for Community Services (HCS), have collaborated on a series of blog posts to celebrate the week.

Have you ever wondered what your breastmilk is made up of?
A lot more than you think!!

Breastmilk is designed for newborn tummies.

Did you know, Breastmilk contains mostly water, 87% in fact !

So what does the other 13% contain?

Well, the other 13% is everything the baby needs to grow, develop, and gain weight, as well as protective factors against infection.
It contains:
Carbohydrates for energy
Protein for building muscle and bones
Fats for weight gain and fatty acids for neurological development of your baby.
Vitamins and Minerals to support healthy growth and development (but only a small quantity of Vitamin D therefore a supplement is advised for Mum’s and babies)
Growth factors to aid development of the nervous, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems.
Hormones Chemical messengers that carry signals from one cell to another via the blood supply. The most common hormones are Prolactin, Oxytocin, Cortisol, Thyroid hormones, and Insulin.
Enzymes to support your baby’s growth and nutrition.
Antiproteases helping to reduce the risks of allergic and anaphylactic reactions.
Antimicrobial factors help to identify and neutralise harmful bacteria and viruses.

As you can see, breastmilk is pretty amazing and gives your baby a fantastic start to its newborn life.