What is colostrum and how does it work? Colostrum is naturally made by the human mammary glands in response to pregnancy, lactation, or breastfeeding. Throughout all these processes, the skin, breasts, and gastrointestinal tract are exposed to colostrum. However, there are situations where you will not get this vital health mineral.
Humans nurse about a quart of colostrum from their breasts on a daily basis. Most species will start to produce colostrum about two weeks before giving birth. The intestines will take it from the mouth and begin to manufacture colostrum in the gastrointestinal tract about two hours after birth.
Colostrum stimulates the uterus and allows breast milk to flow easier. It is important to give your newborn the appropriate colostrum dosage upon arrival. Some mothers worry that they are not getting enough colostrum and that they should increase the amount to meet their baby’s needs.
However, the majority of nurses have noticed that they can safely decrease the colostrum dosage during the early weeks. This decrease can also allow the infant to receive colostrum-based formula. You should not change the amount of colostrum that you give your baby but you may give a small amount less than the normal breast milk.
The benefits of colostrum go beyond the early months. In fact, colostrum plays an important role in the development of the immune system of babies and the prevention of asthma and other illnesses. Because colostrum strengthens the formation of mucous lining and bones, it has been used for thousands of years to prevent illness and injury.
In today’s society, the benefits of colostrum supplements are becoming more clear. A mother can get the same benefits from her own supply of colostrum as other mothers have been getting for generations. Because colostrum is an organic product it is safe and beneficial to both mother and baby.
By providing the right amount of colostrum, a mother can provide her baby the protection and nutrition he or she needs to thrive. Unlike when a baby is born, mothers do not have to worry about the amount of colostrum that they are consuming. Mothers will have plenty of time to determine just how much of this valuable nutritional fluid they need.
They simply take a measurement of how much milk they can normally provide their babies with at different stages in their lives. Once they have determined how much colostrum they can safely consume, they consult with their doctor to find out exactly how much of this important fluid they need to provide their baby with.
Once a baby is weaned, the mother can stop taking her daily dose of colostrum. However, some women choose to continue taking their supplements even after they weaned their baby because they still want to provide their baby with the important nutrients found in colostrum.
Of course, the amount of colostrum a mother consumes through diet and supplements will vary depending on the specific brand of formula they use. Generally speaking, however, most formulas do contain about one tablespoon of colostrum for every eight ounces of breast milk that they provide their baby with.
As long as a mother is producing enough colostrum for his or her infant, it does not pose a health risk to him or her. Babies can’t really tell the difference between colostrum and ordinary cow’s milk, so it is generally safe for babies to consume colostrum through any source of formula.
Colostrum can play a big role in the well-being of an infant and therefore it is important that a mother consider all of her options when deciding what is best for her baby’s health. While we’re at this and before we end, we encourage you to carefully study about how much colostrum does a newborn need thru this informative write-up on fruitofspirit.com.