5 things I didn't know about breastfeeding until I did it

One thing that completely baffled me was the notion of "harvesting colostrum"; the process of hand-expressing colostrum into a syringe from around 36 weeks' pregnancy. Colostrum is the first milk produced before mature milk comes in, and is typically thick, golden and produced in small volumes. It's rich in immune compounds including antibodies, growth factors and antimicrobial proteins that help support a newborn's developing immune system.⁴ Despite colostrum harvesting kits being readily available to purchase, most people don’t need to do it unless it’s recommended by a midwife. It’s not something that I did, but it is sometimes recommended for women with diabetes, as expressed colostrum can be used after birth to help reduce the need for formula or intravenous glucose if a baby develops low blood sugar.⁵ Once my milk supply was established, I found myself pumping several times a day and quickly filled the fridge and freezer with labelled bags of milk. I distinctly remember holding up two bags to my husband, jokingly asking whether he thought Ruby would want the "semi-skimmed" that I’d pumped one morning, or the "full-fat" that I’d pumped at night. One bag contained a thin, bluish milk, while the other had a rich golden hue with a thick layer of cream on top. 

Incredibly, breastmilk isn't nutritionally static: its composition changes throughout lactation, across individual feeds, and over the course of the day. Morning milk is often lower in fat and contains higher concentrations of cortisol, while evening milk contains more melatonin and can be naturally higher in fat. It’s thought that these differences may help support babies’ sleep patterns and their developing body clocks.⁶ 

Breastmilk contains hundreds of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs)—complex carbohydrates that babies can't digest themselves. Instead, they selectively nourish beneficial gut bacteria, particularly Bifidobacterium, helping to establish the infant gut microbiome during one of the most important windows of development.⁷ 

I also loved learning how dynamically breastmilk responds to a baby’s changing needs. Milk contains antibodies and other immune factors that help protect newborns from pathogens and support the development of their immune system.⁸ 

The breastfeeding hunger and thirst were next level. Every time I sat down to feed, I needed a glass of water within arm's reach. Soon there were water bottles scattered around the house, in the car, beside the bed and at the bottom of every changing bag. I think pumping really helped me to understand just how important it was to stay hydrated, as I had visual evidence of how much fluid was leaving my body. 

There's good reason for that. Producing breastmilk requires considerable energy, alongside increased fluid and nutrient demands. During the first year after birth, breastfeeding mothers generally require additional calories, protein and several key micronutrients to support both milk production and their own health.⁹ 

I spent a lot of maternity leave in coffee shops with my new friends from the antenatal course, so naturally, a latte and oat cookie became a staple in my nutrition. Despite common misconceptions, there is little evidence that moderate caffeine intake (around one cup of coffee a day) causes clinically significant effects in most breastfed babies.¹⁰ I was very thankful to know this, as I definitely wasn’t prepared to give up coffee when I was functioning on so little sleep. 

I was also pleased to discover that oats are commonly used as a galactagogue—one of the foods traditionally thought to increase breastmilk production.¹¹ Although specific studies on the effects of oats on breastmilk are yet to be conducted, there is widespread anecdotal evidence that they may help, and regardless, they are a nutritious source of complex carbohydrate. Combined with protein, healthy fats and fibre-rich toppings, they provide a slow, steady release of energy to help sustain the increased demands of breastfeeding. I enjoyed porridge bowls with fruit and seed toppings, or banana, peanut butter and oat smoothies in the morning which staved off hunger pangs. 

Postpartum for me was all about survival—not eating perfectly. We batch cooked chilli con carne or bolognese that I could eat for a few days, I had bananas and flapjacks for snacks, and I leant on nutritious frozen meals from companies like Cook and Frive when I was too tired to think about what to eat. Now, there’s a wonderful company called Nuuda whose meals are specifically designed around postpartum recovery. 

I had some hard days accepting my softer body, but in hindsight I am so proud of it for nourishing my daughter, and everything I ate gave me either nutrition or comfort—both of which were vital. 

As I had a work contract lined up soon after she was due to start nursery at 6 months old, I felt under pressure to move her back onto bottles. It required a lot of attempts with different bottles and experimenting with the timing, but eventually we got there. 

The first time she slept through the night, I woke engorged and needing to pump. She’d gone from three breastfeeds to none during the night. My mood plummeted. As her interest in starting solid foods increased, we dropped one feed, then another. Eventually we reached our final morning feed, and my milk supply had become so low that Ruby was getting frustrated and wanted a bottle afterwards; our breastfeeding journey had reached its end. The days after felt more emotional than I expected: anything would bring me to tears, from seeing other mothers breastfeed to packing away the pump. After a couple of weeks, my mood thankfully levelled out. 

I’d wanted to stop for so long that I didn’t understand why I’d felt so low. I discovered that my levels of prolactin and oxytocin had likely dropped—two hormones closely involved in both milk production and maternal bonding.¹² 

While breastfeeding can help shape the infant gut microbiome, it's only one part of a much bigger picture. Mode of delivery, antibiotic exposure, family environment, introducing solid foods and countless everyday interactions all contribute to the development of a baby's microbiome over time.¹³ 

Perhaps most importantly, breastfeeding doesn't have to be all or nothing. Every journey looks different, and every family makes the decision that's right for them. Looking back, the biggest lesson breastfeeding taught me was about looking after myself. So much attention is understandably focused on feeding the baby, but mothers need support too. I think those early days of combination feeding took the pressure off and gave me the rest I needed to pursue breastfeeding with a positive mindset. 

So,  whether it's eating nourishing meals, drinking enough water, getting professional support, bolstering your own microbiome with a supplement like Bio.Me Prebio PHGG, or Bio.Me Prebio GOS, or simply giving yourself permission to change the feeding plan you had in mind, maternal wellbeing isn't separate from infant wellbeing—it's part of it. 

References: