It’s time for your body to prepare for breastfeeding. Your breast starts producing colostrum and you might notice some drops in your bra. No worries, you should thank your body for doing its job.😃
Colostrum during pregnancy
🤱What is colostrum?
Colostrum is your baby’s first meal which is rich in protein and mom’s antibodies.👩 It’s also called foremilk because it comes in before mature breast milk.
Colostrum looks like a clear and creamy white, or yellow orange liquid.🍼 More mature milk looks more creamy, white-ish and sticky looking.
🤱The vital role of colostrum
Colostrum provides nutritions, vitamins, proteins and is loaded with white blood cells⚪🩸 that produce antibodies used to combat with bacteria and viruses🦠. Not only does it contribute to building the baby’s innate immune system, it also establishes a healthy gut microbiome and has a laxative effect that helps remove meconium from the gastrointestinal tract.🚽
Causes of breasts leaking
When you’re in the third trimester, prolactin hormone starts gearing up and producing a small amount of milk.🍼 After you give birth for three to four days, the hormone is at its full speed, producing milk for your baby.👶
High levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones keep the quantity of milk in check so you don’t see a large volume of milk leaking. Your hormones are trying to keep themselves balanced and only activate when it’s the right time.😃 If prolactin level is slightly higher than other hormones, you will see colostrum leak out a bit.🤰
How to cope with breasts leaking
Breast leaks are a minor problem during pregnancy and easy to handle. You can use nursing pads inside your bra and avoid nipple stimulation.🙆♀️ If you see unstoppable leaking or blood in colostrum, you should tell your doctor immediately because there could be signs of a clogged milk duct.👩⚕️