Breastfeeding provides benefits to both the baby and the mother. A major benefit to the baby is that breast milk supplies the correct amount of nutrients as the baby grows from an infant to a healthy toddler. The nutrients in breast milk also protect the infant from certain childhood illnesses. Finally, recent research has shown that breast milk contains certain fatty acids (building blocks) that help the infant’s brain develop. In the early days following childbirth, the mother’s body releases a hormone that makes her uterus contract and get smaller in response to the baby’s sucking. Breastfeeding also provides many emotional benefits between mother and child and encourages maternal-infant bonding. Human breast milk consists of mostly of water (88 percent), sugars (6.5 to 8 percent), lipids (3 to 5 percent), proteins (1 to 2 percent), amino acids, and salts. It also contains large quantities of lysozymes—enzymes with antibiotic properties. Human milk is bluish-white in color and sweet. The blue color comes from the protein and the white comes from the fat. There are approximately 750 calories per liter of breast milk.
