Breast Milk Given To You By Mother Nature!

Breast milk is often described as a living substance because it contains living cells, active enzymes, hormones, beneficial bacteria, antibodies, and other bioactive components that continue to interact with and support a baby's developing body.

Unlike infant formula, human milk is not simply a mixture of nutrients. It is a dynamic, living fluid that changes from day to day—and even from feeding to feeding—to meet the baby's needs.

Why Breast Milk Is Considered Living

Breast milk contains:

• Living immune cells that help protect babies from infections.

• Antibodies (especially Immunoglobulin A or IgA) that coat and protect the baby's digestive tract.

• Stem cells, which researchers continue to study for their potential role in infant development.

• Beneficial bacteria that help establish a healthy gut microbiome.

• Enzymes that aid digestion and nutrient absorption.

• Hormones and growth factors that support growth, brain development, and organ maturation.

• White blood cells, which can increase when either the mother or baby is exposed to illness.

A Dynamic and Responsive Food

One of the most remarkable aspects of breast milk is that it changes:

• Colostrum, the first milk, is rich in antibodies and immune protection.

• Transitional milk develops over the first weeks after birth.

• Mature milk adjusts its composition based on the baby's age and developmental needs.

• Milk produced for a premature infant differs from milk produced for a full-term infant.

• During illness, breast milk may increase immune-supporting components to help protect the baby.

A Traditional Midwifery Perspective

Many traditional cultures have viewed breast milk as more than food. Within African and African Diasporic traditions, breast milk has often been understood as a continuation of the mother's life force, carrying nourishment, protection, wisdom, and connection from one generation to the next. Midwives have long recognized that breast milk supports not only physical growth but also bonding, emotional regulation, and the sacred relationship between mother and child.

• Did you know...... Ophthalmologist suggest that milk can sometimes introduce bacteria into the eye, and therefore it is not recommended to use as drops to treat eye infections. However, there have been and are countless women who have treated newborn acne and eye infections (aside from clogged tear ducts) with milk. Some women offer milk drops to siblings who've contracted "Pink Eye"

• On that note: Consult with your Pediatrician or Functional Doctor for advise. Birth in the Tradition accepts not responsibility in your decision making! This is FYII!!!!!!

  

Breast milk is:

• Food

• Medicine

• Immune protection

• A living biological system

This is why many scientists, lactation specialists, and Traditional Midwives refer to human milk as a living substance rather than merely a food.