Breastfeeding

is our very first introduction to food, a primal human connection, and the foundation of our life-long wellbeing. The taste of breastmilk changes depending on what we've eaten, starting out our kids' love affair with food, with the land, their own bodies, their own health.

It is both an urgent public health and a climate justice issue, and the astonishing contents of human milk, as well as its minute carbon footprint, show us why.

Breastfeeding protects infants against all sorts of short term illnesses; colds, ear infections, lung infections, tummy bugs and more, but it also protects against longer term diseases like certain cancers, obesity, diabetes, eczema, and malnutrition.

What’s less well known is that it also protects women. Breastfeeding reduces our risk of breast and ovarian cancers, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, and postnatal depression for instance.

The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, continued alongside other food and drinks until at least the child’s second birthday.


But an estimated 843,000 infants die globally each year because they are not being breastfed and protected by the components in human milk, alongside 20,000 women who would survive breast cancer. ​It also takes 5000 litres of water to produce 1kg of breastmilk substitute, as well as thousands of shipping miles to assemble the basic ingredients and packaging.

Women have good reason to be drawn to breastfeeding...

Human Milk, Tailor-made for Tiny Humans

Most mothers want to breastfeed

but many are interrupted by social and environmental elements, many of those being myths or fallacies that are ingrained in our cultures.

One of those is that frequent feeding, more often than the books tell us our babies "should" feed, means you're not making enough milk. And that's bollocks. 

The responsibility must not rest on individual mothers to work this stuff out by themselves. 

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Knowledge of how human milk and breastfeeding work is key to everyone understanding why breastfeeding matters so much, and to breastfeeding mothers being actively supported. 

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Mothers report to us that learning about their milk has deepened their choice to breastfeed, their confidence, their connection to themselves, to their baby, their body, and often to the people they rely on for support.

We believe every mother should be perceived as a Goddess, because that's what she is.

Human milk contains antibodies.

Ever wondered why your little one wants to breastfeed more often when they're poorly? It's comforting, for sure, but they're also receiving thousands to millions of antibodies per feed. And the more they feed, the more they receive, and the better they can fight that infection.

Our human immune system takes around 6 years to become fully mature. Breastfeeding protects our children whilst they develop their own defences.

Human milk contains Leptin

Leptin is a hormone that signals to our brain when our tummy is full, protecting us against over-eating.

Whilst breastmilk contains leptin, it also helps your baby to begin their own leptin production.

It appears that molecules called Micro-RNAs switch on the gene in your baby’s body that oversees the production of leptin, assisting in your child’s life-long appetite regulation.

Did you know that your milk contains painkilling and anti-inflammatory properties? I didn't. And I worried and felt stressed during the times when my son suddenly seemed to want nothing but boob for days.

Then his teeth came through. Or it turned out he had a cold. Or nothing and it just passed. And when he hurt himself, cuddles and milk just sorted it out.

It always made sense that he'd want to be close when he was under the weather, but sometimes, I resented it because I found myself wondering if this was in fact normal, or whether I had perhaps made that proverbial rod for my back.

Then one day, when he was 16 months, I learned that my milk was giving him painkillers and anti-inflammatory components. And it all fell into place. I was still exhausted, but I didn't resent or worry about his increased feeds during colds or teething etc. I felt proud and amazed.

But also angry that no-one had ever told me about just how incredible my body and my milk was. Angry that the default advice was to mistrust my own child and my own body.

So that’s why we're telling you. Because you really are incredible, and everyone needs to know it.

Claire, Human Milk founder.

Human milk protects your child in many different ways

Human milk is a complex system, ever changing and adapting, with components working together in ways that simply cannot be replicated.

Some antibodies increase in number as your child gets older and more mobile, when everything goes in the mouth; twigs, toy dinosaurs, sand, your mobile phone...

Milk leaving your breast is what causes more milk to be made

Let your baby feed whenever they want to. Our tummies are incredibly tiny when we're born, and little and often is normal. This is also what gets your milk production going.

Periods of seemingly never-ending feeding are normal too. They're known as cluster feeds and growth spurts.

Babies are all different. Settle in with your favourite series. Trust your gut, trust your baby, ditch the clock.

Natural term weaning

The biologically normal age for humans to breastfeed until is anywhere between around 2 and 7+ years old.

This is only surprising in cultures that tend to interrupt breastfeeding early, often having lost the knowledge of what our biological norms are, in favour of cultural norms.

The concentration of fats and proteins increase as the baby grows into a toddler, along with increased levels of antibacterial and antiviral components such as lysozyme, which is an anti-inflammatory and destroys bacteria.

Lysozyme increases in concentration from about 6 months old, and keeps increasing after the first year.

The concentration of Lactoferrin also increases over time. Lactoferrin inhibits the growth of some cancerous cells. It also helps our babies to absorb their own iron stores, whilst binding to the iron in our baby’s body which prevents it from being available to harmful microorganisms that need iron to survive.

Lactoferrin also kills the bacteria strep mutans, which causes tooth decay and cavities.

Our body’s immune system takes around 6 years to become fully mature, so the support of the protective factors in human milk could play a part in the timescale of natural term weaning.

Enjoy your baby, trust yourself. Do it your way.

References

References

Research supporting the information in our advert, education, and social media content.


“Nature has been researching your milk for hundreds of millions of years”​

  • Capuco AV, Akers RM. The origin and evolution of lactation. J Biol. 2009; 8(4): 37.

  • Oftedal OT. The mammary gland and its origin during synapsid evolution. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia. 2002; 7(3): 225–52.

  • Oftedal OT. The origin of lactation as a water source for parchment-shelled eggs. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia. 2002; 7(3): 253-66.

  • Oftedal OT, Dhouially D. Evo-Devo of the Mammary Gland. Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia. 2013; 18: 105-120.

  • Capuco AV, Akers RM. The origin and evolution of lactation. Journal of Biology. 2009; 8(4): 37.

  • Goldman AS. Evolution of the mammary gland defense system and the ontogeny of the immune system. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia. 2002; 7: 277–289.


“Your milk contains ingredients that kill cancerous cells”

  • Gustafsson L, Hallgren O, Mossberg AK, et al. HAMLET kills tumour cells by apoptosis: structure, cellular mechanisms, and therapy. J Nutr. 2005; 135: 1299-1303.

  • Håkansson A, Zhivotovsky B, Orrenius S, Sabharwal H, Svanborg C. Apoptosis induced by a human milk protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1995; 92(17): 8064-8.

  • Hallgren O, Aits S, Brest P, Gustafsson L, Mossberg AK, Wullt B, Svanborg C. Apoptosis and tumor cell death in response to HAMLET (human alpha-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells). Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008; 606: 217-40.

  • Hakansson AP, Roche-Hakansson H, Mossberg AK, Svanborg C. Apoptosis-like death in bacteria induced by HAMLET, a human milk lipid-protein complex. PLoS One. 2011; 6(3): e17717.

  • Kataev A, Zherelova O, Grishchenko V. A Characeae Cells Plasma Membrane as a Model for Selection of Bioactive Compounds and Drugs: Interaction of HAMLET-Like Complexes with Ion Channels of Chara corallina Cells Plasmalemma. J Membr Biol. 2016; 249(6): 801-811.

  • Jiang R, Du X, Lönnerdal B. Comparison of bioactivities of talactoferrin and lactoferrins from human and bovine milk. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014; 59(5): 642-52.

  • Hill DR, Newburg DS. Clinical applications of bioactive milk components. Nutr Rev. 2015; 73(7): 463-76.

  • Vogel HJ. Lactoferrin, a bird's eye view. Biochem Cell Biol. 2012; 90(3): 233-44.


“Your milk contains stem cells. These are cells that create and repair the body, and are being researched worldwide to cure conditions like Alzheimers and diabetes.”

  • Cregan MD, Fan Y, Appelbee A, et al. Identification of nestin-positive putative mammary stem cells in human breastmilk. Cell Tissue Res. 2007; 329: 129-136.

  • Hassiotou F, Beltran A, Chewynd E, et al. Breastmilk is a novel source of stem cells with multilineage differentiation potential. Stem Cells. 2012; 30(10): 2164-74.

  • Briere CE, McGrath JM, Jensen T, Matson A, Finck C. Breast Milk Stem Cells: Current Science and Implications for Preterm Infants. Adv Neonatal Care. 2016; 16(6): 410-419.

  • Twigger AJ, Hepworth AR, Lai CT, Chetwynd E, Stuebe AM, Blancafort P, Hartmann PE, Geddes DT, Kakulas F. Gene expression in breastmilk cells is associated with maternal and infant characteristics. Sci Rep. 2015; 5: 12933.

  • Choi SS, Lee SR, Lee HJ. Neurorestorative Role of Stem Cells in Alzheimer's Disease: Astrocyte Involvement. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2016; 13(4): 419-27.

  • Lilly MA, Davis MF, Fabie JE, Terhune EB, Gallicano GI. Current stem cell based therapies in diabetes. Am J Stem Cells. 2016; 5(3): 87-98.

  • Cheng SK, Park EY, Pehar A, Rooney AC, Gallicano GI. Current progress of human trials using stem cell therapy as a treatment for diabetes mellitus. Am J Stem Cells. 2016; 5(3): 74-86.


“Your body identifies bacteria and viruses found in your baby's body and environment. You then produce antibodies specifically tailored for those infections, and deliver them to your baby through your milk. The more milk she drinks, the more antibodies she receives.”


“Your milk appears to switch on a gene in your baby’s body, which produces a hormone called Leptin. This hormone tells your baby when his tummy is full, protecting him against over eating.” and "Your milk contains Leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite by telling our brain when our body has received enough food to generate the energy we need. Moreover, molecules in breastmilk called MicroRNAs influence the expression of our babies’ genes. It appears that these Micro-RNAs switch on the gene in our baby’s body that produces our baby’s own leptin, assisting in our child’s life-long appetite regulation." 


“Your milk contains Oxytocin, a hormone that induces relaxation, and feelings of well-being in your child and in you.”

  • Unvas-Moberg K. Oxytocin linked antistress effects: The relaxation and growth effect. Acta Physiol Scand Supp. 1997; 640: 38-42.

  • Groer M, Davis MW. Postpartum stress: current concepts and the possible protective role of breastfeeding. JOGN Nursing. 2002; 31: 411-417.

  • Winberg J. Mother and newborn baby: mutual regulation of physiology and behaviour - a selective review. Dev Phychobiol. 2005; 47(3): 217-229.

  • Strathearn L. Maternal neglect: oxytocin, dopamine and the neurobiology of attachment. J Neuroendocrinol. 2011; 23(1): 1054-1065.

  • Vargas-Martínez F, Schanler RJ, Abrams SA, Hawthorne KM, Landers S, Guzman-Bárcenas J, Muñoz O, Henriksen T, Petersson M, Uvnäs-Moberg K, Jiménez-Estrada I. Oxytocin, a main breastfeeding hormone, prevents hypertension acquired in utero: A therapeutics preview. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2017; 1861(1 Pt A): 3071-3084.

  • Jonas W, Woodside B. Physiological mechanisms, behavioral and psychological factors influencing the transfer of milk from mothers to their young. Horm Behav. 2016; 77: 167-81.

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"Human milk contains Gangliosides, molecules critical to normal brain development. They help nerves to repair themselves, and cells to communicate with each other. A decrease in the levels of gangliosides in the brain has been reported in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease."

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"Human milk contains Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): An omega-3 fatty acid with an important role in nerve tissue and brain development, particularly with association and short term memory. It also plays a role in the formation of the retina (part of the eye), skin and testicles. The more the mother consumes, through for example certain fish like salmon, or through supplements, the more DHA is found in her milk".

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"The natural terms for us humans to breastfeed until is anywhere between the ages of around 2 and 7+ years old". "Longer term breastfeeding is also associated with reduced risk of diseases for the mother, including breast cancer".

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"Your milk contains macrophages, cells that detect, engulf and destroy harmful pathogens and cells, including tumour cells. They increase in number when your baby is ill." "Your milk contains Phagocytes, a set of immune cells that detect, surround, absorb and destroy harmful molecules and organisms."

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"Your milk contains Leukocytes, white blood cells that locate infections and diseases and defend your babies against parasites, cancer cells, debris, viruses, fungi and even allergens."

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"Your baby suckling at your breast is what stimulates the production of your milk. Especially in the first month or so, letting your baby suckle whenever they want to, including at night, is essential to establishing a good supply."