The Benefits of Human Milk for your preterm baby

Human Milk - Mothers Milk - Breastmilk - Goes by many names and I would love to share with you some of the amazing benefits human milk offers the premature baby.

Large protein molecules called Immunoglobulins are in breastmilk the whole time you breastfeed. They are in a highly concentrated form in the colostrum, which is the milk you make for the first several days after birth. Immunoglobulins are also called antibodies and these provide numerous health benefits for your baby.

When moms are on the fence about whether to breastfeed or not, I strongly encourage them to breastfeed for the first several days so they can give their baby the benefit of colostrum, a health benefit that they can not get anywhere else from any other liquid food. It is always lovely for me to see that the mothers who were unsure of breastfeeding initially, begin to enjoy it so much that they continue far beyond the first few days.


Human milk is important for the optimal growth and development of full-term babies, but it is even more important for babies born prematurely. If your baby is preterm, his stomach and intestines (which the NICU staff will refer to as his gastrointestinal tract, GI tract, or gut) are even smaller and less mature than the tiny, immature gut of a full-term baby.

If your NICU baby is premature, your milk will be different for the first few weeks than the breast milk of a mother who gives birth at term. Your body knows that your baby came early, and it provides milk that is better for the baby's needs. For the first 2 to 4 weeks after birth your milk will contain more protein, fat calories, and calcium phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, sodium, and chloride that full-term milk. This early milk also has a laxative effect on your baby's bowels, helping him to pas the first stools (called meconium). Stooling is an important sign the GI tract is working: it also helps resolved jaundice.

Nurses notice that babies fed their mother's milk tolerate feedings well because human milk is easy to digest, with very little left over in the baby's stomach.

Brain growth and development are rapid in the final 3 months of gestation. During the latter part of pregnancy, the fetal brain more than doubles in size and weight, and nearly doubles again in the first year of life and well into the second year. Several studies have suggested that breastfeeding improves mental development. In fact, greater amounts of breast milk intake (compared with formula) have been correlated with higher developmental outcome among the smallest preterm babies.


If your baby is not able to breastfeed, you can still provide milk for your baby by pumping. While this may seem like a lot of work, it can be made easier when you work with a lactation consultant who can provide you with an individualized care plan that works for you. Your lactation consultant will provide you with all the details needed for you to succeed with breastmilk pumping.

You will begin to see your premature baby gain weight and flourish with all the health benefits of your milk. Pretty soon your baby will be able to directly breastfeed. If you find this transition from pumping to breastfeeding, please enlist the help of an IBCLC who is well prepared to help you succeed.

More information on premature babies and human milk in the next entry.

Lori