Is colostrum sufficient for my baby during the first days of life?
Yes. At birth, your baby’s stomach can only contain 5-7 ml of colostrum at one time (the size of a marble), and this matches quite closely the quantity produced by the mother (about 30 to 100 ml per 24 hours). Therefore, it would not be physiologically normal nor desirable to give larger quantities of milk to your baby, as is often done when we give them a bottle. Breastmilk is very easily and rapidly digested by your baby. Breastfeeding in the early days is characterised by very frequent feedings (every 1 to 2 hours). As days go by and milk production increases, your baby’s stomach capacity also increases, so that on day 6, and until 6 months, it can contain 50-60 ml of milk at one time (the size of a golf ball). At this stage, your production will correspond, accordingly, to about 500-750 ml per 24 hours.
