Colostrum & The Early Days – What To Expect From Your Body (And Your Baby)

In the early hours after birth, your baby isn’t just adjusting to a new world, they’re learning how to live in it.

Breathe. Suck. Swallow. Sleep outside your body. These are enormous changes.

And right alongside them? Your body’s first milk. colostrum, arrives with everything your baby needs, drop by powerful drop.

What is colostrum?

Colostrum is your body’s first milk. Thick, golden, and rich in immunological magic, it’s often nicknamed liquid gold, and for good reason.

It’s produced during pregnancy and becomes available immediately after birth, helping your baby transition gently into the outside world.

Why is it so important?

This isn’t just “pre-milk.” It’s engineered to protect, soothe, and nourish in ways no formula or mature milk can replicate.

Colostrum:

• Coats and seals the gut wall to support lifelong immunity

• Delivers concentrated vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants

• Is packed with white blood cells and antibodies

• Supports skin, eye, and heart development with vitamins A and E

• Helps regulate blood sugars and temperature in the early days

It’s also highly digestible, ideal for brand-new digestive systems.

“Is it enough for my baby?”

Yes, absolutely.

Your baby’s stomach is marble-sized at birth. Colostrum is small in volume but high in potency. It’s all they need in those early feeds.

Babies may feed frequently in the first 24–48 hours, and this is normal. They’re building your milk supply through stimulation, not “emptying” you. Their instinct to stay close and suck often is a brilliant biological system, not a sign something’s wrong.

“Why does no one talk about this?”

Because we’re still unlearning a system that taught parents to distrust their bodies.

One of the most common fears I hear?

“My milk hasn’t come in yet,  is something wrong?”

But here’s the truth: milk “coming in” is a gradual process, not an on/off switch. It builds over days and colostrum is the starting point. Your body is already doing it.

Common misconceptions:

• You won’t “run out” of colostrum.

  Your body keeps producing it in the early days, as needed.

• It doesn’t “go off” inside your breasts.

  It’s stable and sterile, it’s not like cow’s milk in a bottle.

• Frequent feeding ≠ not enough milk.

  Frequent feeding helps mature milk arrive sooner. It’s how the system works.

What to expect in the early days:

• Baby will want to feed often, every 1.5–3 hours

• You may feel unsure about how much they’re “getting”…that’s normal

• Their nappies (wet and dirty) are often the best indicator they’re feeding well

• You might feel leaky, tender, emotional…all normal signs your body is adjusting too

My advice?

Let yourself slow down. Hold your baby close. Let skin-to-skin do its quiet magic. Focus on feeding and sleeping, yours and theirs.

You don’t need to track everything. You don’t need to prove anything.

Your body knows. Your baby knows. And colostrum is part of that ancient knowing.

Need support in those early days?

Whether you’re preparing for birth or already navigating recovery, I offer 1:1 postnatal sessions that support both the physical and emotional recalibration, including infant feeding, identity shifts, and nervous system recovery.

Because no one should have to figure it all out alone.