Monthly Update: Breastfeeding In Darwen

If you require support with breastfeeding in Darwen or Blackburn, there are a variety of services available. At Be Well BWD, we share the range of health and wellbeing services and support available in the borough. Blackburn with Darwen became a ‘breastfeeding friendly borough’ in 2017 and is proud to support families on their breastfeeding journey. For support with breastfeeding in Darwen, find out more about your local services and resources here.

This article is our Monthly Update around infant feeding from the Baby Friendly Team at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Blackburn with Darwen Food Resilience Alliance. This month the focus is on Colostrum and Microbiome.

Colostrum

Colostrum is for all babies and every drop matters! Colostrum is made from 16 weeks in pregnancy and is concentrated nutrition for your baby. It is thick, golden yellow and has many benefits including:

• Feeds healthy gut bacteria (microbiome)
• Acts as a baby’s first immunisation
• Contains antibodies against infection the mother has had in the past (including COVID-19)
• Protection against infections in the present
• Provides a protective coating to prevent stomach viruses
• Contains more white blood cells than blood in the first week of life
• Reduces health inequalities

Microbiome

Watch the video below to understand why a health gut microbiome is important and what factors can alter it.

BwD Public Health Twitter