"More compelling to me are the straightforward facts about breast milk: It contains all the vitamins and nutrients a baby needs in the first six months of life (breast-fed babies don't even need to drink water, milk provides all the necessary hydration), and it has many germ- and disease-fighting substances that help protect a baby from illness. Oh, also: The nutritional and immunological components of breast milk change every day, according to the specific, individual needs of a baby. Yes, that's right, and I will explain how it works in a minute. Not nearly enough information is provided by doctors, lactation counselors, or the internet about this mind-blowing characteristic of milk...
Based on her more recent research, Julie Mennella of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia believes that these early breast-milk experiences help infants develop their own personal taste preferences, as well as increase their enjoyment of particular flavors.
"The types and intensity of flavors experienced in breast milk may be unique for each infant and serve to identify the culture to which the child is born," writes Mennella.
I find this thrilling. My job allows me to explore the diversity of Seattle's food scene, and my body allows my baby to discover it as well...
Even before babies have any concept of time, breast milk helps them understand certain hours from other hours, night from day.
"Milk is so incredibly dynamic," says Hinde. "There are hormones in breast milk, and they reflect the hormones in the mother's circulation. The ones that help facilitate sleep or waking up are present in your milk. And day milk is going to have a completely different hormonal milieu than night milk."
http://www.thestranger.com/features/feature/2015/08/26/22755273/the-more-i-learn-about-breast-milk-the-more-amazed-i-am
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