Colostrum: What It Is, How Much Your Baby Needs and Why It Matters

In the first days after birth, you may wonder whether your baby is getting anything at all. Your breasts feel soft, and you see only a few drops when you try to express. That small amount is colostrum, and it is exactly what your newborn is built to drink.

This guide covers what human colostrum is, how much your baby takes per feed, what’s in it, and why it’s not the same as the bovine (cow) colostrum supplements sold online.

What colostrum is

Colostrum is the first milk your breasts make. HealthyChildren.org, the AAP’s parent site, describes it as thick, somewhat sticky and usually yellow or orange, though it can also look clear, white or creamy. Its color and thickness come from concentrated protective factors and carotenoids.

Your body starts making colostrum during pregnancy. Cleveland Clinic says production begins between about 12 and 18 weeks. After birth, your breasts keep making colostrum for the first few days, until your milk gradually “comes in.”

How much colostrum a newborn takes

The amounts are small, and that’s normal. Cleveland Clinic gives these typical figures:

Measure	Typical amount
Total made in the first 24 hours	About 1 tablespoon to 1 oz (15 to 30 ml)
Per feed in the first few days	About 1 teaspoon (5 ml)
Number of feeds	About 8 to 10 or more a day in the first few days

Volumes rise steadily day by day. Because each feed is small, your baby needs to feed often, at least 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. HealthyChildren.org notes that frequent feeding matters more than long feeds in the early days. Our guide to how often to breastfeed a newborn explains what a normal feeding rhythm looks like.

Don’t judge your supply by how full your breasts feel or by what you can express. Diapers are a better guide. The CDC lists at least 1 wet diaper on day 1, 2 on day 2, 5 on day 3 and 6 from day 4, along with regular poops that change from dark meconium to yellow.

What’s in colostrum

Colostrum is not simply “early milk.” Its makeup is different from the milk that follows.

• More protein, less fat and sugar. HealthyChildren.org describes colostrum as higher in protein, slightly lower in sugar and much lower in fat than mature milk. Cleveland Clinic says it has about twice the protein and four times the zinc.
• Antibodies and immune cells. Colostrum is rich in secretory IgA, an antibody that coats your baby’s gut lining, plus lactoferrin and white blood cells (leukocytes).
• Growth factors. Epidermal growth factor and other components support the development of your baby’s gut.
• Vitamins and minerals. Carotenoids and vitamin A (which give the yellow color), plus magnesium, copper and zinc.

For a deeper look at fat, protein and immune factors and how they change over time, see what breast milk is made of.

Benefits of colostrum for your baby

According to Cleveland Clinic and HealthyChildren.org, colostrum:

• Provides all the nutrients and fluid a healthy full-term newborn needs in the first days
• Helps protect against infection with antibodies and other protective substances
• Coats the gut and helps limit harmful bacteria
• Works as a gentle laxative, helping your baby pass meconium (the first dark, sticky poop), which may lessen jaundice
• Helps prevent low blood sugar in full-term babies
• Is easy to digest for a newborn’s immature gut

Feeding your baby at the breast within the first hour or so also helps your body. HealthyChildren.org explains that early nursing stimulates milk production and helps your uterus contract, which lowers the chance of heavy bleeding.

From colostrum to mature milk

Colostrum doesn’t switch off overnight. HealthyChildren.org says that about 2 to 5 days after birth it gives way to transitional milk, which looks creamier and comes in larger amounts. Mature milk follows at around 2 weeks. Cleveland Clinic notes that traces of colostrum can remain in your milk for several weeks.

The timing varies. It can take longer after a first birth or a C-section. Our guide on when breast milk comes in covers the signs, what can cause a delay and what to do while you wait.

Collecting colostrum before birth

Some people hand express colostrum in late pregnancy and freeze it in small syringes, often when they have diabetes or know their baby may need extra milk after birth. Cleveland Clinic advises waiting until at least 36 weeks and talking with your provider first, because nipple stimulation can trigger contractions. On average, people collect about 1 to 3 ml per session. A few drops or nothing at all is also normal and says nothing about your future supply.

If you want to learn the technique, see our guide to hand expressing breast milk.

Human colostrum vs bovine colostrum supplements

Search for “colostrum” and you’ll find powders and capsules promising better gut health, immunity or glowing skin. These are made from bovine colostrum, the first milk of cows. They are not human colostrum and are not a substitute for breastfeeding or for your own milk.

Key differences:

	Human colostrum	Bovine colostrum supplements
Source	Your breasts, made for your baby	Cows, collected after calving
Who it’s for	Your newborn	Marketed to adults
Evidence	Well established for newborns	Limited and mixed in adults
Regulation	Not applicable	Sold as dietary supplements, not approved as medicines

Cleveland Clinic’s dietitians say the research on bovine colostrum is too limited to recommend it. There is some early evidence for gut and respiratory infection outcomes, but no studies support claims about skin, hair or nails. Reported side effects include nausea and gas. People with a cow’s milk allergy should not take it, and potency can vary from batch to batch.

Two practical points if you’re breastfeeding:

• Never give bovine colostrum to your baby. Your baby’s food in the first months is breast milk or infant formula.
• Check with your doctor before taking it yourself. Little is known about its use while breastfeeding.

When to call a doctor or lactation consultant

Contact your baby’s doctor promptly if your baby:

• Has fewer wet or dirty diapers than expected for their age
• Is very sleepy and hard to wake for feeds, or feeds fewer than 8 times in 24 hours
• Looks increasingly yellow (jaundiced), especially on the belly, arms or legs
• Is still passing dark meconium after day 4, or keeps losing weight after day 5

See a lactation consultant (IBCLC) if feeding hurts, your baby can’t latch, or your breasts haven’t changed by about day 4 or 5. Our breastfeeding support page lists where to find help, and the breastfeeding basics hub walks you through the first weeks.