Mother's milk is the perfect match to baby's physical needs. It contains about one hundred vitamins, amino acids and minerals in a combination that is specifically made for the newborn: lactose fills the baby up and helps to build up the intestinal flora; unsaturated fatty acids help the development of the brain.

In addition, the mother passes on her immunity to the child and thus gives enough protection for the baby to get through the exogestational phase (fourth trimester out of the womb) and to become less sensitive to environmental influences which may trigger allergies. All relevant ingredients are made from the mother's bloodstream and her bodily stores.

However, the exact composition can vary depending on the way the baby nurses as well as the mother's diet and her environment. When feeding the so-called fore milk is released at the beginning and gradually turns into hind milk which is less watery, higher in fat and has less carbohydrate. Breast milk consists of 88% water and 4.5% fat on average and is the perfect drink for her maturational needs.

In comparison to the most often used alternative of cow's milk, it is much easier digested as it does not cause intestinal gas in babies. Moreover, even though cow's milk is higher in iron it is not as easily absorbed, resulting in the baby to receive less than she should.

As a result of human milk being easier digested, baby feeds more frequently; it takes about twenty minutes to digest whereas the alternative of formula made from cow's milk takes around four hours. This explains why babies fed on formula tend to sleep longer which is not an advantage seeing that SIDS has been on the rise since formula has become more fashionable (although it should be noted that SIDS is a result of numerous different factors).