11th November 2026
Scotland is recording its highest breastfeeding rates since records began, providing encouraging news for the health of a new generation of babies.
New figures from Public Health Scotland, published on 10 November 2026, show that seven in ten babies are now breastfed for at least some time after birth. The figures also show that more mothers are continuing to breastfeed beyond the first few weeks.
Behind these improving figures is a subject that deserves much greater public attention: the extraordinary importance of the first milk a mother produces after giving birth.
Known as colostrum, this first milk is sometimes called 'liquid gold'. It is not simply an early version of ordinary breast milk. It is a highly concentrated substance containing antibodies, proteins and other protective components that help a newborn baby adapt to life outside the womb.
For a baby entering a world full of unfamiliar bacteria and viruses, this first feed can be particularly valuable.
Scotland's breastfeeding figures are moving in the right direction
The latest figures show a steady improvement in breastfeeding across Scotland.
In 2016/17, 63% of babies were breastfed for at least some time after birth. By 2025/26, that figure had risen to 70%, the highest level since records began.
At the six-to-eight-week health visitor review, 54% of babies were receiving at least some breast milk, compared with 38% ten years earlier.
The improvement is not simply about more mothers starting breastfeeding. More are managing to continue for longer. Among mothers who had breastfed at some point, 77% were still breastfeeding at six to eight weeks in 2025/26, compared with 64% in 2016/17.
There is also encouraging progress in areas where breastfeeding has traditionally been less common. The increases have been particularly marked among younger mothers and families living in more deprived communities.
This matters because giving children a healthy start in life should not depend on their family's income or postcode.
Colostrum: nature's first protection
During pregnancy, a mother's body begins preparing the first milk that her baby will receive.
Colostrum is usually thick, sticky and yellow or golden in colour. It is produced during pregnancy and throughout the first few days after birth, before the milk gradually changes in volume and composition.
Its most remarkable feature is its concentration of protective substances.
Colostrum contains antibodies, particularly immunoglobulin A, which help protect the surfaces of the baby's mouth, throat and digestive system. It also contains white blood cells and proteins that help the developing immune system respond to infection.
One important component is lactoferrin, which helps restrict the growth of certain harmful bacteria.
This is particularly important because newborn babies have an immature immune system. They are beginning to encounter bacteria and other organisms in their new environment, and the protection provided by their mother's first milk helps them through this vulnerable period.
It is sometimes described as a baby's first natural immunological protection. Although it is not a substitute for vaccination, it provides a valuable early defence against infection.
Why the baby's first poo matters
Colostrum also performs another important job.
A newborn's first poo is called meconium. It is usually dark green or almost black, thick and sticky, having accumulated in the baby's intestines before birth.
Colostrum helps stimulate the baby's digestive system and encourages the passage of this material.
This is important because meconium contains bilirubin, a yellow substance produced when red blood cells are broken down. If bilirubin builds up in a newborn's blood, it can cause jaundice, which makes the skin and whites of the eyes appear yellow.
Helping the baby pass meconium is one way in which early feeding can reduce the risk of significant jaundice.
Colostrum also helps the developing digestive system mature and supports the establishment of healthy gut bacteria.
Why such a small amount is enough
Some new mothers worry that they are not producing enough milk during the first day or two.
This can be misleading because colostrum is produced in relatively small quantities, but that is exactly what a newborn needs.
A baby's stomach is very small at birth, so it does not need the larger volumes of milk that will be required as it grows.
Colostrum is concentrated and provides an appropriate combination of nutrients and protective substances.
As the days pass, the mother's milk supply increases. Usually around the third or fourth day, the transition towards more mature milk becomes noticeable.
The change is a natural process, with the mother's body responding to the baby's growing needs.
The importance of the first hour
There is a good reason why health professionals encourage skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby soon after birth.
When circumstances allow, placing the newborn against the mother's bare chest helps regulate the baby's temperature, breathing and heart rate. It also encourages the baby's natural feeding instincts.
Suckling stimulates the release of hormones, including prolactin, which helps produce milk, and oxytocin, which helps release it.
Early feeding and frequent feeding thereafter help establish the mother's milk supply.
The benefits are therefore not confined to the baby receiving colostrum. The first feeds also help establish breastfeeding for the days and weeks ahead.
However, not every birth follows the same pattern. Caesarean deliveries, premature births and medical complications can make immediate breastfeeding difficult. Expressing colostrum is sometimes an alternative, and support from maternity staff can help mothers and babies get started when they are ready.
Breastfeeding is about more than the first feed
The benefits of breastfeeding extend beyond the first few days.
Breast milk provides nutrition that changes as the baby develops. It contains antibodies and other components that help protect against infections, including some respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.
There are also benefits for mothers. Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer, as well as other longer-term health benefits.
Current guidance recommends exclusive breastfeeding for around the first six months, followed by continued breastfeeding alongside solid foods up to at least the child's second birthday.
That is a recommendation, not a test that mothers should feel obliged to pass. Every family has different circumstances, and some mothers cannot breastfeed or choose not to.
Infant formula provides an important and necessary alternative, and parents should receive support and reliable advice whichever feeding method they use.
Support is essential if Scotland is to maintain the improvement
Scotland's improving figures are encouraging, but the challenge is to make sure that mothers receive the practical support they need.
Breastfeeding can be difficult at first. Problems with positioning, attachment, discomfort, concerns about milk supply and exhaustion can all lead mothers to stop earlier than they had intended.
This is where maternity services, midwives, health visitors and community breastfeeding support groups have an important role.
The Scottish Government has invested more than £12 million in breastfeeding support since 2018 and has introduced a new strategic framework covering 2025 to 2030.
It has also announced a new infant feeding survey to understand more about mothers' experiences, the support they receive and the wider economic and social factors influencing how babies are fed.
The reduction in inequalities is particularly welcome, but there is still work to do to ensure that mothers in more deprived communities have the same access to support as those in more affluent areas.
A remarkable start to life
The first few days after birth are a period of enormous change for a baby. The transition from the protected environment of the womb to the outside world is accompanied by the development of breathing, digestion and the immune system.
Colostrum has evolved to meet many of those early needs.
It provides concentrated nutrition, helps protect against infection, supports the digestive system and encourages the passage of the baby's first stools.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect is that a mother's body begins producing this special first milk before her baby is even born.
Scotland's rising breastfeeding figures are therefore more than just another set of health statistics. They represent an opportunity to give more children a healthy start and reduce some of the inequalities that can affect health throughout life.
The message is straightforward: the first milk may come in very small quantities, but its importance is anything but small.