The GAPS books put colostrum at the beginning of newborn feeding. Gut and Physiology Syndrome calls it the rich early milk produced during the first two weeks after birth and says every baby should receive it in the first few days. If the mother cannot provide it, the source directs the family to look for a woman who has recently given birth and has colostrum to share.[1]
Planning those first feeds gives you a chance to talk through your options before labor. I’ll walk you through the books’ guidance on colostrum, donor milk, and the formula fallback so you can bring clear questions to your feeding plan.
What Colostrum Is
Colostrum is the first milk produced after birth. The 2020 GAPS book describes it as very rich milk and places its production in roughly the first two weeks. The expanded earlier book names it separately from the regular milk that follows this early period. The first days receive special emphasis because that is when the baby begins feeding and the early milk is immediately available.[1][2]
The World Health Organization and UNICEF emphasize breastfeeding within the first hour after birth and describe colostrum as extremely rich in nutrients and antibodies.[3] That supports the practical first-hours focus without changing the GAPS instructions this article is here to explain.
Why the GAPS Books Give It Priority
The newer book gives colostrum its own paragraph inside the wet-nursing section. It says it is essential for babies to receive in the first days and gives it particular importance when a baby is already struggling.[1]
Dr. Natasha names eczema, colic, asthma, allergies and other illness, then writes that fresh colostrum offered as often as possible may be enough to remove those problems in the babies she describes.[1]
If Your Baby Did Not Receive Colostrum
The 2020 instruction is direct: look for women who have just given birth and are producing colostrum. The source reasons that newborns take small amounts, which may leave milk that another family can receive.[1]
The wet-nursing and donor-milk guide explains the difference between direct nursing, expressed donor milk and a screened milk-bank system. The milk-donor vetting guide keeps the source questions and practical records together.
The Fallback Sequence in the Expanded Book
The expanded earlier book begins its newborn chapter with feeding. It emphasizes breastfeeding during the colostrum days and then gives a sequence for situations in which the mother cannot nurse herself.[2]
| Situation | What the Expanded GAPS Book Says |
|---|---|
| The mother can breastfeed | Begin breastfeeding, with special emphasis on the first days when colostrum is produced. |
| The mother cannot nurse | Look for a wet nurse or milk donor before or immediately after birth. |
| Formula is used, with or without occasional human milk | Add human milk whenever it is available and add a quality probiotic to every formula bottle from the beginning. |
The probiotic-in-every-bottle instruction comes from the expanded earlier book. The newer 2020 wet-nursing section repeats the preference for fresh human milk but does not provide a formula recipe, formula brand list or bottle-probiotic amount in that chapter. The formula advice comes from the expanded book; the 2020 chapter concentrates on finding human milk.
Why the Older Book Names Two to Four Donors
The expanded book suggests finding two to four wet nurses or milk donors. Its reason is availability: more than one woman may be needed to provide enough milk reliably. It recommends looking for healthy women who live nearby and starting the conversation through prenatal classes or the maternity ward.[2]
The 2020 book broadens this into a local Wet-Nursing Group and says the group should be formed during pregnancy. Use the milk-sharing network guide for that preparation instead of waiting until feeding has already become urgent.[1]
Expressed Colostrum and Direct Feeding
The GAPS books prefer milk directly from the breast. The 2020 wet-nursing section says pumping, refrigeration and rewarming change milk to some degree, while still ranking expressed human milk above formula in its comparison.[1]
The expanded book also allows for donor milk rather than making direct feeding the only acceptable form. This matters when the baby cannot latch, the donor is not present for every feed or colostrum has been expressed for sharing. Both direct feeding and expressed milk are part of the options the books describe.[2]
What the Source Says About Early Nursing Soreness
The expanded book acknowledges that nipples may become inflamed, painful or bleed during the first weeks. It tells the mother this period can pass as the nipples heal and breastfeeding becomes more comfortable.[2]
That passage is encouragement to continue. It is not a complete latch, wound-care or milk-transfer protocol. The breastfeeding and mastitis guide covers the later mastitis section, fever limits and the book’s instruction to keep the breast draining.
What This Looked Like in Our Family
I have nursed for almost six years straight.[4] Nursing has been part of everyday family life for a long stretch, alongside making meals for everyone else.
I usually ate what I made for the family, and after our fifth baby I moved from postpartum Intro to Full GAPS because Intro was too restrictive for postpartum and breastfeeding. I share that experience in my nursing on GAPS story.
Make the First-Days Plan Before Birth
| Decision to Make | Where to Record It |
|---|---|
| How will the first feed be supported? | Write down the planned birth setting, who knows the feeding goal and where early feeding help is available. |
| Who can provide expressed milk or direct nursing if needed? | List the actual people or milk-bank contact, not a general intention to look later. |
| Who is the backup if the first person is unavailable? | Record more than one contact when you are building the book’s two-to-four-person network. |
| Where will colostrum questions go? | Keep the donor, collection, storage and feeding questions together for the birth team and chosen milk source. |
| What will happen if formula is used? | Record the actual feeding plan and keep the older book’s probiotic-in-every-bottle instruction clearly attributed to that source. |
The broader pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding preparation guide brings the food, home and feeding preparation together. This page stays with colostrum and the immediate fallback sequence.
Prepare the Baby Plan Before You Need It
Baby Prep Week, my free email series, helps both parents organize their food, home, and feeding questions before the baby arrives. You can start with my pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding preparation guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does the GAPS Book Say Colostrum Is Produced?
The 2020 book calls it the rich milk produced during the first two weeks after birth and says babies should receive it in the first few days.[1]
Is Colostrum Only for a Baby Who Is Unwell?
No. The book says it is essential for every baby, then separately gives it particular emphasis for babies with eczema, colic, asthma, allergies or another illness.
What If My Baby Missed Colostrum?
The 2020 source tells the family to look for women who have recently given birth and are producing colostrum. The donor and wet-nursing guides cover the practical next steps.
What Does the Older Book Say When Formula Is Required?
It says to add a quality probiotic to every formula bottle from the beginning, including when occasional human milk is also available. That is the instruction in the expanded edition’s “New Baby” chapter.[2]
How Many Wet Nurses or Donors Does the Book Name?
The expanded book names two to four so the baby has enough milk available if one person’s supply or availability changes.
References
- Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), “Wet nursing,” colostrum and donor-milk passages.
- Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Psychology Syndrome, expanded edition (2013), immediate newborn feeding, two-to-four donor route, formula fallback and early nursing soreness. Consulted in the second German edition (2015), translated from the expanded English edition (2013).
- World Health Organization and UNICEF. “3 in 5 Babies Not Breastfed in the First Hour of Life”, July 31, 2018.
- Garnica, Ebonie. Nursing on GAPS family story.
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