CERP: yes
E-CERP:
Emerging research is reshaping how we understand human milk, not simply as nutrition, but as a dynamic, biologically active system deeply influenced by the maternal/parental microbiome, hormonal environment, and perinatal experiences. The milk microbiome, along with key bioactive components such as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), immune factors, and microbial metabolites, plays a critical role in early infant immune programming, gut colonization, and long-term health outcomes.
This session will explore the latest updates on the maternal–infant microbiome axis and its relationship to human milk composition, including how parental factors, such as stress, metabolic health, mode of birth, and antibiotic exposure, may influence milk biology. Participants will examine the physiologic transition from pregnancy to lactation with a focus on the often-overlooked antenatal window.
Building on current evidence, this presentation will make a clear, practice-based case for antenatal education and early hand expression as proactive strategies to support early lactation success, optimize colostrum availability, and reduce supplementation risk in the immediate postpartum period. Attendees will leave with practical, evidence-informed approaches they can integrate into prenatal care and lactation support to improve outcomes for both parent and infant.
Learning Objectives
- Describe at least three key components of human milk influenced by the maternal microbiome (e.g., milk microbiota, HMOs, immune factors) and explain their role in infant gut and immune development.
- Identify at least 2 ways maternal and perinatal factors (including metabolic health, stress, antibiotic exposure, and mode of birth) impact milk composition and early microbiome establishment.
- Apply at least one evidence-informed antenatal strategies, including hand expression education, to support early lactation success and reduce the need for supplementation in the immediate postpartum period.







