"There is a wide range of normal when it comes to color for breast milk," says Hali Shields, a certified birth and postpartum doula, national board-certified health and wellness coach, and certified lactation education counselor. "Blueish, yellow, cream, orange are all normal and safe for baby."
Breast milk is typically white with a yellowish or bluish tint, depending on how long you've been breastfeeding. But the hue can change based on many different factors, and most of the time, a new color of breast milk is harmless.
Most of the time, any change in the color of your breast milk is due to something that you ate, and it's likely nothing to worry over. However, if you have any concerns about your breast milk, you should feel comfortable contacting your healthcare provider.
Some detect a “sour” or “spoiled” odor or taste. Accompanying these changes are concerns that the milk is no longer good for the baby. In addition, while sometimes the baby doesn't seem to care and drinks a bottle of the expressed milk readily, other times the baby refuses to drink the milk.
Usually blueish or clear, watery breast milk is indicative of “foremilk.” Foremilk is the first milk that flows at the start of a pumping (or nursing) session and is thinner and lower in fat than the creamier, whiter milk you see at the end of a session.
Opt for protein-rich foods, such as lean meat, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils and seafood low in mercury. Choose a variety of whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables. Eating a variety of foods while breastfeeding will change the flavor of your breast milk.
If you continue to produce red or pink milk, this could indicate another problem, such as a breast infection or breast cancer. You should also see a doctor if you produce black or brown breast milk to make sure your medications and supplements are safe to take while nursing.
Milk slip test - Put a drop of milk on a polished vertical surface. If it stops or flows slowly, leaving a white trail behind, it is pure milk. Milk mixed with water or other agents will flow down immediately without a trace.
A newborn should be put to the breast at least every 2 to 3 hours and nurse for 10 to 15 minutes on each side. But rather than worry about duration, it's important to know that the best way to ensure that the baby is getting enough breast milk is by feeding frequency, wet and dirty diapers, and weight gain.
Foremilk early in a pumping or breastfeeding session can be almost clear or blue compared to the creamier, fattier, yellowish hindmilk that comes later.
Yellow is the first color of breast milk mom will see, due to the fact it is colostrum-rich, containing many of the antibodies needed to protect newborns against disease. Concentrated levels of white blood cells, leukocytes, and Immunoglobulin A can also cause this rich, buttery appearance.
This thick, sticky breast milk is often called 'liquid gold', not just because of its yellow or orangey colour, but because it's so important for nourishing and protecting your vulnerable newborn.
As your baby continues to nurse, they begin to pull milk from deeper within the breast where the fatty milk cells are stored. This milk, which is more fat-filled than the earlier milk, is called the hindmilk. Hindmilk often appears thick and creamy and is richer and more calorie dense than the foremilk.
The longer the time between feeds, the more diluted the leftover milk becomes. This 'watery' milk has a higher lactose content and less fat than the milk stored in the milk-making cells higher up in your breast. You can't tell how much fat your baby has received from the length of a feed.
Signs your milk has spoiled
With enough time, the texture and color of milk that has spoiled will change as well. It may begin to develop a slimy, chunky texture and dingy, yellow color.
Fresh milk won't have much of a smell at all. In contrast, soured milk has an unpleasant odor. If you immediately recoil when you smell the milk, it's likely gone bad. Even if the milk otherwise looks okay, if it smells so bad that you pull back when sniffing it, you'd be better off not to drink it.
After all, molecules from the food you eat can make their way through your breast milk and into baby's system. But here's the good news: There really isn't a list of foods to avoid while breastfeeding. “There are actually zero foods that every breastfeeding woman should avoid completely.
The first few days: Your breast milk coming in
Around day three after your baby's birth, your breast milk 'comes in' and your breasts may start to feel noticeably firmer and fuller.
For most mothers, breastmilk will gradually increase in fat content throughout the day. During the evening, young babies often cluster feed, taking in frequent feeds of this fattier milk, which tends to satisfy them enough to have their longest stretch of sleep.
The more you pump, the more milk your breasts will produce. It is also important to stay hydrated. A pumping session will take 15-20 minutes ideally pumping both breasts at the same time. Full milk production is about 25-35 oz.
Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggest that mothers across the globe exclusively breastfeed infants for the first six months of life. This means no other food or drink besides breast milk for the first half year of a baby's life.