The fuller the breast, the lower the fat content of the milk. Therefore, milk that is expressed at the beginning of a nursing or pumping session tends to be more watery than milk expressed at the end. (However, if sessions occur close together – and the breast doesn't have time to refill – this may not always be true.)
Foremilk has less fat and higher levels of lactose (milk sugars). Sometimes it's thinner, tinged blue or seems more clear. This early milk that comes out is super important for your baby because it helps hydrate them and the sugars help fuel their body and give them energy.
If you consume more protein, it can help to increase your breast milk supply. This means more milk and more protein for your baby, which can then help to make your breast milk fattier. The best way to incorporate protein into your diet is through chicken, lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and seeds.
The appearance and consistency of your milk has nothing to do with its quality. If you are expressing breast milk, it won't always look the same. Changes in opacity and color are totally normal. As long as baby's weight gain is on track, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.
This often occurs when someone hasn't fed for a longer than usual period (more than 3 hours) from the beginning of the last feed. This can cause a clear or blue color to breast milk. If your milk is coming out clear, try gentle but dynamic breast massage, and moderate warm compresses to increase circulation.
In a word, yes. Both fatty milk and watery/less fatty milk are good for your baby, and it's important that your baby gets both.
Watery breast milk is normal and usually not something to worry about. Some babies will have a foremilk hindmilk imbalance that can make them sick. Too much watery foremilk is usually corrected by completely emptying the breasts.
It's important not to give a baby thickened feeds unless advised by a doctor. Since gastro-oesophageal reflux disease can be associated with medical problems, exclusive breastfeeding (i.e. without any thickeners, etc) is advisable whenever medically possible.
In the refrigerator, breast milk may separate into layers. There may be a thick, white or yellow creamy layer on top, and a thinner clear or blue-tinted layer on the bottom. You don't have to worry. It's normal, and it doesn't mean the milk went bad.
If it does smell or taste sour, then it indicates the presence of rancid fats and chemical oxidation. Try changing your diet to eliminate the problem. If it smells fine and tastes a bit sweet, put it in the refrigerator. Every few hours, do another smell and taste check.
Iron in milk peaks at around noon; vitamin E peaks in the evening. Minerals like magnesium, zinc, potassium and sodium are all highest in the morning.
Sometimes the milk that you pump at the beginning of a pumping session is white-ish/bluish in color. This more watery, skim milk is referred to as foremilk. This milk is perfect for quenching your baby's thirst.
You can do this by pumping for a minute or two before you begin to breastfeed your baby. By pumping before you breastfeed, you will remove some of the foremilk and your baby will get more of the high-calorie, high-fat hindmilk.
How long should a baby nurse to get hindmilk? After about 10 to 15 minutes of breastfeeding, the milk flow slows and transitions to the sweet and creamy hindmilk, which contains vitamins A and E, and has more fat and calories than foremilk.
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.
Most mothers find that pumping every 2-3 hours maintains their milk supply and does not cause them to become uncomfortably full.
If you see bright green and frothy poop in your baby's diaper that almost looks like algae, they're probably getting too much foremilk – the low-calorie milk that comes first in a feeding – and not enough hindmilk, the higher-fat, super-nutritious stuff that comes near the end.
The Haakaa breast pump helps you collect both foremilk and rich hindmilk.
Aim to spend 15 to 20 minutes hooked up to the pump to net a good amount of breast milk (some women will need 30 minutes or more with the pump, especially in the early days). Pump until the milk starts slowing down and your breasts feel well-drained. Be sure to clean the breast flanges after every use.