The more empty the breast, the fattier the milk. 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.
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.
Offer more frequent feedings.
Nursing more often prevents milk with a higher water and lactose content from building up in your breasts, so your baby takes in less lactose while she drinks. A gentle breast massage before a feed may also maximize the fat content of the milk if you're dealing with an oversupply issue.
Know, however, that consuming too much fluid (or having colorless urine) can actually harm your milk supply. When over hydrated, your body works to restore its electrolyte balance by dumping excess water in your urine, which diverts water away from your breasts and can actually decrease your milk supply as a result.
Too much foremilk is also believed to cause stomach and gastrointestinal (GI) issues in babies. The extra sugar from all that foremilk can cause symptoms such as gas, abdominal pain, irritability, crying, and loose, green bowel movements. 2 You may even think that your baby has colic.
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.
A reliable way to treat foremilk/hindmilk imbalance is to separate your breast milk. Bottle feeding your baby less foremilk and more hindmilk will help them easily digest the lactose present in your milk.
If your breasts are really heavy and full before your baby breastfeeds, hand express or pump for 1-2 minutes and discard your foremilk. Foremilk flows at the beginning of the feed and if your breasts are really full…. this milk can flow fast and furiously!
To collect hindmilk for your premature baby, you should use a breast pump and separate the foremilk from the hindmilk as you pump. When you begin pumping your breast milk, it will be thin and watery. Pump for about 2 minutes, then remove the collection container from the pump.
The first explanation is that you're not pumping long enough to get to the "hindmilk." Balanced Breastfeeding noted that since hindmilk sits further back in the duct, it's harder to draw out.
Light green: Consistent green stools in a breastfed baby can indicate an imbalance of foremilk/hindmilk. Foremilk is the low-calorie milk that comes first in a feeding.
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.
The Haakaa breast pump helps you collect both foremilk and rich hindmilk. Because it's only a piece of silicone, there's no electricity nor any cords required, making it so easy to integrate into your daily routine!
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.
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.
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.
By offering the other breast when the first is finished, and repeating breast compressions if needed, your baby will get the correct balance of foremilk and hindmilk automatically. Using both breasts when needed (and sometimes three or four!) will drive up and maintain your supply.
A forceful letdown and oversupply of milk can also result in foremilk/hindmilk imbalance and its sequelae, mimicking reflux.
The best foods for increasing fat in breastmilk are: Heart-healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
The total milk consumed daily—not the hindmilk—determines baby's weight gain. Whether babies breastfeed often for shorter periods or go for hours between feedings and feed longer, the total daily fat consumption does not actually vary. Foremilk is not always low-fat.
However, if there is an overabundance of foremilk, the baby can consume it before receiving enough hindmilk. This is known as a foremilk-hindmilk imbalance, and it can result in gas, loose green bowel movements, and colic symptoms.