Breast milk question?

Question

There are times when I've been pumping that I've noticed milk from one breast is watery. You can see through it. While the other breast looks like milk. It's not all the time though. I know whats in the boobie juice changes from one feeding to the next, but that much? Do you think its something I should be concerned about? My daughter is getting enough, she's not complaining and gaining well.

Answer 1

The watery milk has just been sitting in the breast longer and the fat is clinging to the mild ducts. If you do breast massage before pumping you will get more fat.]

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/change-milkfat.html
The above information tells us that milk fat may be more effectively increased through 'mechanical' means (i.e. longer & more frequent feeding, massage, breast compression, expressing foremilk before nursing) than by changing mom's diet.

See How might I increase baby's weight gain? for details on increasing baby's intake at the breast.



http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/foremilk-hindmilk.html
A woman's breast really only makes one type of milk, the higher-fat milk that we typically think of as hindmilk. As milk is produced in the breast, the fat globules in the milk tend to stick to each other and to the walls of the alveoli (where the milk is made). Between feedings, milk collects in mom's breasts and gradually moves out toward the nipple, leaving more and more of the fat "stuck" further back in the milk ducts. The more time between feedings, the lower the fat content of the foremilk available to baby at the beginning of the feeding

As the breast starts to empty, the fat globules begin to dislodge and move down the ducts (let-down facilitates this process). So the further into the feed, the higher the fat content of the milk, as more and more fat globules are forced out. The end result is that the milk gradually increases in fat as the feeding progresses

Your breasts don't "flip a switch" at some arbitrary point and start producing hindmilk instead of foremilk. Instead, think of the beginning of a nursing session as being like turning on a hot water faucet.

The first water you get out of the tap isn't usually hot, but cold. As the water runs, it gradually gets warmer and warmer and warmer. This is what happens with the fat content in mom's milk - moms's milk gradually increases in fat content until the end of the feeding.


Since fat content is is directly related to the degree of emptiness of the breast, it is possible, depending upon nursing pattern, for fat content to be higher at the beginning of a particular feeding than it is at the end of some other feeding.

Now think about the hot water faucet again. If there is a long period of time before the faucet is used again, then you go through the "cold to hot" process once more, but if you turn the water on fairly soon after it was used then the water is either pretty warm or still hot, depending upon how long it's been since the faucet was last on.

This is how it works with mother's milk too - the longer the time between feedings, the lower the fat content at the beginning of the next feeding. If feedings are closer together, you're starting off with a higher fat content.

As a particular feeding progresses, fat content increases, milk volume and flow decrease, and milk synthesis speeds up. Because every baby varies in the amount of time it takes him to receive his fill of the higher-fat milk at the end of the feeding, it is important not to switch breasts while baby is actively nursing.

Answer 2

The watery looking milk is called foremilk, it's to quench baby's thirst first. After baby is finished with the foremilk, out comes the hindmilk, which is the creamy looking milk, that helps baby feel full and satisfies baby's hunger. Try pumping for a little while longer from the breast that has watery milk, you may not be getting the hindmilk.

Answer 3

The thicker milk is the hind milk and the clearer fluid is the fore milk. The clearer fluid is usually more present at the beginning of the feed and the hind milk afterwards. The colour of the milk can change depending on what you ate but not that much. If your child is gaining well I wouldn't worry, pumping is very hard to do.

Answer 4

No it is nothing to be concerned about. What you are seeing is what they call hindmilk. It is what comes before the foremilk which is more rich in nutrients..the hindmilk is more rich in water and fat. Normally babies get full off of it quicker and normally want more sooner than if they are getting the foremilk. As long as your baby is not complaining and her weight gain isn't changing. You have nothing to worry about.

Answer 5

It should be ok. that happened to my wife a few times, but it went away pretty quickly. One mistake we made was not introducing a bottle at all for the first few months. That made it really hard to wean our daughter from breast feeding.