Milk quantity during breastfeeding

Breast milk from a nursing mother is almost never the same: it can be either liquid or thick, bluish or yellowish, with different percentages of fat and protein. Why does this happen, and is there a certain norm of milk during breastfeeding? Is it necessary to regularly monitor its quality, and in what situations should you worry?

Indeed, breast milk never looks the same: its composition can change not only throughout the day, but also during a single feeding, as well as as the child grows and develops. Everything you need to know about such changes and about the composition of breast milk in general, we will outline in this material.

Color of milk during breastfeeding

Breast milk most often has a yellowish or bluish tint, and sometimes even greenish and pinkish-orange (if the nursing mother eats foods with dyes, fresh herbs, etc.). Such changes in the appearance of milk do not affect its quality and are not a cause for concern.

The color can change even during one feeding - this is also normal, since there are such concepts as foremilk (near) and hindmilk (far):

• the front portion normally always contains more water, but the concentration of nutrients is lower;
• The rear portion contains a higher concentration of beneficial components and fats, and this is also normal.

Transparent milk during breastfeeding is most often found in the front portion, which the baby consumes at the initial stage of feeding. In fact, with this portion the child quenches not so much hunger as thirst. After a few minutes of "drinking", the "supply" of hind milk begins: it is especially nutritious and even thick, so it serves as complete food for the baby. If a woman often moves the baby from one breast to another, then he may never get to the back portion, having drunk the front, less concentrated milk. As a result, weight gain may be insufficient, and the child himself will be more capricious (in other words, he will be constantly hungry).

To prevent this, you need to make sure that the baby not only drinks, but also eats: the hind yellowish milk during breastfeeding is extremely necessary for the full growth and development of the baby, as it is more concentrated and nutritious. [ 1 ]

Rarely, mothers note a pinkish or brownish milky tint. In most cases, this situation is also a normal variant, since such a color is caused by a small amount of blood getting into the product - for example, from damaged skin in the nipple area. When such milk is left to settle, blood particles usually settle to the bottom. Therefore, the baby can be fed with the expressed and settled product, or fed, as always, from the breast: such color changes will not cause any harm to the baby.

Not enough milk when breastfeeding a child

What criteria does a woman usually use to conclude that she has insufficient breast milk? Most often, we are talking about the following signs:

• the nursing mother does not feel fullness in her breasts;
• it is almost impossible to express milk, or its volume is very small;
• the baby asks for the breast too often;
• the baby “throws” the breast, cries, takes it again and “throws” it again.

It is worth noting that none of the above criteria is a reliable symptom of milk deficiency. For an objective assessment, you need to pay attention to other signs:

• correct positioning of the baby to the breast;
• frequency and duration of feeding;
• the presence of a feeding regimen, or feeding on demand;
• periodic use of bottles (with water, with formula), frequent use of pacifiers.

If the baby does not latch on to the nipple correctly, this directly affects the quality of absorption, and milk will flow to the baby in limited quantities: this is why it turns out that there is milk, but the baby is hungry.

Constant use of a pacifier or bottle can lead to the baby finding the shape of the mother's nipple less comfortable, and sucking from it is more difficult than from a bottle. As a result - constant spitting out of the breast, short episodes of absorption of mother's milk, up to refusal of breastfeeding. Many mothers do not understand what is going on, and think that the baby simply does not like milk, or he does not get enough of it: this is why questions arise regarding the norm of milk during breastfeeding. [ 2 ]

It’s a different matter if lactation is really insufficient: such a problem needs to be and can be solved.

Why is there not enough milk during breastfeeding? Its production can be suppressed not only by the peculiarities of the diet, but also by other factors:

• fears, anxiety, depression, fatigue (internal tension and muscle spasms prevent normal milk flow);
• long intervals between feedings (more than 2.5 hours).

Some women think that milk will be better and more nutritious if it is "accumulated" in the breast. This is not true: such an approach can only lead to a gradual loss of milk. It is recommended to feed often, and the milk remaining in the breast should be expressed. The formula here is simple: the more it decreases, the more it will arrive.

Signs of Low Milk Supply When Breastfeeding

If you think your baby is constantly hungry because he or she doesn't have enough milk, there's no need to panic. Firstly, excessive worry can lead to an even greater milk deficiency. Secondly, lactation can be normalized and even restored after almost complete cessation. [ 3 ]

What should you do first? You need to make sure that the baby really is not getting enough milk. To do this, evaluate the presence of such negative signs:

• the child urinates less than 10-12 times a day, and the urine has a distinct yellow tint and a concentrated odor;
• the baby has a tendency to constipation - defecation occurs once every 2-3 days or less often;
• the stool is dense, dark, sometimes with mucus;
• the child is capricious, sleeps poorly, and may wake up every 15-30 minutes;
• weight gain during the week is less than 120 g (meaning the first month of life, if the child was born weighing more than 3 kg);
• monthly weight gain is less than 600 g.

All of the above signs of deviation from the norm are valid if the baby is exclusively breastfed, without supplementary feeding with formula or supplementary drinking with water.

What to do if you have low milk supply while breastfeeding?

The main thing that a specialist will advise a woman with insufficient milk is to increase the period of rest, be less nervous and eat a varied diet. You can also add drinking sufficient amounts of liquid to your diet.

It is important not to dwell on the problem, especially since it often turns out to be far-fetched. The less the mother is nervous and worried, the better the lactation will be. There is no need to try to constantly control the process of milk production and feeding, because as a result the body releases stress hormones that can reduce lactation to virtually zero.

It is often possible to observe that the deterioration of milk production is associated with a banal incorrect attachment of the baby. If the child does not grasp the nipple area sufficiently, then he sucks out relatively little milk, despite sucking for a long time. If the attachment is correct, then, firstly, the baby sucks out a sufficient milk volume in a short time, and secondly, additional stimulation of the nipples occurs, which potentiates the function of the mammary glands. As a result, there is more milk.

In addition, how to stimulate milk production during breastfeeding? The best way to ensure the norm is to feed the baby "on demand". Today, perhaps, all mothers know what this concept means. You just need to trust the child: he himself will tell you when to feed, in what quantities, for how long, etc. You should not think that the baby will overeat or undereat: as for nutrition, the child's body is already able to control its needs from birth. And one more thing: you cannot try to get rid of night feedings right away. It is the night "approaches" that most activate milk production, since it is at night that the lactation hormone, prolactin, is synthesized. [ 4 ]

Let's summarize how to increase milk supply while breastfeeding:

• whenever possible, try to rest, sleep, and relax;
• Make sure that the baby is correctly attached to the breast;
• Practice feeding "on demand", not forgetting about the night period.

It is worth remembering the following fact: the more often the baby is applied, the better. In certain conditions, you can additionally use a breast pump - for example, to express milk remaining in the breast after feeding.

It is not difficult to establish lactation and increase the production of breast milk: the main condition is not to worry, and then everything will work out in the most optimal way.

How to increase milk during breastfeeding using folk remedies?

Since ancient times, women have resorted to traditional medicine recipes to improve the quality and increase the volume of breast milk. Such recipes are not forgotten even now. However, we must not forget: these products can only be used if you are completely sure that the mother and child are not allergic to the components used.

• Dill decoction, dill seed or fennel infusion, fennel oil - these remedies are safe and affordable, they have a positive effect on the composition of the mother's "product". The simplest and most common recipe is considered to be the following: dill seed is ground in a coffee grinder, poured with boiling water (1 tbsp. of seed per 200 ml of boiling water), infused under the lid for six minutes, filtered and drunk throughout the day in small sips.
• Walnuts are one of the most useful products during lactation. However, you need to be careful with nuts, as they can cause a strong allergic reaction. If no allergy is detected (either in mother or baby), then you can use this recipe: bring 300 ml of milk to a boil, pour it into a thermos, add a handful of crushed walnuts. Leave for 2-3 hours, filter and drink a little during the day. If after taking this remedy the baby has stool disorders, colic, skin rash, red spots on the body, cough, then stop using the medicine.
• Broccoli - this vegetable is recommended to be added to the diet of all nursing mothers. Broccoli will provide the mother and baby with the necessary vitamins and microelements, will help the woman recover faster after childbirth, will improve the function of the endocrine system, and will stimulate lactation processes. It is recommended to add broccoli to the menu in the form of soups, stewed or baked vegetables.

What a nursing mother should not do is overeat. Many are mistaken in believing that increased food consumption will lead to increased milk production. This is not true, and even the opposite: overeating will lead to disruption of normal metabolic processes, nutrients will not be fully absorbed, and the quality of milk will only suffer. It is better to eat properly, in small portions, but often - for example, every 2.5 or 3 hours.

How to increase milk flow during breastfeeding? To do this, you need to apply the baby to the breast more often for feeding, and also establish your own drinking regime. Of course, it is optimal to drink regular drinking water, without gas and additives. However, drinking the following drinks is also encouraged:

• weak green tea;
• fruit, berry compote (can be made from dried fruits), fruit drink;
• special herbal teas to enhance milk production (with anise, lemon balm, caraway, dill, etc.);
• fresh homemade juices;
• oatmeal jelly.

In any drugstore you can buy special herbal teas and infusions – for example, Hipp, Lactavit, Babushkino Lukoshko tea increases milk production. In addition, there are special biologically active additives and multivitamin preparations for lactating women: they are selected exclusively on the doctor's recommendations. Homeopathic remedies that affect the cause of the problem, calming the nervous system, eliminating tension and spasms are especially popular. Such preparations include Mlekoin and Pulsatill, known to many mothers. [ 5 ]

How to improve milk quality during breastfeeding?

Nutritionists have come to the aid of nursing mothers and have identified a number of products that should be included in the diet so that milk becomes more useful and is saturated with vitamins and minerals. We are talking about the following products:

• cereals (ideally buckwheat and oatmeal);
• eggs, salmon fish;
• boiled and baked fruits;
• nuts (provided there is no allergy);
• honey (if there is no allergy);
• berries.

Mayonnaise and vinegar, any smoked foods, most spices and seasonings, horseradish and mustard, white sugar, carbonated drinks, semi-finished products and synthetic products (snacks, chips, sweets, margarine) have a negative effect on the composition of milk.

How to increase the fat content of milk during breastfeeding?

If you have any doubts about the degree of milk fat content, there is a way to check its percentage without leaving home. The resulting figure may not be extremely accurate, but it will give a general idea of the percentage of fat present.

It should be noted right away that the statistical norm for fat content in breast milk is recognized as a range of 3.6-4.6%. But even going beyond this norm - in one direction or another - will not show the true picture, since, as we have already said, fat content can change even during one feeding. Every mother should understand: the main indicator of high-quality breast milk is the baby itself. That is, if the child is sufficiently saturated, adequately gains height and weight, does not experience health problems, this means that the milk is normal, capable of providing everything necessary.

If the mother is still eager to find out the approximate fat content of the baby's "food", then this can be done without leaving home. Take a regular test tube, pour some expressed milk (not foremilk!) into it so that the liquid height is 10 cm. Then leave the test tube for 5-6 hours in a room with room temperature. During this time, the product will separate into layers, with the top layer being fat. This top layer should simply be measured with a ruler or measuring tape: the fat percentage in the milk will be the number of millimeters measured.

What increases the fat content of milk during breastfeeding? Doctors say that you shouldn't worry about the norm and try to influence this indicator in different ways, since such manipulations do not have much sense. And the point is not that it is impossible to increase the fat content - the indicator can be raised to 6 or even 7%, but the baby will not become more satiated from this, since he will take no more than 4% from the milk. The rest will remain "with the woman", or more precisely - with her figure.

Experts are sure that all that increased consumption of fatty foods by the mother can give is her own excess weight and a change in the fat composition of breast milk. As a result, the product will become excessively thick, the risk of developing lactostasis will increase, and it will become more difficult for the baby to suck (up to the point of the baby refusing to breastfeed). [ 6 ]

Doctors advise: do not experiment with norms and diets, do not listen to old recommendations to eat a lot of fatty, dairy and sweet food. The only reasonable way to increase the quantity and quality of milk, to bring it to the norm is to frequently apply the baby and periodically express. If you follow this advice, then the milk will be renewed more often, and its production will increase.

Products that increase the fat content of milk during breastfeeding

For better or worse, old stereotypes are firmly rooted in all parental generations. It has long been believed that eating fatty foods, condensed milk, etc. improves the quality and increases the nutritional value of breast milk. “A young mother should eat everything and in large quantities, for two” - almost all women have heard such phrases. However, recent scientific studies convincingly prove that the quality of breast milk, if it depends on the mother’s food preferences, then very little. The fact presented by scientists sounds something like this: all the components necessary for the baby, such as proteins, fats and carbohydrates, are obtained not so much from the mother’s diet as from the resources of the woman’s body. And only the vitamin part largely depends on the food consumed - for example, B vitamins, vitamin D and ascorbic acid, as well as iron, calcium and zinc enter milk from food.

The fat content and quantity of milk mainly depend on the baby's needs. Sounds unbelievable? In fact, the less often a mother breastfeeds her baby, and the less time the baby spends at the breast (that is, the less milk is consumed), the less of it is produced. And vice versa, the more often and the more the baby eats, the more the production of this important product increases, and the fatter it becomes. Experts are unanimous in their opinion: to increase the quantity and fat content of breast milk, there is no need to revise the mother's diet.

So what happens: no changes in nutrition are necessary? It is necessary, because the diet of a nursing mother should consist of healthy, hypoallergenic and easily digestible food. These are the following goals:

• the mother's diet should not cause allergies in the baby;
• the child needs to receive vitamins and minerals in full;
• The baby should not have problems with digestion or the functioning of the nervous system.

How to increase the nutritional value of milk during breastfeeding, improve its vitamin and mineral composition? You can add the following products to the menu:

• seeds, walnuts or hazelnuts (provided the baby is not allergic);
• various cereals, porridges (if a child is constipated, the nursing mother should limit her consumption of rice);
• fermented milk products;
• salmon fish;
• raisin;
• green;
• broccoli, carrots, other vegetables, stewed or steamed;
• baked and fresh fruits (for example, apples, pears), berries (provided there is no allergy);
• vegetable oils;
• hard cheeses.

Increased milk lactation during breastfeeding is also associated with the total daily fluid intake of the nursing woman. Liquid is, first of all, water. It should be non-carbonated, clean, without additives. In addition to water, it is allowed to drink juices (vegetable, fruit, homemade), green tea, and compotes. To improve the well-being and digestion of the child, a nursing mother can prepare tea for herself based on lemon verbena, lemon balm, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds. Accordingly, coffee and strong black tea, cola, and drinks with dyes and preservatives are prohibited.

If you do everything correctly, that is, drink enough fluids, rest and get enough sleep whenever possible, eat a variety of healthy foods, then the milk norm during breastfeeding will be optimal for the growth and development of the child.