Milk quantity during breastfeeding

Breast milk from a breastfeeding woman is almost never the same: it can be 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 when breastfeeding? Is it necessary to regularly monitor its quality, and in which situations should you worry?

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

The color of milk when breastfeeding

Breast milk most often has a yellowish or bluish color, and sometimes even a greenish or pinkish-orange color (if the breastfeeding mother uses 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.

Color can change even during a single feeding - this is also normal, as there are concepts such as anterior (near) and posterior (far) milk:

• in the front portion, there is always more water in the normal portion, but the concentration of nutrients is less;
• in the back portion, the concentration of beneficial components and fats is high - and this is also the norm.

Transparent milk during breastfeeding is most often found just in the front portion, which the baby consumes at the beginning of the feeding. In fact, this portion of the baby quenches not so much hunger as thirst. After a few minutes of "drinking" begins to "feed" back milk: it is especially nutritious and even thick, so it serves as a full-fledged food for the baby. If a woman often shifts the baby from one breast to another, he may not get to the rear portion, drinking the front, less concentrated milk. As a result, weight gain may be insufficient, and the child will be more capricious (to put it simply, he will be constantly hungry).

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

Rarely, mothers notice a pinkish or brownish milk color. In most cases, this situation is also a variant of the norm, because such a color is due to the ingress of a small amount of blood into the product - for example, from damaged skin in the nipple area. When settling such milk, blood particles, as a rule, settle to the bottom. Therefore, you can feed your baby the decanted and settled product, or feed it from the breast as usual: this color change will not harm your baby.

Not enough milk when breastfeeding your baby

What criteria does a woman usually use to conclude that she is not getting enough breast milk? The most common signs are as follows:

• The breastfeeding mom doesn't feel her breasts full;
• it is almost impossible to decant milk, or the milk volume is very small;
• the baby is asking 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 it is necessary to pay attention to other signs:

• proper breastfeeding of the infant;
• frequency and duration of feeding;
• Availability 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 grip the nipple correctly, it directly affects the quality of suction, and milk will come to the baby in limited quantities: hence it turns out that the milk seems to be available, but the baby is hungry.

Constant use of a pacifier or bottle can lead to the fact that the child finds the shape of the mother's nipple less comfortable, and it is more difficult to suckle from it than from a bottle. As a result - the constant spitting out of the breast, short episodes of absorption of breast milk, up to the refusal of breastfeeding. Many mothers do not understand what is the matter, and think that the baby just does not like the milk, or it is not full: therefore, there are questions about the norm of milk during breastfeeding. [2]

It is another matter if lactation is really insufficient: such a problem should and can be solved.

Why is there not enough milk when breastfeeding? Not only the specifics of the diet, but also other factors can suppress its production:

• 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 "stored" in the breast. This is not true: this 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 decanted. The formula is simple: the more milk that goes out, the more that comes in.

Signs of milk shortage when breastfeeding

If you feel that your baby is hungry all the time because he is not getting enough milk, you should not panic. Firstly, excessive anxiety can lead to an even greater milk deficit. And secondly, lactation can be brought back to normal and even restored after almost complete cessation. [3]

What is the first thing to do? It is necessary to make sure that the infant really does not get enough milk. To do this, look for these negative signs:

• the number of urinations in the child is less than 10-12 times a day, with urine having a pronounced yellow tint and concentrated odor;
• the baby has a tendency to constipation - defecation occurs once every 2-3 days or less frequently;
• feces dense, dark, sometimes with mucus;
• the child is cranky, sleeps poorly, may wake up every 15-30 minutes;
• weight gain within a 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 "supplementation" with formula and "supplementation" with water.

What to do if there is little milk when breastfeeding?

The main thing that a specialist will advise a woman with insufficient milk supply is to increase the period of rest, reduce nervousness and eat a varied diet. You can also add to the diet by drinking enough fluids.

It is important not to dwell on the problem, especially since it is often far-fetched. The less nervous and anxious the mother is, the better lactation goes. It is not necessary to try to constantly control the process of milk formation and feeding, because as a result, the body releases stress hormones that can reduce lactation virtually to zero.

It is not uncommon to observe that the deterioration of milk production is associated with a banal incorrect laying of the infant. If the baby does not grasp the nipple area sufficiently, it sucks relatively little milk, while sucking for a long time. If the application is correct, then, firstly, the baby sucks enough milk volume in a short time, and secondly, there is additional stimulation of the nipples, which potentiates the function of the mammary glands. As a result, there is more milk.

In addition, how to stimulate milk production when breastfeeding? The best way to ensure the norm is to feed the baby "on demand". To date, perhaps all moms know what this concept means. You just need to trust the baby: he will tell you when to feed, in what amounts, for how long, etc., and so on. Do not think that the baby will overeat or undernourish: as for nutrition, the child's body from birth is able to control its needs. And another thing: you should not try to immediately get rid of night feedings. It is the night "approaches" that most activate milk production, because just at night time the lactation hormone prolactin is synthesized. [4]

Let's summarize how to increase milk when breastfeeding:

• Whenever possible, try to rest, sleep, relax;
• make sure that the infant's breastfeeding is correct;
• Practice feeding "on demand", not forgetting the night period.

Remember the following fact: the more often your baby feeds, the better. In certain circumstances, you can use a breast pump, for example, to decant the milk left in the breast after a 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 best possible way.

How to increase milk when breastfeeding with folk remedies?

Since ancient times, women have resorted to folk medicine recipes to improve the quality and volume of breast milk. They do not forget about such recipes now. However, do not forget: you can use these remedies only if you are absolutely sure that the mother and the baby are not allergic to the components used.

• Dill decoction, infusion of dill seed or fennel, fennel oil - these remedies are safe and affordable, they have a positive effect on the composition of the maternal "product". The simplest and most common recipe is considered to be the following: grind dill seed in a coffee grinder, pour boiling water (1 tbsp. Seed per 200 ml of boiling water), insist under a lid for six minutes, filter and drink throughout the day in small sips.
• Walnuts are one of the most beneficial foods for lactation. However, you need to be careful with nuts, as they can cause a strong allergic reaction. If allergies are not found (both in the mother and the baby), then you can use this recipe: 300 ml of milk brought to a boil, pour into a thermos, pour in the same handful of chopped walnuts. Withstand 2-3 hours, filter and drink a little at a time for a day. If after taking this remedy in an infant found stool disorders, colic, skin rash, red spots on the body, cough, then the use of potion stop.
• Broccoli - this vegetable is recommended to be added to the diet of all breastfeeding mothers. Broccoli will provide mom and baby with the necessary vitamins and trace elements, will help women recover faster after childbirth, improve the function of the endocrine system, stimulates lactation processes. It is recommended to add broccoli to the menu in the form of soups, stewed or baked vegetables.

What a breastfeeding mom should not do is overeat. Many are mistaken, believing that increased consumption of food will lead to an increase in milk production. This is not true, and even vice versa: overeating will lead to a violation of normal metabolic processes, useful substances will not be fully assimilated, 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 when breastfeeding? To do this, it is necessary to put the baby more often for feeding, as well as to establish your own drinking regimen. Of course, it is optimal to drink regular drinking water, without gas and additives. However, the use of such drinks is also welcome:

• loose green tea;
• fruit, berry compote (can be made of dried fruits), mors;
• special herbal teas to enhance milk production (with aniseed, melissa, cumin, dill, etc.);
• fresh, homemade juices;
• oatmeal mousse.

In any pharmacy you can buy special herbal collections and teas - for example, Hipp, Lactavit, Babushkino lukoshko tea enhances milk production. In addition, there are special dietary supplements and multivitamin preparations for lactating women: they are selected solely on the recommendations of the doctor. Particularly popular and homeopathic remedies that affect the cause of the problem, calming the nervous system, eliminating tension and spasms. Such preparations include Mlekoin and Pulsatilla, known to many moms. [5]

How to improve milk quality when breastfeeding?

Nutritionists have gone towards nursing mothers and identified a number of products that should be included in the diet, in order to make milk more useful, saturated with vitamin and mineral components. It is about such products:

• cereals (buckwheat and oatmeal are ideal);
• eggs, salmon fish;
• boiled and baked fruits;
• nuts (provided there are no allergies);
• honey (in the absence of allergies);
• berries.

Mayonnaise and vinegar, any smoked meats, most spices and condiments, horseradish and mustard, white sugar, carbonated water, convenience foods and synthetic products (snacks, chips, sweets, margarine) negatively affect the composition of milk.

How to increase milk fat content when breastfeeding?

If in doubt about the degree of milk fatness, there is a way to check its percentage from the comfort of your own home. The resulting figure may not be exceptionally accurate, but it will give a general idea of the percentage of fat present.

It should be noted at once that the statistical norm of breast milk fat content 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, because, as we have already said, the fat content can change even in the process of one feeding. Every mother should understand: the main indicator of quality breast milk is the baby itself. That is, if the baby is sufficiently satiated, adequately gains in height and weight, does not experience health problems, it means that the milk is normal, able to provide everything necessary.

If the mother still can't wait to find out the approximate degree of fat content of infant "food", it can be done without leaving home. It is necessary to take an ordinary test tube, pour into it a little decanted milk (not front!) so that the height of the liquid was 10 cm. Next, the test tube should be left for 5-6 hours in a room temperature room. During this time, the product will divide into layers, the uppermost one being the fat. This top layer should simply be measured with a ruler or centimeter tape: the fat percentage in the milk will be the number of millimeters measured.

What increases the fat content of milk when breastfeeding? Doctors say that it is not worth worrying about the norm and trying different ways to influence this indicator, because such manipulations have no special meaning. And the point is not that it is impossible to increase the fat content - the figure can be raised to 6 or even 7%, but the baby from this will not become more nourishing, because it will take from milk no more than 4%. The rest will remain "with the woman", or more precisely, with her figure.

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

Medics advise: do not experiment with norms and diets, do not listen to the old recommendations to eat a lot of fatty, dairy and sweet foods. The only sensible way to increase the quantity and quality of milk, to bring it to the norm - this is a frequent laying of the baby and periodic decanting. If you follow this advice, the milk will be renewed more often, and its production will increase.

Foods that increase milk fat content during breastfeeding

Whether good or bad, old stereotypes are firmly "sitting" in all parental generations. It has long been believed that the use of fatty foods, condensed milk, etc. Improves the quality and nutritional content of breast milk. "A young mother should eat everything and in large quantities, for two" such phrases have heard almost all women. However, recent scientific studies convincingly prove that the quality of breast milk, if it depends on the food preferences of the mother, then very little. The fact, presented by scientists, sounds like this: all the necessary components for the baby, such as proteins, fats and carbohydrates, he gets not so much from the maternal diet, but from the resources of the woman's body. And only the vitamin part is largely dependent on the food consumed - for example, B-group vitamins, vitamin D and ascorbic acid, as well as iron, calcium and zinc are supplied to the milk from food.

The fat content and quantity of milk depends mainly on your baby's needs. Does this sound implausible? In fact, the less often a mom breastfeeds her baby and the less time the baby spends at the breast (that is, the less milk is consumed), the less milk is produced. Conversely, the more often and more the baby eats, the more the production of an important product increases, and the fatter it becomes. Specialists 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 do you mean: no changes in nutrition are necessary? Yes, because the diet of a nursing mother should consist of healthy, hypoallergenic and easily digestible food. These goals are pursued as follows:

• the mother's food 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 and nervous system.

How to increase the nutritional content 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 infant is not allergic);
• a variety of cereals, porridge (in constipation in the child should be limited to the use of rice breastfeeding mom);
• fermented milk products;
• salmon fish;
• raisins;
• greens;
• broccoli, carrots, other vegetables stewed or steamed;
• Baked and fresh fruits (e.g. Apples, pears), berries (provided there are no allergies);
• vegetable oils;
• hard cheeses.

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

If you do everything right, that is, drink enough fluids, if possible, rest and sleep, a varied diet of healthy foods, the norm of milk during breastfeeding will be optimal for the growth and development of the child.