Contents:
- Medical Video: Breastmilk and the difference between Colostrum, Foremilk & Hindmilk - How Breastfeeding Works
- Is the milk dilute the quality is not good?
- Do not rush to release the breasts from the baby
- What affects the fat content in breast milk?
Medical Video: Breastmilk and the difference between Colostrum, Foremilk & Hindmilk - How Breastfeeding Works
Many mothers may worry if the milk produced is too runny. They consider dilute breast milk to have fewer nutrients than thick breast milk. This also sometimes makes nursing mothers not confident with the milk they produce. However, is it true that the thickness of ASI can determine the nutrients contained in breast milk?
Is the milk dilute the quality is not good?
Actually, the thickness of breast milk can change at any time. Breast milk sometimes looks more watery and has a rather white color, at other times the milk can also turn into thicker and slightly yellow in color. This is normal for all breastfeeding mothers.
The milk that you often see is more thick maybe breast milk hindmilk, which comes out at the end of breastfeeding. While the more runny milk may be breast milk foremilk, which comes out at the beginning of breastfeeding. The viscosity of breast milk is influenced by the fat content in breast milk.
When the breasts are full or at the beginning of breastfeeding, breast milk contains lower fat than when the breast is empty or when the baby will finish breastfeeding. The less milk is left in the breast, the higher the fat content and the faster the milk is removed from the breast. This is because when the breasts start to empty, fat clumps start moving down the milk ducts.
Do not rush to release the breasts from the baby
Because the fat content is very much found in the last milk, so you should not rush to release your breasts from the baby's mouth while breastfeeding. Make sure the baby has completely emptied your breasts and released his own mouth from your breasts so that all the fat and other nutrients in breast milk have been completely received by the baby.
If necessary, you may need to massage your breasts to help empty the breast while breastfeeding. Massaging the breast while breastfeeding is proven to increase the fat content in the milk that the baby receives. Massaging the breast can also stimulate the release of breast milk from the breast so the baby can get high-fat breast milk.
If your baby does not stick properly to the breast, the baby falls asleep at the breastfeeding, or if the baby only sticks to the breast without sucking on your breasts, you should massage your breast. If the baby is full before the breast is empty, it's a good idea to pump your milk and keep the milk to give to the baby at a later time.
What affects the fat content in breast milk?
One of the things that can affect the fat content in breast milk is the mother's eating habits. However, not the amount of fat affected, but the type of fat contained in breast milk. The food you eat can affect the type of fat found in breast milk.
Mothers who often eat fatty fish, vegetable oils, and nuts, have breast milk that contains monounsaturated fatty acids and more polyunsaturated fatty acids. While mothers who often consume fatty meat and high-fat milk tend to release breast milk which contains more saturated fat.
You need to know that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids found in breast milk are very important to support the development of the baby's brain and eyes. In fact, the essential fatty acids contained in breast milk have been associated with better IQ and baby vision.
