06/08/2022
This year’s theme for is Step up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support. Both of these bags of pumped milk is from one pumping session. The one on the left is from the beginning. The one on the right is near the end. Why the difference in color?
The one on the left is foremilk. This is milk at the beginning of a feed, and has a higher water content. This kind of milk will quench a baby’s “thirst” but is low in fat content. When a baby is only feeding on foremilk they may nurse more frequently since they aren’t essentially “filling their belly”. Think of it as only eating the salad of your meal but not getting the meat and potatoes.
The milk on the right is hindmilk. This milk has a higher fat and nutrient content. Baby will feel full, content.
Knowing this about breastmilk is important because if you have an oversupply, your baby may not need all of the milk from one breast in one feed. So the breast is not being fully emptied during a nursing session. Pumping for a minute or two will take some of the foremilk out so that baby can get both of these kinds of milk in a feed. Both are important and have their place in the nutrition a baby gets from breastmilk.
Knowledge is power 💪🏽
