What color is normal breast milk? Which color of breast milk is most nutritious?

Mothers who have experienced breastfeeding know that breast milk has subtle differences in color. Why do these color differences exist? Here we will reveal to you what colors normal breast milk has and which color of breast milk has the highest nutritional value.

What colors does breast milk have?

gray

The secretion of breast milk goes through three natural stages, each with its own nutritional characteristics. The breast milk at the beginning contains enough minerals, which is what people call "grey milk". Some people think that drinking such milk will cause diarrhea, so they squeeze it out in vain, which is a pity. After the baby sucks for a while, the milk turns white, which is a sign of increased protein and carbohydrates. When it is about to end, the milk is white and thick, containing a lot of fat. Only when the milk in these three stages is consumed by the baby can the proper nutrition be guaranteed, and doing so can also promote the next breast milk secretion.

Note: If the mother's breast milk continues to be in the first stage, she should increase her intake of protein-rich foods.

Light Color

The milk looks very light, but it is actually nutritious, just because it contains less fat. The milk that flows out at the beginning is usually called foremilk, which contains essential nutrients such as minerals and vitamins, contains less fat, and is mostly light. The milk that flows out at the end is usually called hindmilk, which contains more fat and is white. Many breastfed babies cannot eat hindmilk, consume less fat, and are mostly thin. Therefore, you should let the baby suck more during each feeding, and extend the feeding time appropriately so that the baby can eat the hindmilk with more fat. In addition, eating more animal oil will increase the fat in the milk, and the milk will look white.

yellow

In the first few days after the birth of a child, the amount of breast milk is small, the milk is thicker and yellow in color, which is called "colostrum". Colostrum is rich in nutrients and disease-resistant substances, so never squeeze it out and feed it all to the child. In order to produce enough breast milk, as long as the child wants to eat, you should feed him/her, no need to schedule. In order to ensure the needs of infant development and prevent the occurrence of rickets, you should supplement a safe amount of vitamin A and D (or cod liver oil) under the guidance of a doctor while breastfeeding one month after birth, but avoid excessive poisoning.

Light green

Sometimes breast milk can have other colors, which are mostly related to the pigments in the mother's diet or medicine. The baby's urine may also have the same color change. Drinking beverages containing yellow and red pigments can turn breast milk into light reddish orange. Green beverages, seaweed, and some natural vitamin pills may cause breast milk to turn green. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers should pay special attention to their diet and be cautious about using medicines, but natural foods are harmless.

Why does breast milk have different colors?

This is mainly related to the mother's diet.

1. The dietary allocation during lactation should refer to the recommended supply of the Chinese Nutrition Society. Increase the supply of various nutrients, especially high-quality protein, calcium, zinc, iron, iodine and B vitamins. And pay attention to the appropriate ratio between nutrients, such as the heating ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates should be 13%-15%, 27% and 58%-60% respectively.

2. Pay attention to the intake of calcium and vitamin D. If breastfeeding is calcium deficient, in order to ensure the constant calcium content in breast milk, the body will use the breastfeeding mother's own bone calcium, which will cause bone softening, osteoporosis, back and leg pain, etc.

3. Water-soluble cellulose in breast milk, such as vitamins B1, B2, and C, can change due to changes in the content of the mother's diet; the same is true for fat-soluble vitamin A. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers should pay attention to reasonable supplementation in their diet.

4. The breast milk of breastfeeding mothers has low calcium content, low fat content, zinc and DHA content. You should add some edible oil, nuts, butter, animal fat, fish oil, etc. to promote the baby's brain development and retina formation, and improve immunity. In addition, the sodium and chloride content in breast milk is significantly high, which is related to the excessive salt intake of breastfeeding mothers. Salt is not conducive to the kidney development of newborns, so you should avoid excessive salt intake.

5. Picky eaters, especially vegetarian mothers. If the nutrients are not comprehensive, it will have a negative impact on the baby's nutrition.

Breast milk also has different stages

Colostrum: The milk secreted in the first few days after delivery is called colostrum. Although it is not much, it is very concentrated and its color is similar to butter. Compared with mature milk, colostrum is rich in antibodies, rich in protein, low in fat, and various enzymes and carbohydrates needed by babies, which are not provided by any other food. It contains relatively less lactose, fat, and water-soluble vitamins. The immune substances in colostrum can cover the surface of the immature intestines of infants and prevent the attachment of bacteria and viruses.

Transition milk: The milk secreted between 7-14 days after delivery is called transition milk. The protein content gradually decreases, while the fat and lactose content gradually increase, which is the transition from colostrum to mature milk.

Mature milk: The milk secreted 14 days after delivery is called mature milk. In fact, it takes about 30 days for it to stabilize. Mature milk looks clearer than cow's milk and can be divided into foremilk and hindmilk.

Foremilk: The first milk produced during each breastfeeding, that is, the milk that comes out in the first 2 or 3 minutes. It looks gray and watery, but it has a high water content and can provide the baby with abundant water, protein, lactose, vitamins, inorganic salts and water, as well as immunoglobulins with anti-cancer ability.

Hind milk: contains more fat and looks whiter than foremilk. During breastfeeding, it can provide a lot of calories for the baby and help all aspects of growth.