Should I increase the fat content of breast milk?
Traditionally, people have attached great importance to the quality of breast milk. As soon as a child has any problems with weight, grandmothers immediately begin to say that the mother’s milk is bad, too thin, like water. Modern medicine has a completely opposite view of this. If the baby eats with appetite, is in a good mood, and weight gain is normal, then there is no point in inventing non-existent problems. Milk is good, no matter how it seems to mom.
Very often women compare their milk with the usual cow's milk. But people are not cows. And human milk differs in composition, and, therefore, in appearance, from cow’s or goat’s milk. And for a child, like a human child, it is mother’s milk that is suitable. Every woman’s body adapts to the needs of her child, so his mother’s milk is ideal for the baby.
In addition, milk that is too fatty can lead to intestinal problems in the baby. Fats are difficult to digest, and the baby does not yet have enough enzymes for this.
The most common causes of too thin milk
Milk may become watery after a freeze/thaw cycle due to improper cooling.
Within an hour after milking, the milk must be cooled to -8 degrees using ice or machine cold. Do not mix a fresh batch of product with chilled milk. Milk that is too thin may be a sign of a developing disease in the cow. If the milk is watery with a bluish tint, this is a sign of tuberculosis; the presence of flocculent clots indicates mastitis.
In addition, the animal's milk may become thin if it does not have enough nutritious food or if it is not fed very nutritious food. So, oats are considered the most nutritious food. Next in decreasing order of nutritional value are: hay, potatoes, straw and clean fresh grass.
Front and rear milk
But even if a child does not gain enough weight, it is most often not “bad” milk that is to blame, but errors in feeding.
If regular milk is left in a glass for a while, it will separate and a layer of cream will form on top. The same thing happens in the chest. The baby sucks out lighter milk first, with less fat. It is called the anterior one. And only then does he begin to get a fatter rear. There is no sharp limit; the milk just gradually becomes fatter during the sucking process.
If the mother transfers the baby to the other breast as soon as he begins to be a little capricious or even just suck more slowly, then the baby only has time to suck out the foremilk, which contains a small amount of fat. In this case, the child, while sucking a sufficient amount of milk, may not gain weight well. So it is possible to shift the baby during one feeding only in case of a true lack of breast milk.
Some mothers, wanting their baby to receive a richer diet, express foremilk. You shouldn't do that. Thick, fatty milk does not fully satisfy the baby's need for liquid and may be less digestible. It is better to put the baby to the breast more often. The longer the child did not eat, the more the milk had time to stratify and the greater the difference between the liquid transparent front, which managed to flow down to the nipple, and the fatty rear.
If there is a lot of milk and the baby does not suck it out completely, then after a while you can put the baby on the same breast so that he can finish sucking the fatty hind milk.
There is no need to worry about the fact that there is not enough milk in your breasts in the evening. It is quite fatty, so after eating the “cream” the baby will be full, satisfied and fall asleep well.
But in any case, if the baby is latched on demand, if lactation is established and the amount of milk produced is equal to the amount sucked, then the baby will receive everything he needs. He will first “drink” the foremilk, and then “eat” the hind milk.
Some women may have hyperlactation, that is, a situation when more milk is produced than the baby can suck. Then the baby actually sucks out only liquid foremilk, and, having eaten, does not have time to get to the hindmilk. The main problem in this case is not even that the child may not receive enough fat and calories. Liquid milk passes through the intestines too quickly. Milk sugar, lactose, does not have time to break down completely and begins to ferment in the child’s intestines. This leads to discomfort, bloating, and regurgitation.
In this case, you need to express a little before feeding. But you need to gradually reduce the pumping time so that the amount of milk produced gradually becomes equal to the baby’s needs.
What is the fat content of breast milk?
The word “fat content” itself is not entirely true when it comes to milk.
The fact is that babies cannot eat fatty foods, otherwise their stomach may simply stop working.
Therefore, when they talk about the fact that breast milk is fatty, they most likely mean its nutritional value.
The calorie content of milk per 100 ml is 270 kJ. But this is purely scientific data, and if, when checking, you have a lower number, then you should not panic. Perhaps this is your genetic trait.
In addition, it is worth considering the mood and condition of your child. If everything suits him, then mommy has no need to worry.
Still, the main critic of breast milk should be exclusively the one for whom it is intended. And if the baby sucks normally and actively and gains weight, then there is no cause for concern.
How to increase the fat content of milk
The diet of a nursing mother does not have much effect on the composition of milk. Fatness is mainly due to genetic factors. Proper, nutritious nutrition is necessary, first of all, for the mother herself, so that, after feeding her son or daughter, she can maintain her health. After all, life does not consist only of caring for children, and a child needs a healthy and beautiful mother of whom he could be proud.
In addition, the appearance of milk does not reflect its composition and calorie content. If you do an analysis of bluish milk, and this happens to many at the beginning of lactation, then it almost always turns out that all indicators are normal.
But if the mother still can’t calm down and really wants to increase the fat content of her milk, then you can try to do this with the help of folk recipes.
Typically, various nuts are used to increase fat content. But you need to remember that they are one of the most allergenic foods. And instead of the expected benefits, the baby may get an allergy, which is not so easy to treat. So if a child is prone to allergies, or one of the family members has had a reaction to nuts, then trying to increase the fat content of milk with their help is strictly prohibited.
Here are a few folk recipes:
- Walnuts are cleaned and brewed with boiling milk. This infusion is drunk a third of a glass twice a day.
- Seeds, peanuts, pine nuts and halva help increase fat content.
- Another useful product for increasing the fat content of milk is broccoli. It is used to make soup or salad.
- Traditional medicine recommends drinking green tea with milk. But we must remember that green tea is a highly tonic product that can disturb a baby’s sleep.
- Calcium helps increase the fat content of milk, so mothers need to include cottage cheese in their menu, preferably normal fat, not low-fat. But, of course, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of an allergy to dairy products in a child.
- Nursing mothers are advised to eat cheese and butter. These are good products. And even if they do not affect the fat content of milk, their use is beneficial for the mother. But you need to remember that both cheese and butter are very high-calorie foods, so you need to eat them in reasonable quantities. Otherwise, you can say goodbye to your waist during breastfeeding.
How to increase the fat content of breast milk
Worry about whether the baby is full is common to most young mothers. If the child is gaining weight well, he is active, mobile and cheerful, do not cause unnecessary panic. Nature is wise, and mother’s milk, as a rule, is ideal for her baby. But if there really is cause for concern and you want to check the fat content of your milk, do a simple test. Decant into a glass jar and leave the milk for 7 hours at room temperature. It will split into two factions. The cream that rises to the surface should be 4% of the volume. This is the fat content of breast milk that is considered normal. You only need to increase the value if the fat percentage is significantly below 4%. Milk that is too fatty will not benefit either the mother (mastitis may develop) or the baby (he will have problems with digestion and excess weight). If you have doubts about the quality of milk, it is best to consult a doctor. She will give competent recommendations. What to do if you still need to increase the fat content of milk? Adjust your diet. It is wrong to think that the mother needs to start eating significantly more and adding more fatty foods to the menu (do not forget that the child’s body does not yet have enzymes to digest heavy foods). Under no circumstances should you overeat, because in order for both mother and baby to be full, a nursing woman only needs to increase the calorie content of her daily diet by only 500 kcal. Eat little but often (5-6 times a day), don’t forget to eat before feeding! Do not increase the amount of animal fats, but be sure to eat foods rich in plant fats. Your menu must also include:
- Lean meat (veal, rabbit, poultry), liver;
- Fish (baked, stewed or steamed);
- Porridge (however, introduce them into the diet carefully and monitor your baby’s reaction to gluten);
- Fresh fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, herbs (especially parsley and dill);
- Fermented milk products, cheeses, butter (condensed milk is also useful among dairy products - it makes breast milk tastier).
Drink enough fluids - it is necessary for good lactation. Pure water, weak green/black tea (there is too much caffeine in thickly brewed drinks), herbal teas (chamomile, mint, fennel), a decoction of dried fruits - this is what should be on the daily menu of a nursing mother. Of course, during breastfeeding you need to completely eliminate alcohol and carbonated drinks.
#PROMO_BLOCK#
It is very important to remember that the fat content and quality of breast milk is affected not only by the diet of the nursing mother, but also by her psychological state. Stress, anxiety, and poor sleep certainly affect the quality of breast milk and the lactation process as a whole. Try to be less nervous and relax more! Ask your family and friends for help; they can take on some of the household chores. Be calm, enjoy one of the most wonderful periods of your life! This will have a positive effect on the quality of milk and will help the baby grow up healthy and happy.
If the milk is too fatty
If, on the contrary, the milk is too fatty, then you can try drinking more liquid, eating soups, and liquid fermented milk products.
Such a complaint is extremely rare. They are usually afraid of underfeeding the baby, not overfeeding it. But if a mother is still worried about the excessively high fat content of her milk, then she just needs to remember that mother’s milk is always ideal for her child and stop being nervous.
There is no need to attach great importance to what kind of milk your mother has: bluish or yellowish, liquid or fatty. It's actually not very important. If the baby is happy and cheerful, develops well and gains weight, then there is no point in the mother even thinking about the composition of her milk. It's better to spend your time on something more useful.
