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 Ask Dr. Jana
Breast Milk Looks 'Watered Down' | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Jana,
I'm a first-time mom, so anything that seems out of the ordinary troubles me. Just recently I expressed some breast milk to bring to daycare for my son and noticed that it was really watery. Could this be a problem that I should be concerned about? Normally when I pump, the milk looks almost like regular milk, although not as thick. This time it was like regular milk just watered down a lot. I'm a military mom, so my schedule is really hectic. I'm trying to keep good eating habits, but sometimes it's hard. Sometimes I skip a meal here and there and I don't think I'm drinking as much fluids as I should be. In the beginning while I was breastfeeding and not drinking a lot of fluids, the only problem I had was insufficient milk supply. Now that I'm drinking more fluids than I used to, I've got enough milk but it just doesn't look right. I'm concerned about my son and how my "watered down milk" could affect him.— Paranoid Mom in Ft. Bliss, TX | | | ANSWER |
September 11, 2001 | | | Dear Paranoid Mom,
It is exceedingly common for breastfeeding mothers to worry about the fact that breast milk can often look "watered down." Not only can each mother's breast milk look different, but it can vary in its appearance from day to day as well as change in its composition over time to suit your growing baby's needs. In addition, it is helpful to realize that your milk's composition changes even over the course of a single feeding. If you happened to stop expressing before you got to the "hind milk," your milk could appear more watery.
While the specifics of your day-to-day diet aren't absolutely critical, as you've noticed, how much you eat and drink, as well as what you eat and drink, all can have an impact on your breast milk production. Staying well-hydrated and well-rested, not to mention reducing stress and eating a relatively well-balanced diet, really do help when it comes to breastfeeding successfully.
With regard to your son, the best way to know whether you have reason for concern is to take him for regular check-ups with his doctor or nurse practitioner. While keeping track of how often he urinates can give you a general sense of whether he's drinking enough, you also will want to have him weighed and measured. Finding out that he is gaining weight as expected, growing well, and developing normally will be the best way for you to put your mind at ease.
You sound like you are doing a wonderful job with your son. Please let us know if you have any more breastfeeding or parenting questions along the way.— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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