Why is the breast milk yellow?

Breast milk is food provided for newborn babies. There are many benefits for newborn babies to drink breast milk. Compared with milk powder, breast milk is healthier and safer, has more comprehensive nutrition, and can provide immunity to babies. In many people's impressions, breast milk is white, but some careful mothers find that their breast milk is not white, but yellow. Why is this so? Is there something wrong with their breast milk? What is going on?

Yellow colostrum is normal

Colostrum is thick and yellow, with little fat and high protein content. It also contains many anti-infection components and a high content of white blood cells. These immune components can protect newborns from infection. Colostrum contains growth factors that promote the maturation of small intestinal villi, prevent incomplete protein metabolites from entering the blood, and prevent allergic reactions. Colostrum has a slight laxative effect and can help meconium be excreted earlier. Because meconium contains a large amount of bilirubin, 50% of which can be reabsorbed by the intestines, colostrum can reduce the chance of hyperbilirubinemia. Colostrum is also high in phospholipids, sodium, vitamin A and vitamin E.

1. What is the reason why the milk turns yellow?

colostrum

After a woman becomes pregnant, the mammary glands in her breasts begin to grow and develop under the influence of the placenta's endocrine system. Two or three days after the birth of the fetus, the mammary glands begin to secrete milk under the influence of prolactin from the pituitary gland. The milk secreted in the first few days is yellow due to its high fat content. This milk is rich in nutrients and also promotes the excretion of meconium by the baby.

High milk quality

The yellowing of breast milk during breastfeeding may also be due to the high quality of the mother's milk. Generally, the milk of a mother will be egg white in the first one or two days after she starts producing milk, and it will be yellow on the third or fourth day. After seven days, the milk will become mature and turn white. However, some mothers still have yellow milk after more than ten days. This shows that the mother has a good physique and high-quality milk, and the baby will feel full after eating.

Negative emotional impact

If breast milk turns yellow during breastfeeding, it may be that the mother's emotions affect milk secretion. If the mother is in good health, well-rested, in a good mood, and properly nourished, she will secrete more milk. If the mother is depressed, irritable, or fearful, she will secrete less milk and the color may be yellowish.

2. How should breastfeeding mothers pay attention to diet:

1. Increase the supply of various nutrients, especially high-quality protein, calcium, zinc, iron, iodine and B vitamins.

2. Pay attention to the intake of calcium and vitamin D. If breast milk is calcium deficient, in order to ensure the stability of the calcium content in the breast milk, the mother's bone calcium will be mobilized, which may easily cause bone softening, osteoporosis, low back and leg pain, etc.

3. Pay attention to reasonable supplementation, because the water-soluble fiber in breast milk, such as vitamins B1, B2, C, and fat-soluble vitamin A, may change due to changes in the content in the mother's diet.

4. Breastfeeding mothers should have a light diet. If they consume too much salt, the sodium and chloride content in breast milk will be significantly high, which is not conducive to the development of the baby's kidneys.

Tips:

It is normal for breast milk to turn yellow during breastfeeding. This is colostrum, which is rich in nutrients and disease-fighting substances. The amount is small, the milk is thicker, and the color is yellow. However, if the mother's milk remains yellow for a long time, it is best to see a doctor and find out the cause to avoid affecting the baby.