​​Sarah Quigley, MA, IBCLC
Board Certified Lactation Consultant
​Breastfeeding support for San Francisco families
  • Home
  • Services
  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Articles
  • Love
  • Home
  • Services
  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Articles
  • Love
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Milk Musings
Book an appointment

3/21/2017 1 Comment

Foremilk/Hindmilk Demystified

Picture
A friend and I were geeking out about breastfeeding today, and she said, "So what is the deal with foremilk and hindmilk?" She was referring to the thirst-quenching, lower-fat milk that babies get at the beginning of a feed and the satisfying, higher-fat milk that comes toward the end of a feed. These terms can be confusing, and some parents worry that their babies aren't getting enough hindmilk.

So do humans really make two types of milk? Are our breasts like those old-fashioned sinks that have separate faucets for hot and cold water? How much time does it take for a breast to "switch" from foremilk to hindmilk during a feeding?

​The fact that we have two separate terms is at the root of the confusion around the fat content of human milk. Our milk always has fat in it, and as milk is removed, the level of fat gradually increases. There is no magical point during breastfeeding or expression when the foremilk shuts off and the hindmilk turns on. Several years ago, I came across a wonderful blog post that explains very well how this works, including a lineup of 12 vials of milk expressed over the course of a pumping session.

I couldn't pull up that blog post as I talked to my friend, who had just poured me a cup of tea. Looking at the tea, just beginning to steep, I saw an apt comparison. I told my friend that even freshly poured, the tea was starting to infuse into the hot water. The longer the tea bag stayed in the water, the stronger the infusion. This made sense to her, thinking of human milk as hot water and a tea bag as the fat. Spot of tea, anyone?

Breastfeeding worries? I'm here for you! Book an appointment.

1 Comment
Black Wisconsin link
3/29/2021 06:26:02 am

This is a great post, thanks for sharing it.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    One lactation consultant's musings about milk.

    Archives

    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    September 2019
    February 2019
    February 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017

    Categories

    All Baby Care Bonding Bottle Feeding Bottle-feeding Engorgement Expectant Parents Human Milk Lactation Consultant Latching Mastitis Milk Supply New Parents Positioning Pumping Resources Virtual Care

    RSS Feed

Picture
(415) 745-8314
info@sarahquigley.com

© 2017-2021 Sarah Quigley