How much hindmilk should there be

Foremilk is not necessarily low in fat: fat content of the milk that is removed varies according to how long the milk has been collecting in the ducts and how much of your breast is drained at the time.

As milk is made, fat sticks to the sides of the milk-making cells and the watery part of the milk moves down the ducts toward your nipple, where it mixes with any milk left there from the last feed.

The longer the time between feeds, the more diluted the leftover milk becomes. Some babies take a full feed in five minutes while others take 40 minutes to get the same amount. As long as your baby is breastfeeding effectively, you can let him decide how long to feed for and he will get all the fat he needs.

It is a large molecule and the body has to break it down to be able to absorb it. It is broken down in the body by an enzyme called lactase. Most healthy babies can break down the lactose in normal volumes of milk. If your baby has a lot of milk that is relatively low in fat, it can rush through his digestive system more quickly than the lactose can be digested.

This can happen when a baby drinks a very large amount of breastmilk — either because the time between feeds is long, or because a mother has an oversupply of milk. If your baby seems comfortable and has yellow stools, he does not have a problem with the amount of fat in his milk. Please note: there are other reasons why a baby might have green stools, including being ill, taking medications, insufficient total milk intake and allergy.

In a healthy baby who is gaining weight well, occasional green stools can be ignored. Despite common advice, it is neither necessary nor helpful to reduce the amount of dairy products in your diet in order to reduce the lactose in your milk. As baby is drinking from the breast, your breast is already refilling. Now, you may not be able to pump anymore out, but it is still in there, getting ready for the next feeding.

Ahh, poop. You will text your mom about it. You will set it aside during a diaper change and come back to it later to take a closer look. If your baby has a lot of blood in his diaper, like a bothersomely large amount, call your pediatrician ASAP. Use the good sense God gave you.

But, we were talking about lime green poop, right? We can talk about other reasons why your baby may be fussy. We can talk about ways to soothe your baby. But, can we please stop talking about at what point exactly your milk switches from water to ice cream?

Just nurse your baby on one boob. When he seems done, offer the other one. If he wants it, great; if not, fine. Start with the second one next time. Hit enter to search or ESC to close. If a baby takes a lot of milk that is relatively low in fat, it can rush through the gut faster than the milk sugar lactose can be digested. This leads to fermentation in the gut.

How do I tell if a baby has lactose overload? A comfortable baby with yellow stools does NOT have a problem with milk fat content! In a thriving, comfortable baby, an occasional green stool can safely be ignored. What is the remedy for lactose overload? All that may be required is to deepen attachment and encourage the baby to feed for as long as they want on each breast.