What is the difference between foremilk and hindmilk? "front" and "hind" milk

). Translation by Victoria Khudyakova, with permission of the author; Edited by Maria Sorokina

Normally, there is no need to think about changing the fat content of milk. Below is a description of how it works and why it is recommended that your baby finishes the first breast first before you offer the second (rather than switching breasts while actively breastfeeding).

Breasts produce only one type of milk(which has a fairly high fat content). The “flow” of milk is designed in such a way that the amount of fat that the baby receives gradually changes during the feeding process. As the mammary glands produce milk, fat molecules attach to each other and to the walls of the avveoli (where milk is produced). Between feedings, milk accumulates in the breast and gradually flows forward, towards the nipple, leaving behind more and more fat “sticking” in the ducts. The longer the break between feedings (pumping), the less fatty milk the baby receives at the beginning of feeding.

Foremilk and hindmilk are not different types milk, these are simply terms that describe milk at the beginning and end of a feeding. Foremilk is the milk that is released at the beginning of a feeding; rear - at the end of feeding, it has a higher fat content than the front, which was released at the beginning this particular krmleniya. There is no clear boundary between the foremilk and hindmilk - it changes very smoothly. According to research by Peter Hartman's group, the fat content of milk is determined by the degree of emptiness of the breast - the less milk in the breast, the fattier it is.

When the tide begins (milk ejection reflex) - during feeding, pumping, etc., milk is released through the ducts towards the nipple. Milk production does not accelerate during high tide - only its outflow accelerates. Several hot flashes occur during one feeding, although in most cases mothers only feel the first flush.

As the breasts empty, fat molecules detach from the walls and begin to move along the ducts (this is facilitated by the milk release reflex). Therefore, the longer the feeding, the more fatty milk is released from the breast, as more and more fat molecules are pushed through the ducts. As a result, the milk becomes fattier as you feed.

Since the level of fat in milk is directly related to the degree of fullness of the breast, the milk may be fatter at the beginning of one feeding than at the end of another, depending on the interval between feedings and breast changes.

As you feed, the fat content of the milk increases, the milk quantity and flow rate decreases, and milk production speeds up. Since all children suck at different speeds, and everyone needs their own time to get enough fat milk by the end of feeding, it is very important not to change breasts while the baby is actively suckling.

More on the topic from the Kellymom website:

Many thanks to Paula Yount from Mother-2-Mother.com for the great analogy!

The only source of calories, fats, vitamins and other useful substances the newborn has breast milk mother. The composition and characteristics of milk depend solely on how the mammary glands work, what the mother eats and the state of her body. Foremilk and hindmilk are distinguished here:

1. Foremilk is less fatty and comes out initial stage feeding.
2. Hind milk is fattier and is released at the end of lactation.

Every mother should monitor her diet. Everything that a woman consumes is necessarily included in the composition of breast milk. That is why even a woman is prohibited from taking many medications and eating certain foods, especially if the baby has allergies.

The baby has only one food product - mother's milk. However, its composition is different, even during feeding.

Types of milk

The division into types of mother's milk is quite arbitrary. It can be front and back.

• Foremilk is the most beneficial due to the content of a large amount of vitamins, minerals, and protein. The baby receives the right amount of fluid through the foremilk. This is what the baby sucks out when feeding.

Doctors consider it a wrong approach when women try to accustom their children to a certain schedule. The child wants to eat, but he is not given milk because the time has not yet come. This approach can be used. But at the stage breastfeeding it is considered less effective.

Firstly, milk stagnation occurs. Especially this effect worsens when the baby does not drink all the milk at once. The remaining milk in the breast becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, which leads to various inflammatory diseases.

Secondly, the baby does not receive all the microelements at once. He may not drink all the milk, but he will demand it often. It is at the moment when the mother gives breast milk to the baby at his first request that he sucks out the hind (remaining) milk.

• Hind milk is fattier. It also contains many enzymes. It can be either white or yellow.

This division is conditional. The mammary gland produces the same milk. The fat content of the product is determined by the emptiness of the breast: the less milk is produced, the fattier it is. In this case, the fatty drops become soldered and settle on the alveoli. This is why at the beginning of feeding the baby receives less fat. If he does not suck out all the milk, then he may not receive enough necessary elements and enzymes.

The breast constantly produces the same milk - it is neither fore nor hind. However, the properties of fatty molecules separate the product.

Importance of milk

Experts recommend keeping your baby at your breast for as long as he sees fit. You should not overfeed him, nor force him. Also, don't get carried away with schedules. It is better for the baby’s body to know when he wants to eat and how much he needs. Here, it becomes especially important how much fore and hind milk the baby receives.

There is no clear separation when foremilk and hindmilk are secreted. As milk comes out through the ducts, fatty drops gradually detach from the walls. Thus, than longer baby drinks, the fattier the milk becomes.

It's good when the baby sucks all the milk from the breast. In this case, he receives all the necessary microelements that the breast has prepared. However, there are cases of underabsorption. You should not force your baby to finish milk, but in this case it is recommended to put it to the breast more often so that he still receives the portion that he did not finish.

Each case of mother and child is individual. It is better to consult a specialist about how often you should latch on to your baby and change breasts. General advice Maybe change breasts every 2 hours. It is better to start with the breast where there is more milk. Then move on to the other breast. The baby should be latched frequently so that he has the opportunity to suck all the milk from his mother's breast.

You should also take into account the features physical health mother and child, the rate of production of mother's milk and its quantity. After all, there are situations when the baby eats more than the mother can give.

The ideal option is a situation where the baby completely drinks all the mother's milk from both breasts (not at once, of course). It is important to receive both fore and hind milk. This helps the baby receive all the beneficial elements that the breast has prepared. Therefore, it is recommended to apply to one breast so often that the baby drinks it completely, and then switch to the other breast.

If there is excess breast milk, it should be expressed. However this method is less beneficial than complete sucking of hindmilk by the baby. If the child doesn't get all necessary elements, then he experiences various disorders, for example, loose stools.

Milk imbalance

An imbalance of milk occurs when a mother feeds her baby only the front “portion” while expressing the “back” portion. In this case, the baby does not receive all the necessary elements. This situation often occurs when the volume of milk produced is much larger than the baby eats in one or two times.

While the baby is eating, he drinks foremilk, which is less fatty and rich. He quickly gets full, which does not allow him to start drinking hindmilk. In this case, this portion remains in the breast, which the mother can express. And the next time the feeding period comes, the mother will offer him milk from the breast, and not from a jar. Thus, the baby will feed only on foremilk, depriving his body useful elements and fats.

Because of this, the baby may often want to eat. And if the mother adheres to a certain schedule, then this makes the situation even worse. Due to milk imbalance, the baby experiences various stomach disorders. To avoid this, it is recommended to first offer the breast from which the baby previously drank, and then the other if he refuses the first.

In order not to worry about whether the baby is receiving all the necessary elements, you should monitor his condition. If his digestion processes and weight gain are normal, then his breastfeeding is also considered correct.

Much depends on how the woman eats, how quickly her milk is produced, how much the baby sucks, etc. It is ideal when the baby drinks exactly as much as is in the breast, while remaining full and satisfied. Then the baby receives everything he needs for his full development.

If there is milk left in the breast, you can express it and infuse it. Soon a layer separates, which indicates how much nutrition the baby is not receiving. It can be used to judge the correctness of his nutrition. If it is too thick, this indicates a significant lack of nutrition for the baby. However, even a thin layer can be as nutritious as the rest of the milk.

If the baby is too lazy to suckle for a long time, then it should be applied to the same breast often before moving to another. This will allow him to be “fed” with both fore and hind milk.

Bottom line

At the beginning of his life, the baby eats only one product - mother's milk. It’s good when the breast produces milk in the right amount, which the baby drinks completely. In this case, the mother can alternately apply the baby to both breasts as often as the child wants. Bottom line - excellent health, dynamics of weight gain and good digestion in the baby. And the mother at the same time relieves herself of milk stagnation in the breast, which leads to various diseases.

The conditional division of milk into front and back only indicates that the mother should feed the baby with all the milk that her breasts produce. Even the leftovers should get into the baby’s stomach in order to saturate it with the right amount of fats and enzymes. This will help avoid various disorders and diseases.

With the arrival of mature milk (at the end of the first month of the baby’s life), the concept of “front” and “hind” milk arises.

Unfortunately, mothers often hear something like: “Look at your milk, it’s some kind of bluish water! There’s nothing in it!” And indeed, if you express a little milk at the beginning of feeding, then it is almost transparent, bluish in color (but who said that this is not the norm? ;-)) And if you express a few drops from the same breast after finishing feeding, you can see a thicker , opaque, white liquid.

It is important to understand that mother’s breasts do not produce two types of milk, and these concepts are conditional (that’s why they are put in quotes). Milk is produced by special cells in the mother's breast -. And this is a very complex, multi-component process. If we talk about “front” and “hind” milk in a very simplified way, then in the intervals between feedings, the milk in the breast is stratified into a more liquid “front” milk that is bluish in color and thicker, rich in fats- "rear". The degree of this separation depends on many factors: the time that has passed since the previous feeding, the capacity of the breast, the degree of fullness of the breast.

Actually, the process of separation can be observed if you let the expressed milk stand for a while. Of course, a breast is not a glass of milk, but in a simplified way the separation process occurs in a similar way.

Plus, already during the feeding process, after the oxytocin reflex is triggered and special muscle cells contract, forcefully pushing milk through the ducts from the breast, fat globules begin to intensively separate from the lactocytes, increasingly increasing the fat content of the milk by the end of feeding.

The more time has passed since the previous feeding, the fuller the breasts, the greater the difference in fat content from the beginning to the end of feeding.

In general, a child who suckles at the breast every 30-60 minutes and empties it well will receive milk that is more uniform in composition at each feeding than a child who is breastfed every 2.5-3 hours.

Of course, the fat content of milk does not increase sharply at some point in feeding, but increases smoothly from the beginning of feeding to the end.

Changes in milk composition from the beginning to the end of feeding are normal, natural process! At the beginning of feeding, the baby receives “foremilk”, which quenches his thirst. And at the end of feeding - fatter "hind" milk and most of the calories necessary for growth and development.

However, if the breaks between feedings are long enough (more than 1-1.5 hours) and the breasts manage to become noticeably full during this time (especially in the first months), then it is important that the baby empties the breast well at each feeding, sucking out most of the available milk.

How to understand that the baby is well attached to the breast and is sucking milk

A little trick. Some mothers intuitively shake the breast a little before giving it to their baby. Of course, very carefully, without the slightest painful sensations. This probably helps to partially equalize the composition of the milk.

Myth. To ensure that your baby gets more calories and gains weight better, it would be good to express foremilk before feeding. Then the baby will more easily “get” to healthy and fatty hind milk.

In fact. There is no “more” or “less” healthy milk. Mom's milk - best food, specially created for this particular child and ideally suited for him. That is why it is important that the baby regulates the duration of feeding and lets go of the breast after eating. In this case, the composition and amount of milk will be ideal for the baby. Indeed, there are cases when it is necessary to express foremilk before feeding, but these are exceptions caused by illness or characteristics of the child (for example, this may be necessary in the first weeks of a premature baby’s life or to eliminate signs). If you do this systematically for no reason, then it is easy to trigger hyperlactation, and then the problem of excess milk (and, accordingly, excess foremilk) will really become relevant.

Melnikova Rada, breastfeeding consultant

Sources:

1. Yu. I. Afanasyev and N. A. Yurina, E. F. Kotovsky "Histology, embryology, cytology", 2012

2. Materials for the training course for breastfeeding consultants under the WHO/UNICEF "ProBreastfeeding" program

Almost any conversation with a nursing mother who is just learning the basics of breastfeeding somehow comes down to the question of how often to change breasts so that the baby gets to Hind fat milk. Many mothers have heard about the existence of such a division of breast milk in the breast from their friends or doctors and are often seriously concerned about it.

And all because foremilk is considered “empty” and useless water. Some even advise expressing it and throwing it away before feeding. Judge for yourself - here are examples of questions from forum members:

Milka :
“I would like to know this point: when a baby starts to suckle at the breast, he first sucks out the foremilk. How do you know when he is already suckling fattier milk, approximately how long should it take? It’s just that my girl’s stool is sometimes watery, and liquid leaks out along with the cheesy poop. I've read that this is an indication that the baby is sucking more foremilk. And also - while sucking I have a rush of milk, I feel it very well. So, I’m wondering what kind of milk is coming – fore-milk, or already full-fledged?”

Morkowka:
“Please tell me, my baby starts sucking the breast and immediately has a hot flash, if he sucks for about 30 minutes, then there may be 2-3 hot flashes in one breast, and 3-4 or more in the other - I don’t know why there’s such a difference? And also, when the second tide, the third tide - what kind of milk comes? The front one seems to have already been sucked out, it turns out rear?»

Alice:
“When I feed the baby, milk oozes from the other breast. To prevent it from going to waste, I collect it in plastic containers. Question: Does the second breast ooze foremilk or both? Does it (front and back) mix in the bottle? Isn't it scary?

Foremilk is not scary

So what's really going on in the chest? AND Is it necessary to ensure that the baby sucks out hindmilk?? The short answer is that there is no need to monitor this. During feeding, the entire volume of milk sucked is important and this “problem” is simply far-fetched.

Breasts are not two glasses of milk of different fat content, this is the mammary gland in which milk is constantly produced, but at different speeds depending on the fullness of the milk ducts. Therefore, the baby receives a cocktail of fore and hind milk if he is able to breastfeed without restrictions.

“Foremilk” is actually more abundant at the beginning of feeding, and it supplies the baby with the necessary amount of lactose and protein, and “hind milk” is concentrated at the end of feeding and supplies the baby with the necessary fats. But this description of the process of milk production in the breast is simplified and does not give the whole picture. This is where nursing mothers have so many groundless fears.

The fat content of breast milk varies both during one feeding and throughout the day, and it depends little on our diet - There is no product that is guaranteed to increase the fat content of a woman's breast milk. That's why if we are puzzled by the question of how much hind milk a baby receives, then it is more important to look not at one feeding, but to take into account all feedings during the day.

The more empty your breasts are (and they are never completely empty), the higher the fat content of your breast milk.

Accordingly, in the morning, when the breasts are more full, the fat content of the milk is less than in the evening, when the breasts are often less full. But many mothers consider this a problem and try to supplement their baby with formula...

The milk of a woman who breastfeeds for a long time, more than 1.5 years, has the highest fat content, since the baby’s sucking activity decreases and the breasts are not full all the time.

In any case, remember: if you feed your newborn on demand, then he gets everything he needs from your breast!

Breast milk from the magic tap

Breast milk in the breast can be compared to a faucet with hot water. At first, when you turn on the tap, it goes cool water, but then it gradually gets hotter.

If you turn on the faucet often enough, it heats up very quickly. Likewise, if you breastfeed frequently, the fat content of your milk will be higher at the start of your next feeding than if you stockpile milk and breastfeed less frequently.

Cases of severe imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk occur only with strong, i.e. when there is too much milk. Then the baby can earn a secondary one.

Quote from the article ““:
Hormonal stimulation of milk production and initial stimulation When a baby sucks, they ensure that the mechanisms of merocrine secretion are activated exclusively and that secretions poor in protein and fat enter the milk ducts. This is the so-called “foremilk”. Only the activation of the second neurohormonal mechanism, which occurs after a few minutes of active sucking, ensures the addition of holocrine secretion and the entry into the milk ducts of a secretion with a protein concentration reaching 25-30 g/l and fat - up to 85 g/l. This is hind milk.

Remember, if your baby is gaining weight well and looks happy after most feedings, then you are fine and the problem of finding hind milk does not concern you!..

Also read with this article:

Beautiful towels, blankets and pillows will delight the eyes of any nursing mother and the whole family...

Mother's milk is unique substance, which can replace both water and food for a newborn. There is foremilk and hindmilk. It differs in composition, consistency and fat content.

What is the difference

Milk is not always produced uniformly and constantly in the mother's mammary gland. In between feedings, the mammary gland does not produce such a large amount of product as during feeding, but it does not stop its work completely.

The first months of the baby are the most milk period in a mother's life. At this time, the baby does not eat much, but very often. Small children can be latched to the breast about 10 times a day, depending on the quality of the product and the child’s well-being. At this time, lactation is established - the amount of product that is necessary for the baby.

The mother's body is not able to immediately determine how much product is needed for one feeding. Often the child asks for the breast not for food, but for comfort and even play. In this case, foremilk is enough for him.

It is produced in the mother's breast between feedings and has the following distinctive properties:

• has a milky blue or grayish color;
• more watery;
• quite sweet and contains a huge amount of carbohydrates;
• More suitable for drinking, the child may not get enough of it.

During feeding, with sucking movements and characteristic hand movements, the baby involuntarily begins to stimulate the secretion of another, hindmilk. The posterior one differs from the anterior one and is performed only at the moment when the mother feeds the baby.

Properties of hind milk:

• has a more saturated milky color with a slightly yellowish tint;
• more nutritious;
• does not have the same sweet taste as the front one, but it contains much more fat.

This milk is suitable for direct feeding to the baby. It contains a lot of fat, which is necessary for the nutrition and functioning of the body of a newborn baby.

Imbalance

An imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk cannot be called a full-fledged pathology. But a violation of the ratio of fatty and sweet milk can significantly impair the baby’s health. This results from the fact that proper digestion of food cannot be achieved without the optimal ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Impaired milk production during feeding and between feedings can cause the following:

• education large quantity gases in the intestines, which are called colic and can cause the baby severe discomfort;
• sleep and appetite disturbances, frequent demands on the breast due to the fact that the child does not eat enough or, conversely, overeats;
• lack of weight and height or, conversely, overweight.

It is quite difficult to determine the presence of an imbalance, since it is almost impossible to determine the moment when the foremilk ended and the release of hind milk began. This can only be understood by the baby’s behavior and appetite.

The imbalance mainly occurs due to the following reasons:

1. Mom suddenly changes her diet or uses foods that are not suitable for breastfeeding.
2. Mom is sick, and the production of the product is disrupted along with her health or when severe stress.
3. The baby often refuses the breast or spends almost all the time with it in his mouth. If the baby does not have a clearly defined feeding schedule, it can negatively affect the mother's foremilk and hindmilk production.

How to achieve optimal milk production

Most of the reasons why foremilk and hindmilk are not released optimally and disturbances and imbalances occur are due to improper feeding patterns.

In the first days of a baby's life, colostrum is enough for him. This is a unique prototype of full-fledged breast milk, homogeneous in its composition. It contains much less fat, sugar and carbohydrates than breast milk, but contains essential prebiotics and nutrients. The purpose of colostrum is to prepare the digestive system to accept more fatty, sweet and nutritious product.

A few days or a week after birth, the mammary gland begins to secrete full-fledged breast milk. It has different composition and differs in fat content and the presence of carbohydrates. It is in the back that there are the necessary fats and enzymes for digestion. With its deficiency, the baby begins to have intestinal problems.

At this time, the mother needs to pay attention to how she feeds the baby. Correct attachment to the breast will allow you to establish an optimal balance between fore and hind milk.

Under no circumstances should you transfer the baby to the second breast if the product remains in the one with which feeding began. With this feeding, the child receives little of the rear and a double portion of the front product.

If the baby falls asleep during feeding, he must be put to the breast immediately after waking up. The rear does not disappear anywhere, but turns into the front only after some time has passed.

If a woman has a lack of foremilk, it is not advisable for her to express herself frequently. While sucking, some children refuse to swallow and use the breast as a pacifier. In this case, the child should not be allowed to calm down or play in this way.

Video

How milk changes, about foremilk and hindmilk, watch in our video.