Why is the milk green?

New mothers always encounter various problems when breastfeeding. For example, many mothers have experienced abnormal milk color. Of course, different colors of breast milk indicate different problems with the mother. For example, grayish white breast milk indicates a high mineral content in the breast milk, green breast milk may be related to pigments in the mother’s diet and medication, and yellow breast milk is rich in nutrients and disease-fighting substances!

1. Off-white breast milk

Milk secretion goes through three natural stages, each of which has its own nutritional characteristics. Initially the milk contains enough minerals to be called "grey milk". Some people think that drinking such milk will cause diarrhea, so they squeeze it out in vain, which is a pity.

After the baby sucks for a while, the milk turns white, which is a sign of increased protein, carbohydrates and compounds. Towards the end, the milk is white and thick, containing a lot of fat. Only when the milk from these three stages is consumed by the baby can proper nutrition be guaranteed, and doing so can also promote the secretion of milk next time.

2. Light-colored breast milk

Although breast milk looks light, it is actually nutritious, it just contains less fat.

The milk that flows out at the beginning (usually called foremilk, containing essential nutrients such as minerals and vitamins) contains little fat and is mostly light in taste. The milk that flows out at the end (usually called hindmilk) contains more fat and is white in color.

Many breastfed babies cannot eat hindmilk, consume less fat, and are mostly thin. Therefore, you should allow the baby to suck more during each feeding and extend the feeding time appropriately so that the baby can eat the hindmilk which is rich in fat. In addition, eating more animal oil will increase the fat in breast milk, making the breast milk look white.

3. Yellow breast milk

In the first few days after a baby is born, the amount of breast milk is small, the milk is thicker, and the color is yellow, which is called "colostrum". Colostrum is rich in nutrients and disease-fighting substances, so never squeeze it out and feed it all to your baby. In order to produce enough breast milk, you should feed your baby whenever he wants to eat, regardless of the time.

In order to ensure the development needs of the infant and prevent the occurrence of rickets, a safe amount of vitamin A and D (or cod liver oil) should be supplemented under the guidance of a doctor while breastfeeding one month after birth, but excessive poisoning should be avoided.

4. Light green breast milk

Sometimes breast milk can have other colors, which is mostly related to pigments in the mother's diet or medication. The baby's urine may also have the same color change. Drinking beverages containing yellow and red pigments can turn breast milk into a light reddish-orange color. Green beverages, seaweed, and some natural vitamin pills may cause breast milk to turn green. These color changes are usually harmless.

5. Black breast milk

This is a rare situation. If you find that your breast milk is black, it may be due to the use of antibiotics (for example: minocycline). If you are taking any medication, please inform your doctor that you are breastfeeding and stop taking the medication. Black breast milk is not recommended for infants.

6. Other colors

Other colors such as red, orange, blue, and purple are caused by drinking too much beverages containing this pigment. Here we do not support breastfeeding mothers drinking beverages, it is not only bad for their own health, but also for the baby. If you really want to drink something sweet, you can drink honey water, white fungus, lily or other health-preserving sugar water according to the season.