Why is breast milk green?

In most people's minds, breast milk should be milky white in color, because breast milk is similar to common cow's milk, both of which are produced by mammals. Therefore, if a breastfeeding woman finds that her breast milk is of another color, she will be extremely worried about whether it will have an impact on the baby's body if the baby consumes it. So what is going on when a woman's breast milk is green in color?

Why does milk have different colors?

The color of breast milk of breastfeeding mothers varies. Some are yellow, some are white, some are grayish white, and even other colors. Is there anything wrong with this kind of milk?

The answer is don’t worry. At each stage, breast milk has different nutrients, colors and properties.

Do not arbitrarily judge the quality of breast milk based on its color and transparency. According to the child growth curve published by the World Health Organization, if the baby grows normally, it should mean that breast milk nutrition can meet the baby's growth needs and there is no need to worry about the nutrition of breast milk.

What colors can breast milk appear in?

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.