Why is the milk yellow?

Many mothers will feed their babies breast milk after giving birth. Breast milk is the best food for babies. Breast milk not only provides the safest and most comprehensive nutrition for babies, but also provides them with immunity. Many mothers will feel very strange when they first start breastfeeding their babies because their milk is yellow, because in people's impression, milk is white. So when this happens, many mothers will wonder if their milk is not good or normal, and they are even more worried that their milk lacks nutrition. In fact, such worries of many mothers are unnecessary. Now let’s talk about what is going on with yellow milk.

Why is the milk yellow?

colostrum

After a woman becomes pregnant, the mammary glands in her breasts begin to grow and develop under the influence of the placental endocrine system. Two or three days after the birth of the fetus, the mammary glands begin to secrete milk under the influence of prolactin from the pituitary gland. The milk secreted in the first few days is yellow due to its high fat content. This milk is rich in nutrients and also promotes the excretion of meconium by the baby.

Yellow colostrum is normal

Colostrum is thick and yellow, with little fat and high protein content. It also contains many anti-infection components and a high content of white blood cells. These immune components can protect newborns from infection. Colostrum contains growth factors that promote the maturation of small intestinal villi, prevent incomplete protein metabolites from entering the blood, and prevent allergic reactions. Colostrum has a slight laxative effect and can help meconium be excreted earlier. Because meconium contains a large amount of bilirubin, 50% of which can be reabsorbed by the intestines, colostrum can reduce the chance of hyperbilirubinemia. Colostrum is also high in phospholipids, sodium, vitamin A and vitamin E.

High milk quality

The yellowing of breast milk during breastfeeding may also be due to the high quality of the mother's milk. Generally, the milk of a mother will be egg white in the first one or two days after she starts producing milk, and it will be yellow on the third or fourth day. After seven days, the milk will become mature and turn white. However, some mothers still have yellow milk after more than ten days. This shows that the mother has a good physique and high-quality milk, and the baby will feel full after eating.

Negative emotional impact

If breast milk turns yellow during breastfeeding, it may be that the mother's emotions affect milk secretion. If the mother is in good health, well-rested, in a good mood, and properly nourished, she will secrete more milk. If the mother is depressed, irritable, or fearful, she will secrete less milk and the color may be yellowish.