“Foremilk” and “hind” breast milk: what is the difference. “Foremilk” and “hind” milk: how not to leave your baby hungry

Proper organization Nutrition of a newborn baby is one of the main tasks of a mother from the very beginning of his life. It is unlikely that anyone will dispute the benefits of breastfeeding.

But still some questions about this process arise:

• how to breastfeed your baby correctly;
• what factors influence the composition of milk;
• why milk is divided into fore and hind milk;
• Is it necessary to express after feedings?
• How to prevent an imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk.

Nutritional value and composition of breast milk

Breast milk becomes mature around the end of the second week after birth. Mature breast milk contains water, vitamins, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, hormones and a number of other useful components. The quantitative composition of substances changes during the feeding period, but the ratio of carbohydrates and proteins is almost unchanged. Proteins include casein and whey components.

In a nursing mother, the structure of the mammary glands implies the production of fore and hind milk. The properties of these species are directly dependent on the distance from the excretory ducts: closer to the nipple - foremilk, further - hind milk. The fat content and suspended solids in the rear are actually higher than in the front.

However, don't underestimate the benefits of a front layer. In addition, it is impossible to accurately determine when one type of milk ends and another begins. They are both necessary for proper development baby's body. The amount of milk supplied should be regulated by the child. Mother's milk is digested fairly quickly and can be absorbed almost completely. Therefore, feedings should be at the child’s request.

Criteria determining chemical composition breast milk:

1. The child's age, height and weight. Female body adapts to age needs baby: the nutritional value of milk changes with the age of the child.
2. Nutrition for a nursing mother. The diet should be varied and include all the necessary nutritional components.
3. Mother's health status. With physical and emotional overload, lack of rest, milk production often decreases.
4. Times of Day. At night, milk is fattier than during the day. If your baby is gaining weight slowly, night feedings will be helpful.
5. Time of year. In hot weather, mom drinks more fluids. For this reason, the density of milk is lower.
6. Duration of feedings. If feeding is fast, there is a possibility that the baby will not receive hindmilk.

Many mothers believe that the fattier the milk, the better, and begin to implement recommendations to increase its fat content. However, scientists have proven that the mother’s diet does not have a particular effect on the concentration of fat in milk. Nutrition should be correct and balanced, but to a greater extent this is important for the woman’s body and its recovery after childbirth. The child will receive necessary substances from breast milk, and if the mother’s nutrition is inadequate, then she herself may not have enough of them.

Foremilk

The baby receives foremilk at the beginning of feeding from a full breast. Foremilk portions are less dense due to the low fat content of the composition.

Color - from white to bluish. The taste is pleasant sweetish. Foremilk consists of water, lactose (milk sugar), carbohydrates, minerals, and water-soluble vitamins.

Hind milk

After the front milk, the baby gradually begins to receive hind milk during breastfeeding. Milk becomes fattier in more emptied breasts. Therefore, it is recommended to offer the baby to eat from one breast during one feeding.

Hind milk is different high density, due to the large amount of fat in the composition. Color – from yellowish to deep yellow. Included digestive enzymes responsible for the breakdown of fats.

Why does separation occur?

Division into anterior and posterior breast milk– conditionally. The female body produces one composition useful product. Milk gradually accumulates in the glands and subsequently stratifies. Liquid flows down to the nipple. The fat particles merge into one whole, attaching to the walls of the ducts and moving back. This process is akin to settling cream.

The less often the baby is put to the breast, the more pronounced the division process. When applied, he will eat the first milk for a long time, slowly reaching the fatty layer.

It is important that the baby receives both types of milk. Yes, hind milk is about 2-3 times fatter, but in terms of protein-carbohydrate composition it is practically no different from fore milk. If the baby does not receive enough “empty” milk, as some mothers consider it, then his body will miss a significant amount of useful components.

How to feed your baby correctly so that he gets full

All children are individual. Everyone has their own milk needs. Some eat often, but little by little, while others eat less often, but eat a large portion.

Factors influencing the production and absorption of nutritional components from milk:

• quality of application;
• breast change frequency;
• duration of sucking.

Attaching to the breast

If the breastfeeding is correct, the baby will receive the required amount of fore and hind milk. It is important to monitor how your baby latch onto the nipple during feeding.

If he does this incorrectly, he will receive mostly foremilk, and in the process of sucking he will swallow excess air, which will cause colic and regurgitation. For a mother, improper latching of the nipple can lead to discomfort and pain during feeding, and the appearance of cracks.

In this regard, the mother needs to learn how to properly attach to the breast. You can ask specialists at the maternity hospital for help.

Breast change frequency

Specialists in breastfeeding They believe that for 2 hours the baby should be offered only one breast.

Duration of sucking

The child himself regulates the duration of meals. In the first months of life, this process is longer. Hindmilk comes in more slowly, drop by drop, and is released through prolonged sucking and more often at night.

When the baby reaches the hind milk, he begins to fall asleep, while periodically sucking at the breast. There is no need to take her away, the baby will let her go when he is satisfied.

Is pumping necessary?

Even if a nursing mother has a lot of milk, expressing it before feeding is not recommended.

An exception is made only on the recommendation of a pediatrician in the case of partial lactase deficiency in a child. If congenital lactase deficiency is detected, the mother cannot feed the baby with breast milk. It is necessary to switch to lactose-free mixtures. But such a diagnosis must be established by a doctor.

As for pumping after feeding, it is also permissible in extreme cases. Milk is produced in the quantity that the baby needs: as much as is eaten in the first feeding, so much will appear at the next. “Deviations” occur mainly only in the first three months after the birth of a child, when the lactation process is established. To make it go faster, feed your baby on demand, and there should be at least one night feeding. Make tactile contact.

What to do if your baby is too lazy to eat hind milk

Sometimes situations arise when the baby does not suckle very actively (“baby”). In this case, he almost always feeds only foremilk.

It is important for the mother to track how much and what kind of milk the baby receives during one feeding.

Signs of a balanced diet:

• the child's well-being;
• active and cheerful when awake;
• observed positive dynamics in weight gain;
• There are no special problems with digestion.

If the child is capricious, cries and often wants to eat, it means that he is not receiving enough hindmilk.

What should a mother do to ensure that the baby receives fore and hind milk and how to properly feed the baby in such a situation? Pediatricians recommend feeding your baby every two hours, even though he doesn’t ask to eat yet. Only one breast should be fed at one feeding. There is no need to supplement with formula, otherwise the baby may refuse the mother’s breast altogether. It’s easier to get food from a bottle, so why bother? You should also give up pacifiers: the mother's breast should replace his pacifier and bottle. Mom must be patient and everything will work out. End justifies the means.

Imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk

Sometimes a child has digestive problems, such as:

• increased gas formation;
• restlessness while eating, colic;
• frequent regurgitation;
• loose, foamy stool.

All these problems are caused by an imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk. This occurs if the baby receives little fatty hindmilk while breastfeeding. Mom has a lot of milk and accumulates between feedings large number foremilk. The baby eats it, fills his stomach and there is no room left for a portion of hind milk.

To prevent such an imbalance from occurring, it is necessary to allow the baby to empty one breast, without limiting the feeding time, and only then offer the second. This way the baby will get both types.

Video

How does the fat content of milk change during feeding? How to make sure your baby gets hindmilk? You will find answers to these and other questions in our video.

Actually in female breast There is no magic switch to “change foremilk to hindmilk,” nor is there any specific time after which foremilk should be replaced with hindmilk.

The existing misconception regarding the change from “foremilk” to “hind” milk will help to resolve the explanations about how the mammary gland works (thanks to the KellyMom website):

Women's breasts typically produce one type of milk - what is commonly called "hind milk" - which is fatty and rich in nutrients.

There is no clear distinction between “front” and “hind” milk; it changes gradually from the moment milk lets in (of which there are several during each feeding, although most women notice only the first or do not notice them at all).

Since the composition of milk changes during feeding and all babies need different times In order to get the necessary portion of hind milk, it is very important to allow the baby to suckle on one breast for as long as he needs, without limiting the time.

In between feedings, milk accumulates in a certain amount in the mother's breast. Fat particles adhere to the walls of the alveoli in the upper part of the breast, where milk is produced, and the low-fat milk ("foremilk") gradually moves down (as fat has accumulated at the top), filling the cavities of the mammary gland, that is, the place from which it flows into the baby's mouth at the very beginning of feeding. This is the very “front” milk that he receives before the first flush.

When the let-down reflex is triggered, the milk is “pushed” down the breast ducts so that the baby can feed. As the breasts empty, fat particles move out of place and are directed down the ducts. Thus, than takes longer feeding, the more fatty milk comes out of the breast, because more and more fat particles are expelled.

Imbalance of "fore" and "hind" milk

But why do they sometimes write about the imbalance of “foremilk” and “hindmilk” and related digestive problems in a child? Mothers sometimes complain about excessive gas formation - the baby is “fat”, mothers note that he is nervous and green loose stool With increased content acids.

If a nursing mother has a lot of milk and a good “capacity” of the breast, then between feedings a fairly large amount of milk with a relatively low fat content (the same “front”) may accumulate, and the baby may not receive enough of the necessary fatty milk during feeding, his stomach will be full earlier.

The baby will often ask for the breast due to the discomfort experienced. Feeding will relieve some of the discomfort due to the movement of gases, but not for long. Babies often pass gas or defecate during or immediately after feeding. Unfortunately, very soon the child experiences discomfort again and the cycle repeats again.

To avoid or reduce the risk of this apparent imbalance in milk, allow the baby to finish feeding completely on one breast before offering the other - do not limit the feeding time (for example, “10 minutes on each breast”). It is also not advisable to distract the baby while feeding on the first breast or forcefully transfer it to the second breast.

How to make sure that the baby receives “front” and “hind” milk in the right quantities?

It’s great when a child has the opportunity to receive the entire volume of milk from his mother’s breast. But what should those kids do for whom this is not available? How can mothers who supplement their babies with donor breast milk stop worrying about what kind of milk they are currently feeding their baby - “front” or “hind”?

Most main feature- this means a cheerful state of health, good digestion and dynamics of the baby’s weight. If everything is in order with these parameters, then asking the question “is it fore or hind milk” is generally pointless.

Most likely, with long-term or large-volume supplementary feeding, you will have to use and mix milk from different breastfeeding mothers. In this case, even if the amount of fat in milk differs markedly in individual mothers, the overall mass will result in a kind of “ milkshake» - breast milk that is average and balanced in fat composition. It is also necessary to remember that, but it will still be normal breast milk.

When you have seen a lot of different breast milk, you can indirectly judge by its appearance- how thick a layer of cream has separated in it during storage. But here it is important to keep in mind that this layer turns out differently for different mothers, and it happens that the layer is very thin, but in nutritional value this breast milk is in no way inferior to that which consists almost entirely of “cream”. And it happens that the milk layers so thinly that it is impossible to notice with the eye where one layer ends and another begins.

If something still causes concern, you can talk to the milk donor mother and ask when she pumps. Theoretically, increased concentration Foremilk may be observed if a breastfeeding mother expresses milk for donation only at the beginning of feeding her baby. If donor breast milk is expressed between feedings, at the end of feeding, or in parallel with feeding your baby (the baby is attached to one breast, and the other is expressed), then such milk will contain exactly the same amount of “front” and “back” as the mother’s own baby receives - donor during feeding.

In preparation, materials were used from:

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 varying fat content, this is the mammary gland in which milk is produced constantly, but with at different speeds depending on the fullness of the milk ducts. Therefore, the child receives a cocktail of fore and hind milk if he is able to breastfeed without restrictions.

There really is more “foremilk” at the beginning of feeding, and it supplies the baby with required quantity 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 during suckling of the baby ensure the activation of exclusively the mechanisms of merocrine secretion and the entry into the milk ducts of a secretion poor in protein and fat. 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!..

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

Breast milk is a true miracle of nature. You always have it with you, at the right temperature and taste. Moreover, every mother’s breast produces milk of the composition that her baby needs!

Surprisingly, the composition mother's milk changes constantly: with the age of the child, depending on the time of day and even from the beginning to the end of feeding. At the beginning of latching, the baby receives the so-called “front” milk (it accumulates between feedings), and after the “front” the baby receives “hind”. What is the difference between these "dishes"?

Milkshake"
"Foremilk" - bluish in color, translucent and more watery, it is rich in lactose (milk sugar), minerals and proteins. It is an aperitif for a baby before a portion of thicker and fattier hind milk.
"Rear"- thick white, even yellowish, in it more content fats and fat-soluble enzymes, growth and sleep factors. It is with this milk that the baby is nourished.

There will always be this “cocktail” of “front” and “hind” milk in the breast, and, of course, there is no clear boundary between the number of servings of each of them. For example, when you open a hot water tap, cold water flows first, which gradually warms up and becomes hot. It’s the same with milk: the baby suckles at the breast and first receives “front” milk, then gradually receives “hind” milk, in which the fat content increases.
IMPORTANT!The more often the mother latches on the baby, the faster he will receive hind milk. By analogy with a faucet: the more often during the day you turn on hot water, the faster water flows from the tap at the desired temperature.

Useful tips

So that the baby receives the required amount of “front” and “back” milk, he should empty the breast well at each feeding, so he needs to be fed on demand and allow the baby to be at the breast as much as he wants.

You can't express foremilk and transfer the child only to the “back” position, wanting the baby to get full faster and gain more weight. In this case, the baby may not have enough fluid in the body, which will cause constipation.

If the baby receives too much foremilk (when the mother applies it to one breast and, feeling a rush in the second, immediately applies the baby to it), this is fraught with seething in the tummy, liquid foamy stool. Often, with such a feeding mistake, the baby loses weight even with excellent results

Lactation consultants know that every mother has her own feeding rhythm, and yet they advise breastfeeding more often, then the “hind” milk will come out faster, that is, the baby will not hang on the chest for an hour, risking being fed only with “front” milk. milk.

Have an easy and enjoyable breastfeeding experience for as long as possible! The editors of the site are ready to help you with advice in order to prolong this “milk” communication with the baby as much as possible.

The existing division into foremilk and hindmilk causes great anxiety among many nursing mothers. The composition of breast milk is constantly changing depending on many factors: the age of the baby, the mother's diet, time of day and duration of feedings. Currently, there are widespread erroneous beliefs that only the second type of milk is valuable for the growth and development of a newborn, since it is much fattier. Neglect of a less calorie diet has reached the point of absurdity. Some suspicious parents seriously wonder whether it is necessary to express foremilk before feeding.

In this article we will analyze this far-fetched problem in detail and explain why there is no need to interfere with the process of satiating a child who is suckling the mother's breast. The main thing to remember is that the baby must have access to food according to his every need. While the little one is actively sucking the contents of the breast, it is not recommended to tear it off and move it.

Nutritional value

There is still some truth in the rumors. Hind milk is indeed distinguished by its higher fat content (2-3 times fatter) and the amount of suspended solid particles. However, in terms of the content of carbohydrates and proteins, the composition of milk during feeding is practically the same (see table).

Despite this, rumors persist in online publications that the “first” milk contains more protein and lactose.

Lactose is a milk sugar that plays a huge role in development nervous system child. Lactose helps populate the newborn's intestines with healthy microflora, that is, it participates in the formation of immunity. If you partially express the “empty” liquid, the baby will lose a significant portion of nutrients.

When breastfeeding, a balanced cocktail is important, and its proportions should be regulated solely by the baby himself. In addition, it is impossible to determine the line beyond which the foremilk ends and the hind milk begins.

Why does separation occur?

The female body actually produces one nutritional formula for children. The conditional division into anterior and posterior is due to the fact that as milk accumulates in the glands, it stratifies (its molecules chemical components occupy different positions). The liquid flows to the nipple, and the fat particles, due to their chemical properties connect to each other, attach to the walls of the ducts and end up behind.
How longer than breasts remain complete, the more pronounced the described process is. Many women are familiar with how cream forms after settling. We can say that a similar phenomenon occurs in their glands. If you feed your baby with long breaks, he will suck the first milk for a long time, gradually approaching the fatty top.

For women who are obsessed with the desire to give the baby the treasured low-fat food, we can advise you to put your child to the half-empty breast more often, it is in this state that it contains the richest nutrition for the child.

Fat content: myths and reality

Contrary to popular belief, a nursing mother's diet does not have a significant impact on the fat content of her milk. Varied diet after childbirth is certainly important, but its role is significant, first of all, for the mother herself. Fat content not only changes during each feeding, the same thing happens throughout the day.

The less milk in the glands, the fattier the taste. This indisputable fact refutes the belief of young mothers that in the evening, after all the daily feedings, its reserves are not enough for the child to suck and eat to his fill. In fact, you can remain confident that your baby will be satisfied with a small amount of “cream” and will fall asleep peacefully deep sleep without feeding with artificial formula.

In the morning, after a long sleep, the child will begin to suck out the least high-calorie “dish.” But even in this case, there is no need to do anything, since there is no point in controlling the amount of fat received with each individual meal. It is much more important how many of them enter the baby’s body per day. In order for the baby to be able to eat the “cream”, you need to give the little one the opportunity to suck as much as he wants, and when he asks.

If you forcibly tear your daughter or son away from the nipple and force him to take the second full breasts, you can only do harm by depriving them of the opportunity to eat properly. Instead of saturated milk, the baby will again receive “skimmed” milk. So let it go naturally. The little man himself must decide how long to eat from one “vessel”.

Reapplication

Each baby is individual and has a different appetite. Some eat little by little, but often, others lie for hours with a nipple in their mouth and take long pauses between meals. There are also children who have a very weak appetite.

If a capricious baby suckles for a short time, gets lazy and then does not soon show a desire to eat again, after 15–20 minutes you need to attach him to the same breast as during the previous feeding.

The issue of alternating mammary glands during subsequent feedings should be decided by the mother independently. If mommy thinks that her picky eater didn’t eat well last time, it would be right to offer him the same breast. In this case, you don’t have to worry, he will get the portion of fatty food that he refused before.

Imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk

This problem occurs during hyperlactation, when the baby sucks only the first milk, which contains a lot of water and little fat. Due to this, it moves quickly along digestive tract, getting into large intestine without having time to digest properly. To digest lactose, the enzyme lactase is needed, which does not have time to break down lactose if the food moves too quickly through the digestive system.

As a result, milk sugar begins to ferment in the child’s intestines, giving him very severe discomfort. This phenomenon is called lactase deficiency. You can talk about this problem if:

• the baby behaves restlessly while eating;
• burps a lot;
• liquid, foamy stool is released;
• there is bloating in the tummy;
• poor weight gain.

You should not stop feeding your baby breast milk. You need to behave correctly in this situation, and there is a high probability that lactation will soon meet the child’s needs. Firstly, you can apply the baby to one gland more often, increasing its stay under the breast. Secondly, even if it is impossible to do without pumping, it is recommended to gradually reduce its duration by a few minutes every 3 days.

It is possible to talk about stopping breastfeeding only when the baby suffers from congenital lactase deficiency. In this case, it does not matter how much and what kind of milk he sucks - front or back. As a rule, lactase is simply not produced in his body. Such babies can be fed only with dairy-free artificial formulas; the diagnosis must be made by a doctor, since this disease is quite rare (according to statistics, 1 in 20,000).

Conclusions

Summarizing all of the above, we say with conviction that there is no easier and simple way feed your little angel than breastfeeding on demand with minimal interference in the process of satiating the baby. If the butuz is actively sucking, gaining weight well, behaving calmly and showing no signs of discomfort, there is no need to do anything. Little man naturally will receive a cocktail of first and second milk, mixed by nature itself. The main thing is to feed the baby no less often than he asks for it.

Of course, all loving adults sincerely want to surround their loved ones with exceptional care and care. But, as life shows, excessive efforts often lead to the opposite result. In some situations, the newborn better understands what he needs. Therefore, you should not exaggerate the importance of minor things. Simply loosen your grip on your newborn's every mouthful and let him eat what he needs.

We thank lactation consultant Olga Shipenko for the illustrations. Olga's article can be read at