Maybe you’ve looked at your breast milk after pumping recently and wondered, why is my breast milk watery? You may have seen other photos online of breastfeeding moms with creamy-looking milk. Maybe yours never looks that creamy, or you have some sessions that seem to have more watery breast milk than others.
In this post, we’ll go over what makes breast milk watery and some other frequently asked questions!
Understanding Breast Milk
To understand why breast milk appears watery, we first have to understand foremilk and hindmilk.
Foremilk is the first milk that comes when you begin a breastfeeding (nursing or pumping) session. This is a more watery milk that has less fat and a higher lactose content. This early milk is important because it keeps your baby hydrated as well as gives them the milk sugars they need.
Hindmilk is the later milk that comes as the nursing or pumping session progresses. More fat globules will release from the milk ducts as milk is being pulled out, thus making a fattier milk. Hindmilk will be whiter milk that will appear thicker and creamier. This milk is important because it gives your baby the healthy fats they need, helps with your baby’s growth and keeps them fuller longer.
When milk is expressed (whether by baby or breast pump), the more watery milk flows first. As the milk flows, the fat releases from the milk ducts within the breast and makes a more fatty milk.
Why Is My Breast Milk Watery?
If you go long periods of time without nursing or pumping, your body thinks your baby needs more hydration since it’s been a while since they last fed. Your breasts will be more full with foremilk, the watery part of the milk. The longer the time between feeds, the more diluted and watery the breast milk becomes.
The fuller the breasts, the lower the fat content of milk (appears more watery), and the emptier the breasts, the higher the fat content of milk. So if your baby is nursing frequently, your foremilk may not look as watery because it didn’t have much time to fill between sessions.
One good example of this is your breast milk in the mornings. If your baby had a long stretch of sleep and your breasts feel full, you may see much more watery milk than you usually do.
Your breast milk may also appear watery because the amount of fat in your breast milk is not the same for every feeding. Fat content varies throughout the day.
What Happens if Baby Gets Too Much Watery Milk?
I want to start by saying if your baby is breastfeeding effectively, has normal stools and the proper amount of wet diapers, and you have a regular milk supply, then you do not need to worry about having too much watery milk.
However, if your baby is consuming too much foremilk, they may develop a lactose overload (or foremilk/hindmilk imbalance). This usually only occurs with mothers who have an oversupply or if the baby is spacing out feedings too long consistently. You can also accidentally give your baby too much foremilk by limiting their time at the breast.
If your baby is experiencing lactose overload, they may be really gassy or have issues with milk digestion or spitting up. Your baby’s stool may also become green and foamy.
A few ways to avoid lactose overload include:
- Allowing your baby to breastfeed on demand
- Let your baby decide how long to feed on each breast for
- Empty your breasts regularly
- Block feeding
- Longer pumping sessions
If you feel like you and your baby may be experiencing this, reach out to a lactation consultant and your baby’s pediatrician to get help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my breast milk watery in the morning?
If your baby had a long stretch of sleep or you didn’t pump as frequently as you usually do, your breasts became more full of foremilk. This milk has been collecting in your breasts for a longer period of time, so it will be more watery than usual. Remember, the longer you go between feedings, the more diluted your milk becomes. This is totally normal!
Why is my breast milk watery on one side?
You may have gone a long period of time from nursing or pumping off that breast and it became more full. Maybe you forgot to switch sides or maybe you block feed. Block feeding is when your baby just nurses off of one breast only. This is helpful for your baby to get the full feeding of foremilk and hindmilk off of one breast.
Or you may just get less fat from one breast due to the time of the day. Breast milk changes constantly to adjust to your baby’s needs!
Is watery breast milk good for baby?
All breast milk is good for your baby. The watery milk quenches your baby’s thirst and helps them to stay hydrated. Too much foremilk however can cause some issues such as lactose overload (or foremilk/hindmilk imbalance).
How to fix watery breast milk?
As long as your baby is gaining weight, has plenty of normal stools and wet diapers, and your pediatrician is not concerned, there is no need to fix watery breast milk.
However, if you’d like to know all about the seven proven ways to create more fatty breast milk, check out this post.
Are foremilk and hindmilk different kinds of milk?
Foremilk and hindmilk are not different kinds of breast milk, one just comes at the beginning of the feeding and the other as the feeding progresses. Breast milk changes as it is removed. The foremilk contains more watery milk and the hindmilk contains more fatty milk.
Other Posts You May Like:
- How to Make Breast Milk Fattier: 7 Proven Ways
- Ultimate Breastfeeding Checklist for New Moms
- The 2 Shirt Method for Breastfeeding in Public
- 25 Best Cooler Bags for Traveling with Breast Milk
