Why the obsession with fat in breastmilk?

Question

I see this all over instagram. For those who pump and put milk in fridge, the milk separates and the thick fatty layer rises to the top. Everyone's obsessed with showing how fatty their milk is...or the thick "milk plug". Many women are even searching for products to increase the fat content in their milk.

I'm just sitting here wondering why? Your body makes exactly what your baby needs so why the obsession to alter your breastmilk? I don't have a super thick fat layer when my milk is refrigerated and my baby is a happy CHUNKY baby.

Am I missing something? Please help me out. Why does everyone wanna increase the fat in their breastmilk? Is there some benefit I'm not aware of with fattier breastmilk? Doesn't the body make exactly what your baby needs?

Answer

The thing with breastfeeding is that a lot of moms don't have a lot of knowledge when they are starting out.
Even doctors are quick to tell moms to supplement when there are bumps in the road. And we all know people put a lot of trust in their doctor.
Babies typically lose weight in the beginning and it can cause sheer panic for a mom. Doctor tells mom baby has to gain by the next appointment or she will have to supplement. What makes a baby gain weight, fat. So it becomes about making sure milk is fatty enough. But yes your body makes what baby needs.

And pumping is a great deal of work so some moms are just proud of what they got and are excited to see the final result.

Answer

Babies are astonishingly good at adapting their intake to match the fattiness of the milk and will end up with the same number of calories if fed on demand. This is also why worrying about foremilk vs hindmilk intake is unnecessary.

Why the obsession with fat in breastmilk?

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