How to make my milk better?

Question

Hi! So my problem is that I produce a pretty good amount of milk, but it is not very nutricous. It was really watery with my two girls and they would never get full. Do any of you ladies have advice on how to make my milk better? I am 22 weeks pregnant with baby #3 and would really like to be able to breastfeed him. My problem is more the quality not the quantity.

Answer

Your milk is formulated for your baby, and will vary depending on what your baby needs. If your body is making more foremilk it’s because that’s what your babies saliva is telling it to make, same with the amount of hind milk you make even the amount of antibodies your body puts into your milk. There is nothing you can do to make your milk “better” because it’s already the best it can be for baby.

Answer

Your milk is perfect for your baby. It’s normal for babies to want to nurse a lot/often. Just eat well, stay hydrated, and nurse often.

Answer

Babies don’t fill up very easily with breastmilk. They tend to be hungry more often. They are probably getting adequate milk while breastfeeding since babies are able to draw out milk far easier than a pump. If you are thinking your milk is watery based on what you see when pumping, try pumping longer. The hind milk is fattier and will make your milk appear thicker. If you aren’t pumping long enough, you may only be getting the foremilk which tends to look more watery. If I woke up at night and pumped just a few ounces to ease engorgement, that milk was always very watery looking since it wasn’t a full pumping session and I never got the hindmilk in a quick 5 min pumping session at night.

Answer

Fun fact: your breast milk changes based on your babies needs. I read somewhere that their saliva induces the changes in your breast milk.

Answer

Focus on getting plenty of healthy fats in your diet, it made a big difference for me in the amount of hind milk I can pump out. Nuts, milk, an extra pad of butter with dinner ;), avocados, etc. Also make sure you are still taking your prenatal vitamins.

Answer

Some women do make “skim milk” Where they don’t produce enough fat. Try looking that up to see if it describes you. My friend had that happen.

How to make my milk better?

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