Understand the difference between hindmilk vs foremilk! Happy Mama Tales

Get the 411 on Hindmilk vs Foremilk

I’m going to give you the low down on hindmilk vs foremilk! What is hindmilk and foremilk you might ask? And why do you need to know about it? Well if you are nursing, you might want to know about the difference in hindmilk vs foremilk for a few reasons. 

Understand the difference between hindmilk vs foremilk! Happy Mama Tales
Foremilk

the milk received first when nursing on one side. This is the more watery (very hydrating) portion of breastmilk that contains a higher amount of lactose. Lactose is needed in order to process the lactase that comes in the hindmilk.  

Hindmilk

the ‘end milk’ when nursing on that same side. This is the more fatty content. The lactase is needed to break down the lactose. 

In combination, the foremilk and the hindmilk make the perfect food. The fatty content provides growth, while the lactose from the foremilk provide energy and brain development.

Understanding the physiology behind hindmilk vs. foremilk: 

As milk is made, the fat sticks to the sides of the milk-making cells while the watery portion of the milk moves down the ducts toward the nipple, where it mixes with any milk left there from the last feeding. The longer the amount of time between feedings, the more diluted that leftover milk becomes. This “watery” milk has a higher lactose content and less fat than the milk stored in the milk-making cells higher up in the breast.  

The foremilk quenches the babies thirst from its hydrating nature. The longer the breast is stimulated, it triggers the milk ducts to “start working”. Basically as the milk drains towards the nipple it passes the fatty cells (that are stored higher in the boob ducts) and pulls the fatty content down to where the baby can nurse that portion.

Clarifications :

  • The breast does not produce two different kinds of milk, the difference comes in the fat content. 
  • There is no on/off switch.
  • There is no timer to say “op, now the foremilk is done and the hindmilk is coming.”
  • Sometimes you can actually have a higher fat content at the beginging of a feeding… if you more recently fed on that side before (and the hindmilk had been drawn down to the nipple without enough time to dilute it with the watery foremilk). 

Why do you need to know this?

There are a few different reasons you need to know the difference. 

  • Since the hindmilk has a higher content of fat, the baby is more likely to get full off of the back-end milk. A reason you should finish nursing on each side before switching.
  • If the baby doesn’t finish completely on one side it could lead to too much lactose, not enough lactase.
  • Over time {not for one feeding, but a combination of a few feedings}  if the baby gets too much lactose (FOREMILK) with not enough lactase (HINDMILK), it’s more likely that the baby will get an upset tummy.  WHY? 
  • This is because the milk content is not balanced (watery to fatty). Lactase breaks down Lactose. When the lactose isn’t properly digested, it can irritate the lining of the intestine.  This can cause your baby to throw up more than normal. It can also cause bleeding in the stools. 
  • It could also lead to mastitis because you aren’t emptying your milk ducts.

How to implement this knowledge: 

  • Don’t set a timer for each breast. Finish nursing on one side completely before switching to the other side. “Finish” meaning you feel that the breast has been emptied completely.(for more info you can always check out www.llli.org they are a great resource)
  • If you don’t feel like you “finished” nursing but your baby is done eating, feel free to go back to that same breast when your baby is ready to eat again. When I am regulating my milk, I typically nurse on one breast twice (usually it’s 2 – 3 hours in between), then switch to the other breast. And I feed on that one twice as well. I have found that this has helped regulate my oversupply, which has decreased the hindmilk vs foremilk battle. 

Wanna know more? Read 7 tips for nursing moms here or visit www.llli.org, it’s a great nursing resource. 

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