Why Is My Breast Milk Watery? Reasons and What To Do

Wondering why your breast milk seems watery? While it’s completely normal for breast milk to vary in consistency, there are several factors that can influence its appearance.

Here are the reasons behind watery breast milk and what steps you can take to ensure your baby is getting the nourishment they need.

Breast Milk Is Watery: Why Does It Happen?

For most mothers, this question leads to a Google search, which often results in the same, frustrating answer—“normal.” It can be maddening when the only “solution” to worrying about your baby getting enough calories is simply to stop worrying. If you, like us, want to know more, keep reading.

Breast Milk Can Look Watery for a Number of Reasons

Breast milk, contrary to what you see on the internet, is not all the same. In fact, breast milk will differ from mother to mother and even from feeding to feeding for the same mother.

Sometimes breast milk looks like light, white whole milk. Other times, it is almost bluish in color and very watery. Both can be totally normal.

Your Breast Milk Changes Naturally During a Feed

The most important thing to understand about your milk and its changing color is that your breast milk will not stay the same throughout an entire feeding. When your baby first latches on and starts to suckle, your breasts release milk called foremilk.

Foremilk tends to look thinner and lighter in color because it has a higher water content. As you continue to breastfeed, the milk will transition from foremilk to hindmilk. Hindmilk is creamier, thicker, and has more fat content.

The fat content in the milk provides calories, helps babies gain weight, and creates the fuller feeling.

If you express milk that is particularly thin, it may be that you have caught more foremilk than hindmilk. While this is normal, it also does not mean that your milk is “bad” or not nutritious.

Reasons Breast Milk May Look Watery

There are several reasons why your breast milk can appear watery, and we are going to go over them all:

1. Foremilk to Hindmilk Balance

Foremilk has been discussed above, but to reiterate, it has higher water and lower fat content. If a baby does not nurse long enough to get the hindmilk, or if you switch breasts quickly, you may notice more watery expressed milk. This will not harm your baby but may cause them to need to feed more often, as they are not getting as much fat.

2. Hydration

Breast milk contains around 87% water, so it is not uncommon for a well-hydrated mom to have milk that appears to be a bit more diluted. Your body is simply giving your child the extra fluids they need to stay hydrated, especially if you live in a hot climate.

3. Time of Day

Milk will also vary depending on the time of day. Morning milk will look and taste different from evening milk. Milk that is pumped following a longer stretch of sleep will often be more watery at the beginning. As the day goes on and your child feeds more often, the milk will often look creamier.

4. Storage and Separation

Breast milk has the tendency to separate while sitting in the fridge. The fats will rise to the top while the watery portion of the breast milk will settle to the bottom. If you check before swirling/shaking the milk, you may mistake it for being too watery. A gentle swirl will usually bring the milk back together.

5. Food and Lifestyle

Your diet does not change the overall quality of your milk, but small differences in fat content may occur. For example, if you have not eaten for a prolonged period of time, or if your diet is extremely low in fat, your milk may appear thinner than normal.

6. Pumping Patterns

If you only pump for a short period of time, you will only be pumping foremilk. If you want to collect the creamier hindmilk, you may need to pump for a longer period of time.

This is why some mothers’ pumped bottles look particularly watery but are perfectly healthy and nutritious.

7. Mother’s Milk Can Vary

As in many aspects of breastfeeding, every woman’s body and breasts are different. Some will produce milk that is particularly creamier, while others produce milk that appears to be lighter in color and thinner in texture. Both will nourish your baby equally well.

Is Watery Breast Milk Bad for My Baby?

This question can be a cause for major concern for breastfeeding mothers. The quick answer is no, breast milk that is watery is not bad.

Foremilk is still loaded with lactose, protein, antibodies, and vitamins. It is meant to hydrate your child and contribute to their brain development. As long as your child is gaining weight, has at least 6 wet diapers a day after the first week, and seems satiated after a feeding, your milk is serving its purpose.

There may be a concern, however, if your baby is getting far more foremilk than hindmilk each time they feed. In this case, babies may experience:

Baby will be hungry more often
Infants can become gassy
Green, frothy poos
Slow weight gain

But even in this case, the answer is usually as simple as changing a few feeding habits rather than panicking about the milk itself.

What You Can Do If Your Breast Milk Looks Watery

If you are concerned about the look of your milk, these are some actionable tips to help you out:

1. Let Baby Finish One Breast Before Switching

Timing feeds can be common practice, but try letting your baby nurse on one breast until they completely unlatch before switching. This will help ensure your baby gets both foremilk and hindmilk.

2. Practice Block Feeding

If you are worried your baby is getting too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk due to an oversupply or another issue, try block feeding. Block feeding is feeding from only one breast for a set period (two to three hours) before switching.

3. Pump Long Enough

If you are pumping and want to ensure you get some of the creamier hindmilk, you need to pump for at least 15–20 minutes.

4. Check Storage Method

If you find your breast milk is more watery than you expect after being in storage, this is usually the case. Be sure to swirl the milk gently prior to feeding. Do not shake vigorously as you can break the proteins down in the milk.

5. Stay Consistent with Feeding

Feeding on demand, as opposed to on a schedule, often helps regulate milk flow and production.

6. Eat Well and Rest

We said that food did not drastically affect the quality of your milk, but eating balanced meals and staying hydrated ensures your body is strong enough to continue producing nourishing milk for your baby. Rest when possible also helps with milk quality.

7. Contact a Lactation Specialist

If you have an issue with poor weight gain or notice your baby is especially fussy and you want help from a professional lactation consultant, this is always an option. They can video chat or set up an in-home visit to watch your baby latch and provide helpful suggestions.

8. Seek Medical Attention

Watery breast milk in itself is usually not a cause for alarm, but there are instances when you should contact your doctor or pediatrician. If any of the following is true, contact your healthcare provider:

Infant is not gaining weight
Baby has less than six wet diapers a day after the first week
Poos are still very green and frothy
Baby seems constantly unsettled or hungry

In these cases, there is likely an imbalance of foremilk and hindmilk or another issue that has nothing to do with the appearance of the milk.

Myths About Watery Breast Milk

Let’s bust a few myths that are commonly associated with watery breast milk:

Myth 1: Watery breast milk means poor nutrition.
Truth: Breast milk is naturally nutrient-rich, and watery breast milk is no exception.
Myth 2: Diet must be changed in order to make milk creamier.
Truth: While maintaining a healthy diet is important for you and your child, your body will often regulate milk composition.
Myth 3: Formula is better if milk is too watery.
Truth: Breast milk is still the perfect milk for your child, even when watery, as it is created by and for your baby in a way formula never can be.

The Bigger Picture: Trust Your Body

One of the struggles of motherhood can be trusting that everything is going to be okay. Everything may not look how you expect, and when you look in that bottle, you may get concerned. But trust that your body knows what it is doing.

Your breast milk’s job is to hydrate and nourish your child. Its appearance is only a very small aspect of breastfeeding. The most important thing is how your child is growing, how they behave after feeding, and how you both feel during the process.

Final Thoughts

Breast milk that looks watery is almost always normal. It can be an indication of the stage of feeding, hydration level, and other natural variations in your milk. As long as your child is healthy, gaining weight, and you feel like they are getting enough milk, there is no need to worry.

If you want to ensure your baby is getting enough nutrition, try to let them nurse all the way through on one side before switching, pump for a long enough period of time to reach the hindmilk, and watch for weight gain and enough wet diapers. If you are still concerned, contact your healthcare provider for extra reassurance.

The beauty of breastfeeding is that it can change from day to day or even feed to feed. One day, your milk may look watery while the next day, it may be super creamy. Both are normal, and your body knows exactly what your little one needs.

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