Hindmilk — is the milk baby receives closer to the end of a breastfeeding session. It is quite thick, of a dense creamy color and taste. Hindmilk is lower in lactose and higher in fats.
It is more a dessert for a baby as it provides a sense of fullness and warmth. Hindmilk also contains digestion ferments that help digest lactose from the foremilk. High-fat hindmilk is mixed with the high-lactose foremilk and the baby gets a perfectly balanced food that supplies the organism with all the micro- and macronutrients, including fat, carbs, proteins and water.
However, sometimes milk is overproduced. As a result, the baby feels full with foremilk only without a chance to get the hindmilk to balance it.
What is the difference between hindmilk and foremilk? In terms of nutritional and energetic value it is significant. They produce only one type of breast milk as all other mammals do. To make this process more obvious, think of turning on a hot water faucet. The same goes for breast milk.
Its fat content and key ingredients slightly change as your baby receives its meal. If you suspect that your little one is dealing with lactose overload, start by seeing your pediatrician. If your pediatrician determines that lactose overload is definitely the problem, you should see a lactation consultant. The issue is usually easy to resolve with the right guidance, and she may recommend taking steps like:.
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This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. Registry Builder New. Foremilk and Hindmilk Imbalance.
Medically Reviewed by Marvin Resmovits, M. Medical Review Policy All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. Previously referred to as a foremilk and hindmilk imbalance, lactose overload occurs when a breastfeeding baby regularly gets more watery, higher-lactose foremilk and less of the higher fat hindmilk.
Back to Top. In This Article. Continue Reading Below. Read This Next. Breastfeeding Positions. Can Breast Milk Change Colors? View Sources. Instead, think of the beginning of a nursing session as being like turning on a hot water faucet. As the water runs, it gradually gets warmer and warmer and warmer. Since fat content is is directly related to the degree of emptiness of the breast, it is possible, depending upon nursing pattern, for fat content to be higher at the beginning of a particular feeding than it is at the end of some other feeding.
Now think about the hot water faucet again. As a particular feeding progresses, fat content increases, milk volume and flow decrease, and milk synthesis speeds up. Because every baby varies in the amount of time it takes him to receive his fill of the higher-fat milk at the end of the feeding, it is important not to switch breasts while baby is actively nursing.
How does milk production work?
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