It is every mother’s first priority to ensure that her child receives the proper amount of nutrients required for healthy growth and development. The most incredible gift a mother can give to her kid is breastfeeding.
Breast milk is the lifeblood of our babies; therefore, we want to make sure it contains all of the nutrients they require. However, a significant issue regarding breastfeeding is that breast milk contains insufficient fat.
Don’t be depressed if you believe your breast milk is lacking in fat. This is a typical worry among new mothers. There are some steps you can take to enhance the lipid content of your breast milk.
WHY IS BREAST MILK FAT SO IMPORTANT FOR BABIES?
Your breast milk is a fantastic supply of lipids for your baby’s healthy development. By their first birthday, babies have generally tripled their birth weight and grown nearly ten inches. Their bodies require calories to keep up with this rate of growth, which are found in breast milk’s fat content.
Fats are required for optimal brain, ocular, and nervous system development in addition to physical growth. Fat makes up 60% of the brain and the nerves surrounding area.
HOW TO MAKE BREASTMILK FATTIER
Make sure you frequently nurse with shorter intervals
According to studies, milk produced in the evening is fattier than milk produced in the morning. You must feed your infant more in the evening as a mother in order to increase his or her intake of these fats.
But then, another way is to reduce the time between feedings to boost the fat content of your breast milk. This is significant since shortening these time intervals ensures that your little one receives the richer fat hindmilk.
Unlike when feeding intervals are closely spaced, the body will have created more foremilk, and if your baby eats less frequently, he or she may miss out on the much-needed hindmilk.
Empty the Breast
If you switch your baby from breast to breast while they are still sucking, they won’t have enough time to access the fattier hindmilk that helps them gain weight. Wait until they’ve finished emptying one breast, then switch to the other if they’re still hungry.
Many women assume that during each feeding, they must feed from both sides. This isn’t always the case, however. Fat globules in milk stick to each other and to the walls of alveoli, the sites where milk is formed when they are produced. This is also known as the milk duct.
As the breasts are full, the milk progressively travels toward the nipple, bringing the thin, watery stuff forward while leaving the thicker, fattier hindmilk behind.
Increase the quantity of unsaturated fats in your diet
The quality of your breastmilk and its production are determined by your diet. As a result, your baby eats what you do. However, the first step toward fatter breast milk is to increase your intake of unsaturated fats.
Unsaturated fats, such as those found in nuts, eggs, salmon, avocado, and olive oil, can help to fatten breast milk. These fats aid in the reduction of cholesterol and the prevention of heart disease. They also aid with blood sugar regulation, making it beneficial for both mother and child. Though these fats are beneficial, they must be used in moderation.
Breast compressions help you make your breast milk fattier
Compress your breast when your infant is sucking to stimulate the milk ejection reflex. Breast compressions are a technique that aids in the production of fatter breast milk. When your infant feeds, simply hold your breast in a C shape from the top and provide a small amount of pressure.
Carry on like this until your infant stops to collect his or her breath. When the infant begins to feed again, repeat the procedure. Breast compression accelerates the movement of fat stored in your mammary glands down to the ducts, allowing fattier hindmilk to come sooner.
Consume more protein
Protein plays a crucial part in your body to make breast milk fatter. More protein in your diet can help you produce more milk, which means more milk and fat for your baby.
This is beneficial in terms of how to make breast milk fattier since it restores the equilibrium between the amount of foremilk and hindmilk. The finest protein sources include lean meats, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and seeds.
Take supplements to increase breast milk supply
Taking lactation supplements is also a good technique to make breast milk fattier for parents whose milk production is dwindling and who are having trouble delivering enough milk for each feeding session.
The sunflower lecithin supplement is one of the most popular supplements, and many pediatricians recommend it to parents who have clogged milk ducts or general breast soreness. This supplement works by combining the fatty and watery portions of breast milk to reduce the viscosity of the milk.
This supplement is also thought to assist their infant in acquiring more fat-rich hindmilk soon at the start of the feeding.
Pump before feeding
Pumping before feeding will help you get rid of foremilk and help you reach hindmilk, which is rich in fat. See the best beast pumps you can buy