My expressed milk seems watery
My baby is five months old. She takes three to four bottles of breastmilk or formula, depending on how much I pumped the day before. I have noticed a diminished milk supply at work. My milk appears very watery when I pump. My daughter seems happy and satisfied. Is there something wrong with my milk supply?
Question:Debbi Donovan
Debbi Donovan is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant, as well as a retired La Leche League Leader. For more than a decade, Debbi... Read more
It doesn't sound like you have an insufficient milk supply. You describe your baby as being content at your breast. I assume she is also growing normally. From around three to four months of age, until around six months of age, average weekly weight gain is 3 to 5 ounces a week. Around six months of age, average weight gain typically slows to between 1.5 and 3 ounces per week.
You might be experiencing letting-down at work. You may have time constraints or privacy issues that make a relaxing pumping session quite a challenge.
If you are still not obtaining enough milk at work, you can choose another time to express, in addition to the sessions at work. But do allow yourself some exclusive breastfeeding sessions. It can get pretty tiring pumping all the time.
Many nursing mothers find it is easiest to express their milk in the morning when their supply is most abundant. Express either one hour before you anticipate nursing your baby, or an hour or so following his first feed of the day. Other pumping options you might want to try are expressing a bit of milk following a feed, or pumping one breast, as your baby nurses at the other side.
What type of pump are you using? If you feel that you are not able to express enough milk, I would recommend renting a hospital-grade electric pump, like the Lactina Select or Medela Classic. Try renting for a month or so and see if it makes a difference in the amount of milk you are able to express.
You don't need to be concerned about the watery appearance of your milk. Breastmilk does not look like formula. Breastmilk typically is very watery in appearance. This does not mean it is "too watery" for your baby -- it is just perfect. You may find that if you express your milk for a longer period of time than usual, or following a feed, the expressed milk will appear creamier. As the feed, or pumping session progresses, your milk gradually transitions from primarily foremilk (more watery in appearance) to hindmilk (which is higher in fat.)
To keep an abundant milk supply, nurse or express your milk frequently. When you are home with your little one, frequent nursing and especially nighttime feeds will help to keep your milk supply abundant. My best wishes!
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