Fat Content of Breastmilk

I've been told a couple of times by doctors who pick-up the milk that mine has high fat-content. The first few times I laughed about it because I thought it was a reflection of my diet. But after a few more times of being told this, I got curious about how exactly this fat content is produced, and if it really is more beneficial for the babies I donate to. You can tell the fat content because of the creamy part on top when the milk is refrigerated or frozen. The cream and watery part separate, but sometimes, mine just stays almost completely white or yellow. Which means, a lot of fat! Don't get shocked when you see this happen, it doesn't mean the milk is spoiled or anything (spoiled milk has a sour smell).

It's a little bit complicated, and my understanding of the whole thing could be wrong, but I hope I can explain it as simply as I can.

As you can see, it's pretty solid white

As you can see, it's pretty solid white 

Does the diet affect the AMOUNT of fat?

The research tells us that mom’s diet does not affect the average amount of fat or calories in her milk. However, mom can change the types of fat in her milk by altering the types of fats that she eats (Lawrence 1999, p. 106-113, 300-305; Hamosh 1996, Hamosh 1991, p. 123-124).   - http://kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/change-milkfat/

So apparently, the diet does NOT affect the amount of fat. HOWEVER, your choice of food affects the amount of good vs not so great fat your baby gets. The more of the not-so-great fat there is in your milk, the less of the awesome fat can "fit in" your boob, so to speak. =D

Eat healthy to ensure that there is more good fat than bad fat in your milk. Babies get the essential fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and arachidonic acid, or AA, from their mother's milk, according to The Franklin Institute. DHA and AA have been shown to improve problem solving and boost the average intelligence scores of formula-fed infants whose formula was supplemented with these fats.

Healthy fats can be found in fish, flax and walnuts. Nursing mothers should avoid foods with trans-fats, such as processed baked goods, since these fats crowd out the good fats in breast milk.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/201290-how-to-increase-fat-in-breast-milk/#ixzz2EBW4bSLp

So, does milk with higher fat content have more benefits that milk with low fat content?

The research tells us that baby’s milk intake (the volume of milk – not the amount of fat in that milk) is the only thing that has been correlated with infant growth in exclusively breastfed babies. As noted earlier, average fat content of human milk is highly variable, but has not proven to be significant when calculating baby’s total energy intake or weight gain. (Aksit 2002, Butte 1984, Cregan 1999, Mitoulas 2003, Mitoulas 2002.) 

It would seem that there is no proof that milk with higher fat content is better. However, there are studies that show that babies who receive more of the HINDMILK thrive better.

For those moms who are not familiar with FOREMILK and HINDMILK, foremilk is the watery milk that comes out first during feeding. Hindmilk is the milk that comes later on the feeding, perhaps after a few minutes, that is fat-rich.

So my understanding of the whole situation is, Hindmilk, which is fat-rich, is better for babies. Which is why doctors will encourage you to completely empty one breast before switching the position of the baby to the other breast. This is to make sure that your baby gets the hindmilk. So if you think you want to balance out your breasts by switching and switching after a few minutes, that might not be the best strategy. Empty your boob! =D

So in the end, I figured out why, aside from my food choices, my milk is high in fat content. It's because of the length of time I pump.

Usually, when you breastfeed directly, the baby can use only 1 breast. Or the baby gets sleepy, so that the baby doesn't get to the point where she's drinking the Hindmilk. Which isn't bad for the baby. However, since I use a dual electric pump, which doesn't stop unless I stop it, both breasts are emptied. I use pumps for about 30-40 minutes each time, because I keep in mind that if I want to increase supply, you can pump for an additional 5-10 minutes after you think the breasts are emptied. This signals the body to create more supply eventually.

So I always pump out the hindmilk, no matter what (unless I'm in a hurry). That's why it seems that the milk always has high fat content, when in reality, it's just me finishing everything every single time, every 3-4 hours.

There are great tips on how to increase fat in breastmilk (and how to increase the supply, at that). I would suggest this link:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/201290-how-to-increase-fat-in-breast-milk/

I think breast compression and shortening the time between pumps/feedings are big factors that affect the fat content and milk supply.

Hope this helps other moms out there who wonder about their milk content!