Fatty breast milk - anyone else observe this?

macbook

So I have had a big problem with recurrent ducts They have been so difficult to deal with I can't even describe...

One thing that I noticed the other day that was really interesting that I wonder if others experienced too is that when looking at a bottle of my pumped milk I noticed that the milk is SUPER fatty. There is this thick rim of almost fat around the top of the bottle. If I pour the milk out I have to heat it up to get this thick milk to even move. Do others have this or is my milk just super fatty (and hence the plugged ducts)? I'm so curious if this is a uniform problem or an explanation for why I have been getting into so much trouble. 

RDK24

Yep, I had that most, if not all of the year I was pumping. From what I understand it's very normal and not related to plugged ducts. 

macbook

But you would think that would be asking to develop a plugged duct constantly since that thick milk should easily be able to clog them.....

macbook

honestly i do so much breast massage/compression but i have no luck with it!! Heat seems to help a little? But I can never work them out with just massage. 

surpriseaddition

Anytime you let unpasteurized milk sit for any period of time, it will start to separate. This is where the term "the cream rises to the top" comes from. I always had a layer of fat at the top, and if I left the bottle in the fridge a few days it would get very thick, the bottom part would almost look like water - "skim milk". I'd say that part is normal. 

RDK24

macbook said:

But you would think that would be asking to develop a plugged duct constantly since that thick milk should easily be able to clog them.....

I don't think it actually comes out that thick -- as PP have said, I think that's what happens when it's been sitting out. If you watch it spray while pumping you can see that it doesn't look the same as after it's been sitting out.

I had some plugged duct problems myself and heating Boobie Tubes in the microwave and leaving them in my bra helped me. Drinking a TON of water helped me too. GL--sorry to hear it's been a persistent problem for you.

mommatotwo2

Yeah its not sitting in your breasts thick like that. When you pump and immediately look at the bottles, its usually all mixed together. As it sits, cream(fat) separates to the top.

kmtneb

My milk is like that too. I think it is normal due to the fact that your milk is fresh and not homogenized (which is why cow's milk doesn't separate). I am not an expert, but was doing some research when I thought I had a plugged duct and I read that it could be caused by a high intake of saturated fats in your diet. So maybe it's not the fat content of the milk, but more like the saturated fat content? So making sure you are eating healthy and lots of unsaturated fats may be helpful. Good luck!

wpatx

Mine comes out like that too. To keep the milk from completely settling, I try to flip the containers that are in the fridge upside down halfway through the day or whenever I open the fridge. So, they never totally settle and I don't have to worry about scraping the containers or shaking them to mix it back up. Good luck!