pumped milk question

springbeduk2

So, this is a little weird, but ... When you have a bottle of pumped milk in the fridge for a while , how thick is the cream layer on top when it separates? I've finally been able to pump more for bottle practice/stash and am worried that my milk looks really thin (and my baby is quite thin -10th percentile for weight - despite nursing all the time - so makes me wonder). I only see about 1/8 inch or maybe 2 mm or cream on top of 3ish ounces and the milk below looks very watery. I also was surprised that it looked about the same whether I pumped right after a feeding or when it had been longer since I expected to see a foremilk/hindmilk difference. ???

springbeduk2

Bliz1712 said:

Mine does this every day.  Lately my evenings have been a little busy so I don't get around to freezing my extra for the day, so when it sits overnight this seems to happen.  I simply rocked the bottle back and forth, not shaking, and then used hot water to get the "fat" off the sides before I freeze or feed in a bottle.

I don't think it's an imbalance, it's just the milk separating.  And like I said I only notice it this bad when it sits for over 24 hours in the fridge.

Thank you for replying! And I'm glad I'm not the only one whose milk separates! What I meant to ask though (and must have not been clear ... Add that to the,"you know you're sleep deprived when... thread) is if my cream layer is thinner than it should be. Meaning my dd might be getting lower fat milk than she should be. Because it looks like a pretty puny cream layer. But I don't know what normal is!

pistolpackinmomma

Bliz1712 said:

Mine does this every day.  Lately my evenings have been a little busy so I don't get around to freezing my extra for the day, so when it sits overnight this seems to happen.  I simply rocked the bottle back and forth, not shaking, and then used hot water to get the "fat" off the sides before I freeze or feed in a bottle.

I don't think it's an imbalance, it's just the milk separating.  And like I said I only notice it this bad when it sits for over 24 hours in the fridge.

I think she's more concerned about the proportions ad if there should be more fat on the top.

OP- mine doesn't have very much either. Not sure what's right though.

jenb_99

It varies. My milk is fattier in the evening, more watery in the morning. As long as you're pumping at all times of the day and pumping long enough at each session, you should be getting the right balance.

Just be sure not to leave any of that cream behind when you transfer containers. Shake shake shake.

maerhele

I read that breast milk is 85% water, so I think you are OK. I have about the same amount of cream as well. My son is gaining about a pound a month.

mrsbtobe20122

I've been wondering if mine is extra creamy.. As my kid puts on a lb per week. I'll post a pic of what I've pumped over the last few days--- feel free to compare and/or post pics.

I never thought I'd post pics if bm online, but I'm very curious.

ETA: I would google images, but I know bm changes composition as your child grows, so comparing to similar age makes more sense to me.

Junebug060609

The separation thing is normal. Also, the thickness of the cream (for lack of a better word) will vary. I've had everything from a thin layer to 2 oz in a 3oz bottle. The milk colors can also vary

Junebug060609

mrsbtobe20122 said:

I've been wondering if mine is extra creamy.. As my kid puts on a lb per week. I'll post a pic of what I've pumped over the last few days--- feel free to compare and/or post pics.

I never thought I'd post pics if bm online, but I'm very curious.

ETA: I would google images, but I know bm changes composition as your child grows, so comparing to similar age makes more sense to me.

I suspect it's the age. I have a three montherand mine looked like that the other day.

RachelCA29

jenb_99 said:

It varies. My milk is fattier in the evening, more watery in the morning. As long as you're pumping at all times of the day and pumping long enough at each session, you should be getting the right balance.

Just be sure not to leave any of that cream behind when you transfer containers. Shake shake shake.

I agree with all of this except I've heard you shouldn't shake breast milk because it can breakdown the proteins. You should gently swirl the container to remix it.

jenb_99

RachelCA29 said:

It varies. My milk is fattier in the evening, more watery in the morning. As long as you're pumping at all times of the day and pumping long enough at each session, you should be getting the right balance. Just be sure not to leave any of that cream behind when you transfer containers. Shake shake shake.

I agree with all of this except I've heard you shouldn't shake breast milk because it can breakdown the proteins. You should gently swirl the container to remix it.

I've never seen conclusive proof of this claim (or any others concerning breast milk, to be honest), but sure, in general, gentle handling is probably better. But this really isn't on my list of concerns. Quality is compromised by freezing too, but we still do it.

CamrynnsMommy

According to KellyMom the thickness of the fat is no relation to an imbalance.

Now if your milk has a bluish tint, that could mean there's an imbalance.