The longer the time between feeds, the more diluted the leftover milk becomes. This 'watery' milk has a higher lactose content and less fat than the milk stored in the milk-making cells higher up in your breast.
Usually blueish or clear, watery breast milk is indicative of “foremilk.” Foremilk is the first milk that flows at the start of a pumping (or nursing) session and is thinner and lower in fat than the creamier, whiter milk you see at the end of a session.
The answer is that the exact flavor of breast milk varies from person to person and from day to day. It's affected by factors like what you eat and how fresh it is.
Many nursing people choose to eat almonds or drink almond milk to increase the creaminess, sweetness, and amount of their breast milk.
ABOUT FOREMILK
At the beginning of a nursing/pumping session, the breast milk that flows out first (the foremilk) tends to be more watery. Foremilk has less fat and higher levels of lactose (milk sugars). Sometimes it's thinner, tinged blue or seems more clear.
Breast milk is really quite sweet, in terms of its chemical makeup. Human breast milk has about 200 different sugar molecules, which serve a wide range of purposes. When a baby is first born, the sugars in breast milk provide sustenance for the growing bacterial population in their body.
Some people describe a “soapy” smell or taste in their milk after storage; others say it is a “metallic” or “fishy” or “rancid” odor. Some detect a “sour” or “spoiled” odor or taste. Accompanying these changes are concerns that the milk is no longer good for the baby.
Putrid flavors are the result of bacterial contamination, storage temperature above 40°F, and age. Spoilage of the milk is by bacterial action on the protein rather than on the lactose. Putrid milk will curdle, separate, and may smell rotten if left for a few days.
Under normal conditions, breast milk will have a characteristic aroma that is slightly greasy, pale in taste, not too salty or sweet. If you taste something different (fishy, sour, unpleasant smell ..), the milk may have been spoiled, and the nutrition in the milk is no longer guaranteed.
The longer the time between feeds, the more diluted the leftover milk becomes. This 'watery' milk has a higher lactose content and less fat than the milk stored in the milk-making cells higher up in your breast. You can't tell how much fat your baby has received from the length of a feed.
This often occurs when someone hasn't fed for a longer than usual period (more than 3 hours) from the beginning of the last feed. This can cause a clear or blue color to breast milk. If your milk is coming out clear, try gentle but dynamic breast massage, and moderate warm compresses to increase circulation.
"There is a wide range of normal when it comes to color for breast milk," says Hali Shields, a certified birth and postpartum doula, national board-certified health and wellness coach, and certified lactation education counselor. "Blueish, yellow, cream, orange are all normal and safe for baby."
The results suggested an increase in umami and saltiness in milk from inflamed breasts, which might have resulted from an increased content in factors associated with umami and sodium. These specific taste changes might be associated with infants refusing to suckle from breasts with mastitis.
Human milk is sweeter and tastes better than formula. Studies have shown that newborns prefer the taste and smell of their own mother's milk. The flavor of human milk changes with the variety of foods the mother eats. This makes the transition to table foods easier for the infant.
Scald your pumped milk.
Scalding your breast milk might reduce the flavor and smell changes associated with high lipase breast milk. To do so, heat milk in a clean pan (not the microwave) until it's bubbling but not boiling, then place the pan in a bowl of ice water to help cool it down before serving it to your baby.
Pumping more often can help stimulate breasts to produce more milk. Moms can try pumping both breasts for 15 minutes every two hours for 48-72 hours. Then moms can return to their normal pumping routine. Pumping for longer than 30 minutes may not be beneficial.
Lactation teas/herbal teas
Lactation teas generally contain herbs known to be galactagogues. Some of these teas have ginger, moringa, coconut milk/water, and Goat's rue and can be put into teas or drink mixes to aid in lactation.
Most mothers find that pumping every 2-3 hours maintains their milk supply and does not cause them to become uncomfortably full.
The amount of fat in human milk changes dramatically during each feeding and throughout the day, since fat content depends on the degree of emptyness of the breast (empty breast = high fat, full breast = low fat). The average fat content of human milk is 1.2 grams/oz.
The CDC and most breast pump manufacturers recommend cleaning pump parts thoroughly after every use to help protect babies from germs.
If you see bright green and frothy poop in your baby's diaper that almost looks like algae, they're probably getting too much foremilk – the low-calorie milk that comes first in a feeding – and not enough hindmilk, the higher-fat, super-nutritious stuff that comes near the end.