I’m a lactation counselor with Ardo. Let’s talk – your milk changes throughout the day!
Your breastmilk is just amazing! The composition of your breast milk changes throughout the day to adapt to your baby’s needs. Your milk is more than just a meal – it’s also a clock that provides time-of-day information to your growing baby.
Morning milk is often higher in volume, containing more water and less fat, as well as higher levels of cortisol – a hormone that promotes alertness. It may appear more watery, or even have a blue tint. This is absolutely OK!
Alternatively, you may even notice that when you pump at night, you don’t pump as much volume as your morning session. And, you may also notice that your evening milk appears thicker and creamier. This is because evening breast milk is higher in fat and melatonin to help promote sleepiness in your baby.
Here’s a pro tip – label your pumped breast milk with the time of day you pumped and try to feed it to your baby around the same time. The hormones in your milk help your baby’s internal clock regulate and you may benefit from a better sleeper! Ardo’s Easy Store milk bags have a line designated just for labeling your pumping information!