How long does it take for hindmilk to come through?

[Lillylemon]

The reason I ask is my LO feeds in about 5mins flat, he has become really efficient and he's putting on weight very well - about 1oz a day and he's 13 weeks now. His poos are never green and every feed he brings a load of milk back up. I have a fact let down, it's almost immediate. I assume he is getting the hindmilk or he wouldn't put weight on?

Is it the hindmilk that fills them up also? I have tried giving him more to last him through the night but to no avail. How long should I use the same boob for? Someone told me your milk renews every hour so does that mean he will keep getting all the foremilk even though I'm trying to give him more hindmilk?

Thanks for any help!

x

 

[freckleonear]

Generally, foremilk is the milk that fills up your breasts in between feeds and hindmilk is the milk that is let down. Sounds like your baby is doing great! The hindmilk does fill them up (it's the "food" whereas foremilk is the "drink") but babies have tiny stomachs and breastmilk is really easy to digest, so he will probably need to keep feeding through the night for a while yet.

 

[pinkandfluffy]

The reason I ask is my LO feeds in about 5mins flat, he has become really efficient and he's putting on weight very well - about 1oz a day and he's 13 weeks now. His poos are never green and every feed he brings a load of milk back up. I have a fact let down, it's almost immediate. I assume he is getting the hindmilk or he wouldn't put weight on?

Is it the hindmilk that fills them up also? I have tried giving him more to last him through the night but to no avail. How long should I use the same boob for? Someone told me your milk renews every hour so does that mean he will keep getting all the foremilk even though I'm trying to give him more hindmilk?

Thanks for any help!

x

If he wants to feed again within 2 hours I give the same boob, not sure where I picked that up from.

Every statement could be mine! My letdown is ferocious and he feeds like yours, and is gaining well. Dylan had a brief stint of green poos at the early days when he was getting too much foremilk but that was my fault for getting confused with the info if your letdown is fast, and no green poos / good weight gain, I would say he is just an efficient feeder and must be getting to the good stuff but I guess our LOs must have little tummies, Dylan spits up some too if I overfeed

 

[angelstardust]

If you atre worried you can do some breast massage befor he feeds, this works like shaking up a bottle of EBM (have you seen that EBM will split into two layers? the wattery layer and the creamier layer?). Basically it will break up the globules of the milk fats and make you produce more 'hind milk' quicker. The fats are sticky so need the wattery milk to be flowing to pull them through the breats tissues.

He sounds like he is doing very well.

 

[jess_smurf]

if your concerned about getting hind milk i usually top up with same boob within the hour then there is more hind milk

 

[TigerLady]

If he is doing well and his poos aren't green, then I wouldn't change anything you are doing.

How much of the milk is hindmilk and how fast it comes depends more on how long you go between feeds. Hindmilk isn't made any differently from regular milk. The longer you go between feeds, the more milk fats stick together and create hindmilk. A cluster feeding session will result in little hindmilk, whereas a stretch of a few hours or more will result in more hindmilk. Both ways are fine as long as they get hindmilk at some point during the day.

 

[pinkandfluffy]

If he is doing well and his poos aren't green, then I wouldn't change anything you are doing.

How much of the milk is hindmilk and how fast it comes depends more on how long you go between feeds. Hindmilk isn't made any differently from regular milk. The longer you go between feeds, the more milk fats stick together and create hindmilk. A cluster feeding session will result in little hindmilk, whereas a stretch of a few hours or more will result in more hindmilk. Both ways are fine as long as they get hindmilk at some point during the day.

So if baby feeds every 2 hrs, and you alternate boobs, each boob gets a 4hr break so there will be hind milk?

 

[TigerLady]

^^ yep. There is some hind milk after 2 hours, too. Just less than there would be after 4 hours, iykwim.

 

[venusrockstar]

I was told by the lactation consultant that I saw that hindmilk is released within a couple minutes of the feed.

 

[Lillylemon]

I was told by the lactation consultant that I saw that hindmilk is released within a couple minutes of the feed.

See this would make sense - because my let-down is very quick, within 10 seconds sometimes, sometimes half a minute. I am 100% sure he is getting hindmilk as his weight-gain is excellent, I just wondered when it is. Also someone told me from our breastfeeding group that sometimes babies can get reflux/spit up more if they have too much foremilk.

I am really just looking for logic on how to fill him up more -especially for the night!

x

 

[Pearls18]

Can I ask a silly question...what do you mean by 'let down'? Is it when the milk actually reaches the baby? How long is an average 'let down'? x

 

[angelstardust]

Let-down is when milk is atively or forceable realeased by the breast. It's when it sprays out of it's own accord rather than is drawn out by the babies (or pumps) feeding action.

It's hormone controlled.

You may find it feels tingly and there can be several let-downs in a feed.

And it vaires from woman to woman.

 

[venusrockstar]

I don't feel my let down happen, but when Bella is feeding on one side, the other one leaks and I can sometimes feel it squirting through