Rainbow Breast Milk ~ Is it Safe For Baby?

Do you know that our breast milk has variety of colors?

Surprised? I pun surprised bila first time nampak hasil pump susu ibu lain berwarna pink , oren dan biru.. sepanjang saya menyusu anak pertama hingga anak kedua tak pernah lagi saya alami situasi macam ini. Syukurlah saya terlibat dalam breastfeeding group yang kaya dengan informasi dan support group yang bagus . Rupa-rupanya ada macam-macam color! 

Selepas bersalin, susu badan ibu akan mengeluarkan colostrum yang sangat berharga dan berkhasiat untuk bayi. Selepas beberapa hari kemudian, susu badan ibu akan semakin banyak dan pada permulaan penyusuan atau pump, susu akan lebih cair warna biru keputihan. Ini dikenali sebagai 'lower-fat foremilk'. 

Foremilk ini hanya membantu memenuhi kehausan bayi sahaja. Ibu menyusu disaran untuk mengepam atau menyusu lebih lama bagi setiap payu dara untuk mendapatkan hasil susu yang paling bagus iaitu 'hindmilk'.  Hindmilk ini mengandungi lemak yang membuatkan susu menjadi lebih pekat dan mampu memberi bayi rasa kenyang disamping dapat menambah berat badan bayi. 

Ibu menyusu juga harus memastikan pemakanan yang seimbang serta pengambilan air sebanyak 3-4Liter sehari. Warna susu ibu akan bertukar mengikut pemakanan yang diambil seperti :

Green Milk

Could be due to after the ingestion of green foods such as eating spinach or seaweed, and taking certain herbs or supplements can turn breast milk green. Jom testing makan spinach malam ni! 

Pink, Orange, Red, and Brown Milk 

So colorful isn't it? Foods that are naturally red, pink and orange in color or foods that contain these colors also may affect the color of our breast milk. Even drinks like beets, orange soda, and red or orange fruit drinks can cause your milk to turn different shades of pink, red and orange.

I pernah tengok ialah susu warna pink sahaja dimana mungkin disebabkan oleh 'rusty pipe syndrome'. This happen if blood from inside your breasts leaks into your milk ducts, the milk may appear brown and rust-colored. Why is it called rusty pipe syndrome? It is because the milk looks like dirty water from an old rusty pipe. (longkang tersumbat!) Even cracked nipples could cause a little bit of blood get into our milk and create red or pink streaks. 

Always remember that a small amount of blood in the milk supply is not harmful to your baby. There is no need to stop breastfeeding. In most cases, the bleeding will go away on its own in a few days. If the issue has not resolved after a week, check with your doctor ya. 

Now we know that the color of breast milk can also vary based on our diet and if it is due to healthy food intake then it is SAFE for our baby. Don't dispose away ya! And remember this is only TEMPORARILY and will go away after sometime. If you are doubtful about the color of milk safe for your child, better consult your Doctor ya! Happy Breastfeeding Mommies!

** After knowing about the colors of our breast milk, don't think that God's creation is so GREAT ! Subhanallah! Every single drop of mummy's milk is rewarded.. insyaAllah. :)