Breastmilk Fat Plugs

🍃FAT PLUG, Breastmilk Fat, Baby Layer Cake.

WHATEVER you know it as, it is the white layer that floats above pumped breastmilk, a sight that makes many mothers incredibly happy to see!

😉But what is it actually?

It is basically human designed lipids. There are many types of lipids including fats, Triglycerides, good Cholesterol, fatty acids such as DHA, essential vitamins, and bio active components.

Lipids support the structure of the cells, maintain body temperature, and make hormones and make up 3% to 5% of breastmilk, and of this, 98-99% of milk lipids are comprised of triacyclglycerols, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic (ARA) acids.

It's no surprise that this layer you see provides half of the calories and half of the energy that your baby gets from a feeding, after all, the most important function of lipids is to store energy for the body (aka the ingredient to baby thighs and baby rolls).

In saying that though, The amount of fat in breast milk is not constant. It changes throughout the day and over time as your baby grows. It even changes during each feeding. When you first start to breastfeed, your breast milk is thinner and lower in fat. Fat content increases gradually as the breast becomes emptier, as fat globules are “forced” out of the breast by successive milk ejections. The thinner foremilk is important to hydrate your baby, and the hindmilk provides energy reserves.

👯‍♀️Interesting Fact: Breast milk produced for premature infants is also very high in fat. It has about 30% more fat than the breast milk that's made for full-term babies. (Ref. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3508468/ Mark Underwood)

❤🌱This is why in our blends, we proudly use organic natural ingredients that contain high medium chain triglycerides, sources of quality lipids and fatty acids to help with the fat quality in your breastmilk.

❤🌱A happier fed baby is a happier mamma which is why we love it when we see your fatty plugs and chunky babies!