Berikut 5 Ciri-Ciri ASI Berkualitas dan Warna ASI yang Bagus
Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a baby's life is something every mother must strive for. This is because all the nutrients a newborn needs are in breast milk. Yes, breast milk is indeed the best food for babies because it contains protein, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins that will boost your little one's immune system. However, you should also maintain a healthy diet and prioritize nutritious food intake so that your breast milk color is good and of high quality. So, what are the characteristics of good and high-quality breast milk? Find the answer only here!
Characteristics and Color of Good Breast Milk
The color of good breast milk indicates that it is truly high quality. However, the characteristics of quality breast milk are not only seen from its color but also its taste, smell, texture, and volume. In fact, optimal child development is also a sign that the breast milk absorbed into your little one's body is of high quality. Let's understand more about this by reading the following review.
1. Yellow or White Breast Milk Color
The best color for breast milk is golden yellow with a thick texture. This golden-yellow breast milk is also often referred to as colostrum. You should know that colostrum is milk with the highest nutritional content, which is very good for your little one. Generally, a mother's breasts start producing colostrum from the beginning of pregnancy in the second trimester and continue until the 5th day after the baby's birth.
Over time, a mother's breasts will begin to produce mature breast milk that is clear white and thin in texture. This clear white breast milk is called foremilk and starts to come out around the 3rd or 4th week after the baby is born.
2. Different Breast Milk Colors
The food consumed by the mother can also affect the color of the breast milk produced. In certain conditions, the color of breast milk is not always white or yellow, but can be reddish, pink, or greenish. However, you do not need to worry if this happens.
This condition is still considered normal if the mother is eating healthy and nutritious food at the time. However, you should stay alert as the different color could come from artificial coloring, traces of blood, or certain health issues.
Read also: 4 Tips for Exclusive Breastfeeding, Its Benefits & Nutrients
3. Breast Milk Smells Like Cow's Milk
In addition to its good color, the characteristic of quality breast milk is that it has an aroma like cow's milk. If you express and freeze breast milk in a freezer, observe the smell of the milk when thawed. If the aroma is too acidic, it means the quality of the breast milk is no longer good or it has spoiled.
4. It Tastes Sweet
Normally, breast milk tastes sweet. The sweetness is almost similar to the taste of cow's milk or almond milk. However, the taste of breast milk can also vary depending on the mother's daily intake.
5. Breast Milk Has a Creamier Texture
Breast milk contains fat and lactose which make its texture creamy with a clear white color. Generally, this condition of breast milk is referred to as hindmilk.
Read also: 5 Causes of Milk Supply Issues & Effective Tips to Boost Breast Milk
Recommended Foods for Breastfeeding Mothers to Boost Milk Supply
To ensure breast milk production remains high quality, you are advised to consume food rich in nutrients. Most importantly, breastfeeding mothers are encouraged to increase their intake of healthy fats, protein, and fiber.
Some examples of food sources rich in healthy fats include avocados, seeds, nuts, and olive oil. For the best protein intake, you can get it by diligently consuming chicken, eggs, and fish, especially salmon which is good for your little one's nervous system development.
Don't forget to eat food sources that contain fiber like vegetables and fruits! Increase your consumption of green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli to facilitate the flow of breast milk for breastfeeding mothers.
Read also: 5+ Foods to Increase Breast Milk, a Solution for Low Milk Supply!
Besides consuming nutritious food, how you store expressed breast milk also affects its quality! Therefore, make sure to understand how to store breast milk properly and use a high-quality breast milk storage container so that the nutrients are not compromised even if stored for a long time.
Why does the storage container play an important role in maintaining breast milk quality? A good breast milk storage container must be made of safe, BPA-free material so as not to damage the nutrients in the breast milk. In addition, the lid must be completely airtight so that the milk remains hygienic and is not contaminated by harmful substances or infection-causing bacteria.
A recommended breast milk storage container you can choose is the Hegen PCTOTM Breast Milk Storage, which is available in 3 sizes: 60 ml, 150 ml, and 240 ml. The quality of breast milk storage from Hegen is unquestionable because it uses the best PPSU material, incorporating PCTO innovation into the product.
The amber-colored PPSU material is free from artificial pigments, so the expressed breast milk will not be contaminated with harmful ingredients. Furthermore, this material is also often used as a base material for medical equipment, so it is guaranteed to be superior, durable, and highly resistant to high temperatures, ranging from -20°C to 180°C.
Thus, you can freeze or warm up breast milk directly from the breast milk storage. In fact, the breast milk storage can also function as a feeding bottle!
Hegen's PCTO™ innovation also allows parents and caregivers to close the storage tightly and conveniently, even with just one hand, without worrying about spills. Click here to shop for quality Hegen products right now!
References:
- Kemenkes RI. Let's Recognize the Characteristics of Quality Breast Milk. https://ayosehat.kemkes.go.id/mari-kenal-ciri-ciri-asi-berkualitas
- Mayo Clinic. Infant and Toddler Health. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/basics/infant-and-toddler-health/hlv-20049400
