Ever since I reduced the number of pumps down from seven pumps per day to six, my output per pump has increased dramatically, plus my overall daily output has also gone up, much to my excitement. I am basically producing 2 to 3 ounces more per day with six pumps a day as opposed to seven, which makes me super happy. What also makes me happy? Looking at my pump output at a given session and seeing such full bottles. No one could relate to the happiness at looking at these fuller breast milk bottles then a pumping mama. This is a fact.

In addition to that, when I put these bottles in the fridge to cool down before combining with other milk that I have expressed and into the bottles that the baby will eventually drink, because the bottles are so full of milk, now, I can see a clearer separation between the foremilk and hindmilk. These two types of milk are exactly what they sound like: the foremilk is milk that you expressed at the beginning of a pump or nursing session. This milk is a lot thinner and less fatty. As you continue nursing or pumping, your body starts releasing the hindmilk, which is a lot thicker, creamier, and much whiter. The hindmilk has the most fat content. The hindmilk is ultimately what gets your baby full. And so the more hindmilk you have, the richer your overall milk is. And when you really look at the milk separation, sometimes the foremilk can look like it’s a blue color. You’re supposed to shake up the milk to ensure they are combined thoroughly before feeding baby.

And for the first time, this week, I saw the foremilk look a little light blue. But when you see the separation of the foremilk from the hindmilk, it was very clear that the hindmilk made the vast majority of the bottle, whereas the foremilk was a teeny tiny proportion. And this made me feel so proud and happy: I have super fatty breast milk! My milk is fatty! My baby is getting lots of good nutrition from my breastmilk that my body is producing. And that just feels like the best thing. It makes all of the pumping that I do feel worth it even though it has been extremely trying and mentally exhausting.