At the beginning of each feeding, the milk that is immediately available to the baby is called foremilk. This milk is a bit watery, has a slight bluish tint, and serves to satisfy the baby's immediate thirst and provide much needed carbohydrates (among other things). Then, after a few minutes, an increasing amount of fat enters the milk, which makes the milk thicker and more calorie dense. This is called hindmilk. Ideally, a nursing baby will receive both foremilk and hindmilk in the course of a feeding. This ensures that the baby takes in all of the necessary nutrients he/she needs to grow optimally.

As your little bundle of joy grows, the nutrient content of your breast milk changes to meet his/her needs. So, rest assured, breast milk will always be the perfect food for your baby.

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with nationally-recognized lactation expert, Dr. Kathleen Marinelli. Dr. Marinelli is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, and is a neonatologist and Director of Lactation Support Services at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, CT. When she is not in the classroom or taking care of babies in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), she volunteers as the Medical Director of the Mother's Milk Bank of New England. Dr. Marinelli’s commitment to making sure all babies receive human milk is inspiring! Grab your cup of Nursing Time Tea and read on for the highlights of our conversation . . .

It is not always easy to know if your baby is getting enough milk at each feeding. And, if you are working mom that is pumping and storing breast milk for a caregiver to feed to your baby, it can be even trickier to know how much milk your baby will need while you are away. While there is no black and white answer for exactly how much breast milk an infant should be getting at each feeding, read on for some general guidelines.