Before starting breastfeeding, you may have assumed that breast milk is always white. So if you notice a color of the rainbow creeping in, it's understandable if you're a little freaked out.
Don’t worry, though. It’s normal for breast milk to change colors, and the tints can vary more than you think. Plus, it’s rarely a big deal if your milk takes on different hues at different times. (Nope, blue breast milk doesn’t mean your supply is getting low.)
Here’s a rundown of the various breast milk colors you might come across and what they usually mean.
What color is breast milk?
Breast milk is typically white with a yellowish or bluish tint, depending on how long you’ve been breastfeeding. But the hue can change based on many different factors, and most of the time, a new color of breast milk is harmless.
What breast milk color is normal?
Every woman’s milk is different, and there are lots of variations of "normal." In fact, the color of your milk will change quite a bit in the early days or weeks after giving birth:
Colostrum, the pre-milk that comes in right after your baby is born, tends to be yellowish.
Transitional milk, which comes in between colostrum and mature milk between two to five days postpartum through 10 to 14 days after giving birth, might have an orange tint.
Mature milk that comes in near the end of week two postpartum is whitish or bluish, like watery skim milk.
Can breast milk change color?
Yes. As your body goes from producing colostrum to transitional milk to mature milk, your milk can go from yellow-tinted or orangey to white or bluish. It doesn't indicate a problem and simply has to do with the milk’s changing composition.
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Mature milk can change colors too. Usually a new hue is related to eating a certain food or taking a supplement or medication. It’s usually nothing to worry about and should go back to normal within a couple of days.
It’s also possible for milk to turn pinkish or brownish. That’s often a sign of blood in the milk, usually due to cracked nipples or increased blood flow to the breasts, both of which can happen early on in breastfeeding. Occasionally, however, an underlying health problem can cause blood-tinged milk.
What do different colors of breast milk mean?
Seeing your milk change color might be a little disconcerting, but knowing what the different breast milk colors mean should help put your mind at ease:
Yellow or orange breast milk
Colostrum and transitional milk can look yellow or orange. Mature milk can also turn yellow or orange if you’ve eaten a lot of yellow or orange foods like carrots or sweet potatoes.
Milk that’s been refrigerated or frozen can also turn yellow.
Blue breast milk
Mature milk can naturally have a bluish tint to it like very thin skim milk.
Green breast milk
Eating a lot of green foods like spinach or seaweed can make your milk look green. Same goes for taking certain supplements like chlorella.
Pink or brown breast milk
Foods like beets could be the culprit, along with those made with artificial food coloring like soda and gelatin desserts.
But a pink or brown tint could also be a sign of blood in your breast milk. Sore and bleeding nipples, "rusty pipe syndrome" (old blood in the milk ducts due to increased blood flow to the breasts), or benign milk duct growths called papillomas can cause that to happen.
A breast infection called mastitis or, much more rarely, breast cancer can sometimes lead to pink or brown milk too.
Black breast milk
Medications like minocycline (which is safe to take for short periods while nursing) can make breast milk appear black.
What does it mean if you have yellow breast milk?
It could just mean that you’re brand new to breastfeeding. Both colostrum and transitional milk can have a yellowish hue. Mature milk can look yellow too, if you’ve recently eaten yellow- or orange-pigmented foods. It’s normal for milk to turn yellowish after being stored in the fridge or freezer as well.
Is there something wrong if my breast milk changes colors?
Probably not. Breast milk naturally changes colors in the beginning as your body goes from making colostrum to transitional milk to mature milk. And even once you’re fully in the mature milk stage, what you consume can affect its color.
As long as your doctor has cleared any supplements or medications you're taking as safe for breastfeeding, there’s no reason to worry if they change the color of your milk.
Pinkish milk could indicate blood in the breast milk, though, which can stem from something relatively harmless like irritated nipples or a more serious health problem. So it’s worth giving your doctor a heads-up.
What does blood in breast milk mean?
Seeing blood in your milk can be scary, but it isn’t usually a major issue.
Often it’s a sign of bleeding around the nipples (which happens quite a bit to breastfeeding moms) or increased blood flow to the breasts and milk ducts when your body starts making colostrum and transitional milk. Both typically occur in the early days of breastfeeding. Blood caused by these issues will usually go away in a few days.
In rare cases, the blood could be from mastitis, papillomas (benign growths in the milk ducts) or certain types of breast cancer. So if you notice blood, touch base with your doctor. He or she can examine your breasts and run other tests if needed to pinpoint what's going on.
When to call the doctor
You should let your doctor know if you suspect your milk has blood in it. It's most likely nothing concering and due to old blood or cracked nipples, but in rare cases it could signal a health problem. But breast milk that changes colors isn’t usually a cause for concern.
If you suspect that you know where the latest breast milk color came from (for instance, you’ve been guzzling green smoothies and your milk looks a little green), there’s no reason to call the doctor unless you want some reassurance or have other questions. If you’re concerned or if the problem persists, you can let your practitioner know. There’s no harm in getting it checked out.
There’s a good chance your breast milk will take on at least a few different colors during your breastfeeding journey. So enjoy the rainbow, and don't worry!
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