Experts recommend breast milk as the most nutritious way to nourish a newborn baby, with some championing at least six months of exclusive breastfeeding. Along with nutrients like protein and calcium, milk contains immune factors that protect infants from disease.
It hosts a menagerie of microbes, too, some of which may colonise the guts of babies and help them digest food. Milk even contains a special sugar that can fertilise that microbial garden.
For new mums, being able to produce enough milk to keep the baby content is a huge relief. However, some mums are not so fortunate and this can be quite frustrating. It doesn’t help when relatives and friends frown on your powder milk collection and insist on drowning you with gallons of fermented porridge and mashed njahe to help ‘pull’ the milk. Perhaps we should talk about that someday, it is definitely a topic worth exploring. For now, let’s talk about the taste of breast milk
Apparently, breast milk unlike a bottle of Coca-Cola, doesn’t have a universal taste and can actually be affected by several factors. Unfortunately, some of these ‘flavourings’ can be quite unpalatable to the baby, thus affecting their appetite and ability to feed healthily.
So one minute, the breast milk can be as delicious as a steaming cup of sweetened Kenyan tea and the next day, courtesy of the factors we will be discussing in a bit, the milk taste like a raw okra juice or those green smoothies touted for their power to melt away wobbly tummies (Please don’t fall for fad diets this year, don’t!)
Back to breast milk. We thought as the year kicks off, it would be great to educate ourselves on something so precious and dear to the youngest members of our families. Hopefully, we will get to debunk some myths – Do food flavours make it to the breast milk, you know, will the young fella taste a hint of ginger from the dawa you took with the girls during brunch?
According to Dr Selina Miruni, a general practitioner, it is no myth that what a lactating mother consumes has potential to affect the taste of breast milk.
“Breast feeding mums need to understand that whatever they consume goes straight to the child’s body when they breast feed them. Besides food, medication, hormones and even some body products may vary the taste of the milk.”
In addition to what the mum consumes, storage of pumped milk can also alter its original taste.
“Milk is fresh when you produce it. But many women choose to pump for a variety of reasons such as work schedules or travel. Breast milk is only safe for up to eight days in your fridge but can lasts a bit longer in the freezer. Discard it as soon as you realise that too much time has passed because it would not be good for the baby.”
Claire Nyamokima, a mother of one, did her homework in preparation for the baby and because she wanted to breast feed, she came up with a ‘to-eat’ list that took effect immediately she began breastfeeding the baby.
“I gave birth at the age of 21. All through the pregnancy, I kept think about breastfeeding. I had so many questions in my mind such as which foods to eat and how often to feed the baby and how breast feeding would feel like. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would produce healthy milk for my baby, you know. I was quite young and didn’t have much knowledge on these matters. Then the baby came earlier than expected giving me not much of a head start.”
As Claire began her experimental journey of figuring what worked and what didn’t, she noticed her baby’s feeding patterns varied based on the meals she ate before feeding time.
“Whenever I ate meat, vegetables and washed it down with chocolate milk or tea she breastfed so well but the days I ate omena, she would not feed as enthusiastically.”
For Sylvia Mwita, a mother of three, her breast feeding experiences vary a great deal. While it was tough for her first child, the other two were quite a breeze something she attributes to having been in a calm state of mind.
“A few weeks after I began breastfeeding my first born, I noticed his feeding was irregular. Sometimes he would out rightly scowl and make mean faces at me, especially when I had eaten something with garlic. Then at some point things got really bad for me, I was slipping into depression and I decided to take some alcohol, relieve the stress. Every time I had a drink (alcohol), my baby refused to breastfeed completely. So yes, alcohol affects the taste of milk.”
By the third month, Sylvia was forced to introduce infant formula because the baby was not getting enough nutrients. Surprisingly, the garlic that made her first born frown whetted the appetite of her two younger children making them the breastfeed more.
“I recovered admirably and by the time I was having the other two children, I didn’t need the alcohol. They fed very well, and I noticed they had huge appetites on the days I had eaten food with garlic or ginger.”
From the two mums and the doctor, it is evident that breast milk’s flavour can be influenced by diet and all one needs to do is note what entices the baby and lean towards that, of course maintaining a balanced diet while at it.
Agnes Manyonge, a community health volunteer notes one of the main benefits of breastmilk over formula is diversity of flavour.
“Whatever a lactating mother eats has influence over her breast milk taste and supply. Some foods like herbs and spices really get infused and the baby can literally taste them in the milk. The advantage of this is that it safely introduces different flavours to the baby from a young age. When the time comes for weaning, the baby will be accustomed to these flavours which likely form the family’s diet. Formula tastes the same, so it lacks this variety of flavours.
As mentioned earlier, breast milk has a natural balance of all the nutrients a child needs to grow healthy and strong. Like any other person who hopes to enjoy great health, lactating mums should endeavour to eat a balanced meal, hydrate often and snack on healthy foods preferably fruits and vegetables. It is important to observe the baby’s feeding habits because they will always give clues—from sucking hungrily to snubbing the tit and crying—of whether they are enjoying the feeding time. Be sure to get more information in your next clinic appointment to make this fleeting breast feeding phase an enjoyable experience, they really do grow up too fast!breastfeeding
Factors that alter taste of breast milk
Hormones
The shifts in the levels of hormones in your body from maybe a new pregnancy or the return of your period may influence the flavour of your milk. Breastfeeding is safe if you have your period. It’s usually safe to continue to breastfeed if you become pregnant again as long as your pregnancy is not high-risk.
Exercise
The build-up of lactic acid in your body along with the saltiness of perspiration on your breasts from strenuous exercise can change the taste of your breast milk. To try to minimise the effect on your breast milk, keep your workouts at a light or moderate level. You can also wash your breasts before you feed your baby to remove the salty sweat.
Medication
Certain medicines can change the taste of your breast milk. If you start a new medication and notice your child is not breastfeeding as well, that might be the cause. Talk to your doctor if you think this is an issue.
Smoking
Studies show that the breast milk produced by a mum after smoking cigarettes will take on the smell and flavour of burnt tobacco. Additionally, you are likely to pass nicotine to the baby through milk which can complicate the baby’s present and future health. Maternal smoking is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and a host of other respiratory illnesses.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol is known to affect the taste of breast milk. It takes about two hours for each alcoholic drink you consume to leave your body and your breast milk. The longer you wait to breastfeed after you have an alcoholic beverage, the less alcohol will be in your breast milk to alter the flavour. Like cigarettes, it is probably best to avoid alcohol while breastfeeding especially in those early stages when the baby feeds hourly.
Mastitis
Mastitis is a breast infection that can cause your breast milk to have a strong, salty taste. If you think you may have mastitis, it’s okay to continue to breastfeed, but your baby may refuse to nurse on the side with the infection. Since you may need to take antibiotics to treat mastitis, you should see your doctor.
Body Products
Any lotions, creams, soaps, perfumes, oils, or ointments that you put on your breasts can add different flavours to your breast milk as your baby nurses. If you use any body products on or near your breasts, be sure to wash your breasts well before breastfeeding your baby.
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