If we ask anyone what color breast milk is, the vast majority will answer "white" without thinking. And nobody will be surprised by that answer, right? Well, I will tell you that it is not entirely true. Breast milk is not always white and can acquire colors as diverse as yellow, green or red.
In most cases it will be due to physiological variations: we know that colostrum is not the same color as mature milk, just as milk has a different color at the beginning and end of the teat, or when we cool it or let it stand . But in other cases it may be due to pathological causes or substances taken by the mother.
Why is colostrum yellow?
Colostrum, the milk that the baby takes the first days of life and that begins to be synthesized already in the last stages of pregnancy, is very rich in beta-carotenes, which makes it acquire a yellowish / orange color.
This pigment is also found in carrots, squash or mango, for example. The final milk of each teat is also a more yellowish color, because it contains more fat.
In Babies and more Two bags of breast milk of different color that show that it is a "smart" liquidCan breast milk be blue?
We have already seen that sometimes the milk has a yellowish color and other times, especially at the beginning of the taking or extraction, or after having left it to rest in the fridge, it has a bluish color.
The milk at the beginning of the teat in more watery, richer in carbohydrates and with lower fat content, and this can make it more clear, pulling to bluish.
The color and composition of the milk changes during the shot. At first it is more watery, rich in carbohydrates, whitish with bluish tint. At the end of the shot, however, it is denser, yellowish, with higher fat content. 
In Babies and more The composition of breast milk at each stage of growth: this adapts to the needs of the baby Milk may change color depending on the diet
Much of the changes in milk coloring are due to the mother's diet. Thus, eating certain foods and dyes can change the color of breast milk.
A diet rich in orange sodas, jellies, juices ... could give orange milk, as well as an exaggerated consumption of green leafy vegetables (spinach, chard ...) and / or isotonic drinks can generate green milk.
You can change color by medication: black breast milk
Probably the most striking case is that of a mother who started producing black milk. This 29-year-old woman had started taking an acne drug (minocycline) three weeks earlier.
This medicine can also dye other body fluids. There are other drugs that can color different body fluids including breast milk, for example rifampicin (an antibiotic) that gives an orange color.
Green milk for vitamin supplements
A case has been described in the literature of a mother who observed that her milk turned green. In this case, he weaned his baby because he thought the milk was not good. In his second lactation he looked again and consulted.
After analyzing it, they concluded that it was due to the intake of a multivitamin preparation and there was no problem for her baby to continue breastfeeding. Here I emphasize the importance of consulting with professionals when we have doubts regarding breastfeeding.
Red breast milk
With some frequency the milk dye red or pink. If we have cracks in the nipple, it is common for us to see pink or bloody milk. Also in cases of mastitis or internal lesions of the ducts.
On many of these occasions we can see the baby regurgitate blood or that its poops are brown / blackish. This milk is perfectly suitable for our baby to drink. If we are pumping milk and the color "bothers" us, we can let it rest so that the remains of blood are deposited in the bottom.
Brown breast milk or rusty pipe syndrome
This happens in the first days of the baby's life and is physiological. In the days before delivery, the blood supply to the chest increases greatly. This can cause small capillaries to break and when mixed with milk it will look brown. In a few days, the milk will be white again (or have the different shades that we have commented previously).
In Babies and more Do you want to see how breast milk is up close? They have recorded it on video through the microscopeWhen should we consult?
We have commented that when breast milk has a color that is not white It is usually due to physiological causes or by intake of certain foods or medications. However, on other occasions the change in milk color may be due to pathological causes.
It is important that we check if the presence of blood in the milk is increasing and does not disappear in a few days, if the colored milk comes out only through a pore of the nipple or if the color of the milk does not change after having eliminated the food or medication that colored it.
Further, any nipple discharge outside the pregnancy and lactation stage It must be a reason for consultation. You also have to worry if nipple discharge occurs spontaneously (without us squeezing), it's unilateral (only leaves one side) or if the liquid is bloody or similar to egg white (clear and sticky).
Photos | Pixabay and Miryam Triana
