File:Human Breastmilk - Foremilk and Hindmilk.png

English: Two 25ml samples of human breast milk pumped from the same woman, at the same time to illustrate what human breast milk looks like, and how human breast milk can vary. The theory of foremilk and hindmilk has been debunked. Although there may be slight differences in the fat composition at the beginning of a feed, evidence is that this happens as a continuum in the feed and does not represent two types of milk that should be called "foremilk" and "hindmilk". Milk macronutrient content does not vary significantly and "infant feeding pattern, time since last feed and breast fullness, are likely to be more important determinants of human milk fat content than time of day of collection, and challenge the current dogma that fat content increases progressively" [Leghi GE, Lai CT, Narayanan A, Netting MJ, Dymock M, Rea A, Wlodek ME, Geddes DT, Muhlhausler BS. Daily variation of macronutrient concentrations in mature human milk over 3 weeks. Sci Rep. 2021 May 13;11(1):10224. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-89460-5. PMID: 33986316; PMCID: PMC8119942.] The picture shown is taken out of context, as it does not show the other samples taken throughout the feed, where there is not a noticeable transition in the fat content. As human milk is made continuously, including during the feed itself, the milk does not switch from one type of milk to another, and the frequency and amount of milk given to the baby will determine the fat consumed more than the length of time at the feed. [Kent JC, Mitoulas LR, Cregan MD, Ramsay DT, Doherty DA, Hartmann PE. Volume and frequency of breastfeedings and fat content of breast milk throughout the day. Pediatrics. 2006 Mar;117(3):e387-95. doi: 10.1542/peds.2005-1417. PMID: 16510619.