Is My Breast Milk Fatty Enough for My Baby? How can I make my milk fattier?
- jaimiezaki
- Oct 21
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 28
Is My Breast Milk Fatty Enough for My Baby? How can I make my milk fattier?
In this episode of Breastfeeding With Confidence, Jaimie Zaki, IBCLC and mom of five, tackles one of the most frustrating myths new mothers hear: that their breast milk “isn’t fatty enough” or “needs time to mature” before it can help their baby gain weight.
Is My Breast Milk Fatty Enough? The Truth About Weight Gain and “Watery” Milk
One of the most frustrating myths I hear from new moms—and even from pediatricians—is this:“Your breast milk just isn’t fatty enough.”Or, “Don’t worry, Mama, your milk just needs time to mature before your baby will gain weight.”
Let’s set the record straight: that’s 100% false.Your breast milk is good enough from day one—and believing otherwise can delay real solutions for your baby’s weight gain.
Your Breast Milk Is Designed Perfectly From the Start
When your baby is born, your body produces colostrum—that thick, golden, nutrient-packed milk made for your newborn’s first days of life. It’s rich in protein, immune protection, and concentrated calories designed perfectly for your baby’s tiny stomach.
As your baby grows, your milk naturally transitions over 3–5 days into mature milk, but that doesn’t mean it suddenly becomes “better” or more nutritious. It simply changes in volume and composition to meet your baby’s new needs.
So if someone tells you your milk “isn’t fatty enough” or “isn’t good yet,” take a deep breath and remember:👉 God didn’t make your body defective. Your milk is good enough.
When a Baby Isn’t Gaining Weight—It’s About Quantity, Not Quality
If your baby isn’t gaining weight, that’s not because your milk lacks fat or nutrition. It’s almost always a milk transfer problem—meaning your baby isn’t getting enough milk.
Here’s the reality:
9.9 times out of 10, poor weight gain = baby not getting enough milk.
That’s a volume issue, not a quality issue.
Now, there are exceptions. If your baby is getting plenty of milk (confirmed by weighted feeds and diaper output) and still not gaining weight, then it’s time to look deeper into medical causes like metabolic or heart conditions. But those cases are rare.
For the vast majority of mothers, the problem lies in how much milk baby is removing—not what’s in it.
Common Reasons Babies Don’t Get Enough Milk
If your baby isn’t gaining weight, here are the most common reasons I see as an IBCLC:
Shallow or painful latch
Feeding schedules instead of feeding on demand
Early formula supplementation that disrupted your body’s supply-and-demand rhythm
Unaddressed oral restrictions or muscle tension that make feeding inefficient
These issues can cause your baby to tire out at the breast before taking in enough milk—even if your supply is perfectly normal.
Why the “My Milk Isn’t Fatty Enough” Myth Is So Harmful
When moms are told their milk isn’t “mature” or “fatty enough,” they often feel like they’ve failed—and many turn to unnecessary formula supplementation.
Here’s why that’s dangerous:
Formula doesn’t fix the root issue. It masks milk transfer problems that still need to be addressed.
It can sabotage your milk supply. Your body makes milk based on milk removal, not time or intention.
It discourages confidence. When moms believe their milk isn’t good enough, they stop trusting their bodies—and that breaks my heart.
You deserve better than that, Mama Bear. Your baby deserves for someone to get curious—not dismissive.
What To Do If Your Baby Isn’t Gaining Weight
If you’re being told your milk isn’t fatty enough, here’s your next move:
Find an IBCLC who will assess milk transfer, not just weight.Weighted feeds, latch evaluation, and oral exams are essential.
Ask “why” over and over again.If you’re told, “just supplement,” ask why. If you’re told “wait it out,” ask why. Be the four-year-old who keeps digging deeper.
Track output.Wet and dirty diapers are the best clues to how much your baby is actually taking in.
If formula is needed, use it strategically.You can use formula without sabotaging your supply when you understand how to supplement smartly (I teach this in my SMART Supplementing Strategy).
Your Milk Is Enough—You Just Need the Right Support
Even if your pumped milk looks “watery,” that doesn’t mean it’s not fatty or nourishing.Breast milk changes in fat content throughout the day and even during each feeding. Early milk quenches thirst; later milk satisfies hunger. It’s a dynamic, living food created specifically for your baby’s needs.
So stop blaming your milk, Mama.Start looking for the real reason your baby isn’t gaining—and get help from someone who knows how to find it.
Ready to Fix Weight Gain Challenges for Good?
If you’re tired of guessing why your baby isn’t gaining and want real solutions Visit littlebearlactation.com/library and use code PODCAST50 to access the Breastfeeding Resource Library for step-by-step training on latch, milk transfer, and low milk supply.
Need personalized support?Book a 20-minute Q&A session at littlebearlactation.com/support so we can uncover the root cause together and create a custom plan to help you reach your breastfeeding goals.
You’ve Got This, Mama Bear 🐻
Your milk is enough.Your body was designed for this.Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Trust your instincts, stay fierce, and keep feeding your baby with confidence.
5 Common Breastfeeding Mistakes Guide
Avoid Mistakes that Sabotage Breastfeeding
Transcript:
Today we are going to tackle a really common and honestly dangerous misconception that your breast milk isn't fatty enough or that it needs time to mature before your baby will start gaining weight and. I hear this myth being repeated a lot by, , pediatricians telling moms like their, when their baby's not getting enough weight, like, oh, you just need to eat stuff to make your milk fattier or wait for your milk to get better for a baby.
, It just takes time for your milk to be good enough, and that's all really, really false.
Hey Mama Bear. Welcome to the Breastfeeding With Confidence podcast. Do you dream of bonding with your baby through exclusive breastfeeding, but worry about breastfeeding pain or low milk supply? Maybe you're struggling with breastfeeding and no one seems to have any answers. I'm Jamie Doula, international Board certified lactation consultant, and Mom of five, and I have been where you are after working through painful latches, milk supply worries, and postpartum depression, and.
Supporting countless mothers through their breastfeeding journeys for over eight years. I'm here to tell you breastfeeding doesn't have to be perfect to be positive. Each week I'll share breastfeeding tips to help you prevent and overcome unexpected breastfeeding challenges so you can actually enjoy bonding with your baby.
If you are ready to shut out the toxic whispers of the world, embrace your God-given intuition and release your inner fierce Mama bear. Grab some coffee or your favorite herbal tea and let's dive in.
Today we're gonna set the record straight and give you the truth about breast milk and weight gain and when formula supplementation is actually necessary. So. Your breast milk is designed perfectly from day one from the very beginning.
Your body makes colostrum that thick, golden first milk, and that is full of concentrated nutrients and protein and immune protection. It's not watery or weak just because yours might look watery or than what you expected or than your friends. Um, that doesn't mean that it's not exactly what your baby needs.
All right, so. It usually takes around three to five days for your milk to increase in volume. Some people call that when your milk is coming in, but it doesn't suddenly become more nutritious. Alright. It's that your body is now starting to make different milk that meets your babies different changing needs.
So what happens when your baby is not gaining weight and it seems like, oh, I think I have enough milk, you know, and I think baby's nursing well, but she's not gaining weight. Then pediatricians say thing like, oh, well maybe your milk just isn't fatty enough yet, or Your milk just isn't nutritious enough yet, and.
That is just, it's flat out wrong. I hear it all the time and I get so frustrated because it's just wrong. Like it is no different than if a pediatrician said like, oh, well your baby can live off of Coca-Cola. That's really healthy, and it, it's a perfect replacement for water. Like, that's, that's just, is just false.
It's just wrong. But they keep saying it. And I know they keep saying it because moms keep coming to me telling me that's why they started Formula, or that's why they're pumping, or that's why their baby wasn't gaining weight because their pediatrician said their milk just wasn't good enough yet. And that's just poor luck.
Bad luck. Sorry for you. Your milk just isn't enough and that's not right. Alright, so if your baby isn't gaining weight, it's not about milk quality, it is about quantity. Okay. Alright. Here's the key. If your baby is not gaining weight, we need to figure out whether or not baby is getting enough volume, and I will tell you nine outta 10 times.
9.9 out of 10 times, baby not gaining weight equals baby not getting enough milk. Unfortunately, a lot of times this goes ignored or unchecked or not properly followed up on. So what are weight issues usually about? Okay. Um, shallow, painful latch that signifies baby's not getting enough milk, the baby's not nursing effectively.
This can be related to tongue dies and oral restrictions, maybe, um, your scheduling feeds instead of feeding on demand. Um, there can be so many different things, early supplementation that disrupt supply and demand so many different things. But if your baby is not gaining weight. Odds are they are not getting enough milk if baby is getting enough milk.
All right, and I mean like very objectively speaking, we do intense weight tracking and determine baby, absolutely 100% is getting plenty of milk and they're still not gaining weight. Then that raises a red flag for other medical concerns, like a metabolic condition, digestive issues, heart problems, things that really need like deep investigation and not just a blanket.
Your milk isn't good enough. Use formula. Alright, so if you know you do start using formula and your baby's suddenly gaining weight, that means there's none of those issues. It means it was a mm-hmm milk transfer problem. Your baby was not getting a high enough volume. So why is this myth harmful? Well, one, when moms are told that their milk is immature or not fatty enough, you know, they feel pressured into using formula unnecessarily.
And this can spiral into real supply problems because your breast milk make milk all based on removal. We've talked about this quite a bit, right? So we need to address the root cause. We have to address the root cause. We have to uncover and address the root cause. So.
Here's the thing. Even if you are pumping and you think your breast milk looks watery, like breast milk, fat content changes throughout the day and even throughout the feeding, alright? Um, it is based on what your baby needs. And if your baby has a higher need for hydration, you're gonna have thinner milk.
If your baby needs more fat and needs to be more full, you're gonna have fattier milk. We've done a couple episodes on increasing the fat in your milk and the whole hind milk for milk conversation. I will have to link that episode in the show notes. But it's really important that you know that like your milk is fatty enough and it, it's not about.
It, it, it's just, it's not about making your milk fattier, it's about getting more milk , what should you do? If your baby is not gaining weight and you've been told, oh, maybe your milk just isn't good enough. It's not fatty enough. All right? If you hear your milk isn't fatty enough, I want you to immediately say, red flag.
Whoever is giving you breastfeeding advice should not be giving you breastfeeding advice. But I do want you to hear the part about your baby not gaining enough weight, and I want you to go meet with an I-B-C-L-C who will evaluate latch and milk transfer. And if they do not give you a clear answer on why your baby's not gaining weight and they leave you with more questions than answers, see another one and then see another one.
You get what I'm saying? Right? We're gonna track output to assess intake. We're gonna avoid jumping straight to formula without understanding why weight gain is an issue. Now. Yeah, you might have to make sure you are feeding your baby and using formula as a tool, but we're not just gonna like give formula and be like, oh, well baby, baby wasn't getting weight.
My milk's not good enough. No, we're gonna, we're gonna learn how to give formula in a way that supports our milk supply, and we're gonna figure out why they're not getting enough milk and we're gonna fix that problem. You need to advocate for your baby. All right? Ask deeper. Questions. We always need to go deeper.
Why? Why? Why? Why? We need to sound like a 4-year-old. Okay, mama, your milk is good enough. Your milk is enough. It's good enough. There's nothing wrong with your milk. This isn't about waiting for some obscure timeline that your milk might become better or fattier or more mature. It's about making sure that your baby is getting what they need.
If you need more guidance on helping your baby get a better latch, and increasing milk transfer and learning more about navigating low milk supply, the breastfeeding resource library is for you. Go check it out. Little bear lactation.com/library and use code podcast 50 to save today. And if you think, no, I don't wanna do this course, I don't wanna figure this out on my own, I need handholding.
I need personalized support. I got you on that too. Visit little bear lactation.com/support. You can book a 20 minute q and a session. We can figure out exactly what you need to do next. We can figure out exactly where things are going wrong and kind of get you pointed in the right direction and create a plan.
That will help you achieve your breastfeeding goals.
Alright, mama bear. That is a wrap for today. If this episode helps you feel a little more confident or a little more prepared for breastfeeding, can I ask you a quick favor? Go ahead and leave me a review. It helps other moms find this podcast and join us in this amazing community of fierce and confident Mama bears.
And hey, if you know a friend who could use some encouragement or real talk about pregnancy, breastfeeding, and all things motherhood, share this episode with her. You've got this Mama Bear Trust your instincts, stay fierce, and I'll catch you in the next episode.
Jaimie Zaki is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and mom of 5! Jaimie has volunteered as a La Leche League Leader, worked as a nurse, doula, and birth photographer, and is the host of the Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast and founder of the Confident MamaBear Society. Jaimie provides holistic breastfeeding advice for pregnant & new moms, helping them overcome unexpected latching trouble and milk supply issues. She empowers mothers to make informed decisions from a place of confidence and intuition.
Breastfeeding Resources Available:
