Check it out:
SIGHT
- Freshly expressed milk will blend into a seemingly homogeoneous mixture
- Chilled milk will separate, with cream rising to the top (it will blend again once warmed or if shaken gently)
- Milk comes in many shades of white, yellow, and even red
- If you consume a lot of artificial colors, it will pigment your milk!
- Sometimes my milk looks blue-ish when I first pump - then it becomes a creamy white after being chilled (see below - left is chilled, right is fresh)
TASTE
- No, I haven't tasted my breastmilk. But I've heard what you eat will "flavor" it, thereby shaping your baby's tastebuds!
SMELL
- Breastmilk smells like milk - but it's a very mild smell
- Just like milk, it will sour when left out too long
- After a while, your milk will start to smell like your baby (for obvious reasons)
TOUCH
- When you express, you should feel a tug on your nipples and the suction of the pump
- However, it should not be painful!! Pain is your body's way of telling you you're doing it wrong
- Check out this post for more information on how to get the "perfect latch" when expressing
SOUND
- I don't know there is a "sound" to expressing - though my pump definitely makes a lot of hums, squeaks and shreaks
- Interestingly, when your baby cries it can cause your milk to let down! Mother Nature is pretty amazing at guiding new moms
