WE’RE all on the look out for symptoms of coronavirus as Omicron continues to spread. Omicron is milder and most people will suffer a cold-like illness, but one expert has revealed a strange symptom all mums should be aware of. Posting to Instagram the mum and CEO of the Australian parenting organisation Tiny Hearts Education, Nikki […]
WE’RE all on the look out for symptoms of coronavirus as Omicron continues to spread.
Omicron is milder and most people will suffer a cold-like illness, but one expert has revealed a strange symptom all mums should be aware of.
Posting to Instagram the mum and CEO of the Australian parenting organisation Tiny Hearts Education, Nikki Jurcutz, revealed that one mum’s breast milk had turned green after her and her baby were struck down with Covid.
She explained: “It may look a bit gross, but this incredible colour change is the antibodies in this mama’s milk doing their thing! And doing it right!
“When we’re lactating, our bodies are consistently doing what’s like a full-body scan of both our own and our bub’s body to perfectly create breastmilk for our little love’s optimum health, as well as recovery from illness.
“It’s pretty mind-blowing when you think about it!”
Breast milk is often referred to as “liquid gold” because of its ability to adjust nutrients to suit a baby’s needs.
Mum-of-two, Ashmiry, originally shared the photo of two pouches of breast milk before and after contracting the virus.
The white one on the left was expressed before her daughter tested positive for Covid-19, and the second green-tinged milk was after her family got ill with the virus.
Ashmiry was stunned to see the colour of her milk change, but excited because she believed the changes were her body making extra nutrients to nourish her daughter.
She said: “I really wanted to share this photo of my breast milk.
“It actually let me know something was going on in my body and my babies.
“How amazing is breast milk, it’s magical and I’m so thankful to be able to produce it especially now!
“The colour change indicates that my body is making exactly what Rubi needs! Antibodies, extra fatty and just pure goodness.”
She admitted that she drank the breast milk when ill with Covid-19.
She explained: “I was so grateful at that time, that I was still nursing.
“Otherwise if not I would have not experienced that or seen what my body was able to do for Rubi.
“We all had some of that breast milk. I had my own breast milk.
“But hey I got better, I was tired of being sick, so I was thinking ‘I’m going to drink some of that breast milk’, and I did. I don’t know if it helped, who knows.”
While the green milk was a result of coronavirus – this isn’t always the case and if you’re concerned, you should check with your midwife.
Green milk can also be caused by the food and drink you consume.
One breastfeeding support coach explained that you shouldn’t panic if your breast milk is green.
Juobie said: “Don’t panic, it’s organic.
“Typically breast milk will turn greenish in colour when you have consumed green foods including vegetables, food that contains green dyes and certain vitamins or herbs.
“It is safe to give to baby, so don’t be too quick to pour down the drain.”
Lactation consultant Goldilacts also shared the image calling the milk, “liquid green gold” alongside the message, “our breasts are super responders”.
The consultant said: “When lactating, our bodies are always doing full body scans of mama and baby and figuring out exactly what to put in breast milk for babies wellness.”
It’s believed that the switch in colour of the breast milk is due to an increase in immunoglobulins, white blood cells, and leukocytes – all of cells that help fight illness.
A 2013 Clinical and Translational Immunology study found that when a baby is ill, the numbers of leukocytes in its mother’s breast milk spike.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association also noted that green breastmilk can occur after eating large amounts of green (or even blue)-coloured foods such as green vegetables, kelp and other types of seaweed in tablet form or concentrates of natural vitamins.
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