Fact or Myth: Throw Away the First Milk (Colostrum)?
No, colostrum is not dirty, and it is the first feed a newborn needs, so it should go straight to the baby. Many families still hear that the thick, yellow first milk must be thrown away, or that the milk has not come in yet and the baby needs water or ghutti until it does. Both ideas are wrong, and the sections below cover what colostrum is, why so little of it is enough, what to do in the first days, and when a baby needs a doctor or emergency care. Keep it.
Age bands used on this site are under 6 months, 6 to 12 months, 1 to 3 years, 3 to 6 years and over 6 years. The first days sit in the under 6 months band, where a baby needs breast milk, or formula only if a clinician advises it, and nothing else. Nothing else, not even water. Solids begin around six months, which is covered in the weaning plan from six months.
The short version
- Verdict: Myth. Throwing the first milk away takes the baby’s first feed away.
- What is true: colostrum is thick, sticky and usually yellow or orange, made in small amounts, and enough for the early days.
- What to do instead: feed early and often, get one latch check before going home, and keep a tally of nappies.
- Rule of thumb: Small in volume, big in job: the first milk is the baby’s first meal, not leftovers.
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Myth: the first milk is dirty and must be thrown away
This belief usually comes from appearance. Colostrum looks nothing like the white milk most people expect, so it can seem dirty, spoiled or somehow wrong, and elders who watched breast milk change colour in the first days often concluded that the first milk had to go. Colour is not a measure of safety, and colostrum is breast milk made for the baby with nothing to clean out before the first feed, so throwing it away removes the one feed the baby is ready to take and can make the first feeds harder to get going. The baby loses out.
Yellow milk is not the same question as yellow skin. The colour of the milk is normal. Yellow skin in a baby needs its own check, which is covered in the newborn jaundice check at home.
Why is so little colostrum enough?
Colostrum is a thick, somewhat sticky milk, usually yellow or orange. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls it a newborn’s first meal, made in small amounts, and says it provides all the nutrients and fluid a newborn needs in the early days. It also contains many substances that help protect a baby against infection. Small, but complete. Mothers do not need to measure it, and the baby’s own feeding is what keeps the supply going.
How do you feed in the first days?
- Start early. Put the baby skin to skin and offer the breast soon after birth. The World Health Organization asks that breastfeeding start within one hour of birth.
- Feed on cues, often. Offer the breast when the baby shows hunger, day and night. Frequent feeding helps build the milk supply.
- Check the latch. Ask the midwife to watch a full feed and show you how the baby is latched before you go home.
- Keep a nappy tally. Write down wet and dirty nappies each day, and call if the wet nappies become fewer than usual.
- Offer nothing else. Under six months, the WHO advises avoiding any extra food or drink, even water, unless a clinician says it is medically necessary.
Ask for one latch check before going home
Ask the midwife to watch a full feed before discharge. Watch, do not guess. A shallow latch can make early feeds seem weak. It is far easier to correct in the first days than after a week of short, tired feeds. If the baby feeds but nappies stay few, say so the same day.
Do water or ghutti help in the first days?
They are not needed. The WHO advises giving a baby under six months nothing extra, not even water, unless a clinician says it is medically necessary. For what ghutti and gripe water are, and why they do not suit young babies, see the guide to gas, colic and ghutti.
When should you call a doctor or midwife today?
Call the midwife, GP or NHS 111 the same day if any of these happen. Do not wait.
- Fewer wet nappies than usual, together with dark yellow pee or less peeing than normal.
- Sunken eyes, few or no tears when crying, or a soft spot that sinks inwards.
- A temperature of 38C or higher in a baby under three months.
- Yellow skin that is spreading, or pale, creamy stools after the first day.
Call 999 or go to A&E straight away if the baby has yellow skin in the first 24 hours of life, is not feeding, is sleepier than usual or hard to wake, is floppy, has had no wet nappies, or has trouble breathing, such as grunting, fast breathing, or the skin under the ribs sucking in. Blue, grey or paler than usual lips and a first-time fit also need 999.
Hospital feeding plans differ, and a clinician may advise a top-up for a medical reason. Follow the team’s advice on that, and keep breast milk as the first food. If you are not sure a baby is feeding enough, ask a midwife or doctor the same day rather than waiting to see what happens. No home remedy list replaces that check. Ask early.
Questions parents ask about the first milk
Should I throw away the first breast milk after delivery?
No. The first milk, colostrum, is the baby’s first feed, and throwing it away removes the feed the newborn is ready to take. Offer it early and often instead.
Is colostrum dirty for a newborn?
No. Colostrum is breast milk made for the baby. Its thick, yellow or orange look can seem odd, but it does not need cleaning out first.
Colostrum kya hai aur kya bachay ko dena chahiye?
Colostrum is the thick, yellow first milk made in the first days. It is the feed a newborn should get first, offered early and often, and it does not need to be replaced with water or ghutti.
Pehla doodh phenkna chahiye ya nahi?
No. The first milk is the baby’s first meal. Keep it, feed early, and check with a midwife if the baby seems to feed poorly.
Why is breast milk yellow in the first days?
Colostrum is naturally yellow or orange, and that colour is normal. Milk changes gradually over the first days, so the colour can shift as the fuller milk arrives.
How much colostrum does a newborn need?
Only small amounts at each feed. Breasts make small volumes at first, and that is enough for a newborn’s early days, because the baby’s own feeding is what keeps the supply going, and the amount rises as the feeding pattern settles.
Can I give water instead of colostrum to a newborn?
No. Colostrum has the nutrients and fluid a newborn needs in the early days. Water is not needed, and under six months the WHO advises against extra water unless a clinician says it is needed.
When does the milk come in after birth?
The fuller, more mature milk usually arrives over the first few days, and the breasts may feel fuller at that point; the change is gradual, and frequent feeding helps it along, so there is no need to wait for a particular day before feeding often.
Can I give gripe water or ghutti in the first days?
Not under six months. Breast milk alone is the aim, and gripe water or ghutti are not needed in those first weeks. The gas and ghutti guide explains the traditional uses and which ones are not safe for young babies.
Bottom line: colostrum is the first meal, small in amount and enough for the early days, so keep it, feed early and often, and offer nothing else unless a clinician says so. More checked claims sit in the Fact or Myth hub, and more care for babies in Bachon Ki Sehat.