Hi, Judy - regarding your question about red colostrum and milk - Yes, I have seen similar cases. It would be advisable to test for hemoglobin. Pink, brown and red colostrum usually mean blood. Hemoglobin is an excellent source of both iron and protein. The concentration in the milk is unlikely to be a concern, but since you describe this at tomatoe red, it may be a good idea to considered the concentration of hemoglobin in the context of the total nutrient composition of the milk. I am curious about the "tomatoe" red description. This suggests to me a quality of translucence and a low fat content. Was that intentional? (Are we talking creamed tomatoe soup or water-based tomatoe soup?) In the handful of cases I have observed, pink and red colostrum usually came from only one breast, but in two cases it was bilateral. The red colostrum fairly quickly became pink milk and then turned to white milk within 2-3 weeks of continued nursing. Infant stools were positive for hemoglobin. Several years ago I conducted a brief comparison of two types of breast pumps I was considering for a research protocol. I was surprised to note that the temporary appearance of blood in early milk was quite common (on the order of 10%, as I recall) regardless of the pump used. However, it generally appeared in only one or two milk collections over the entire first two weeks of lactation. (In that comparison mothers of premature infants were expressing all of their milk and making notes on their observations and the comfort of use of the two pumps.) It is very likely that more babies are consuming an occassional bolus of hemoglobin during breastfeeding than we now recognize. The case you describe sounds extreme. It would be very instructive to know the concentration of hemoglobin and how long the red color persists, as well as any information or medical hypotheses generated regarding the cause in this case. Thanks for sharing this. Judy Hopkinson, Ph.D. Lactation Physiologist Children's Nutrition Research Center Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas [log in to unmask]