Should I dump this?

Hoping42010

I have an 8 oz bottle in the fridge.  My DD has been sick this week so I've taken a couple of days off work and today is a holiday so she is not in daycare.  Long story short because of the crazy schedule we've been home more than normal this week and the milk for daycare bottles is getting older.  Anyway, the 8 oz bottle looks ok - maybe a little frothier than normal at the top.  I took an oz out of it this morning for oatmeal and it looked a little thicker when I poured it.  Then I heated the oz, made oatmeal and it smells fine - no smell at all.  I just wasn't sure so I tasted it.  It tasted fine but might have a slight sour aftertaste.  Is this bad?  I feel like I should dump the whole 8 oz but I wanted to get other opinions.  Should I toss it?  Thanks!!

Oh, and I wanted to add that I believe I pumped this milk on Thursday.  So it shouldn't be more than 4 days old.  I don't rememeber (I have mommy brain), but I might have mixed it with a small 1 or 2 oz bottle that was already in the fridge.  I am usually really good at remembering which milk was pumped when but I forgot.  If I mixed it with a small 2 oz bottle, the oldest that could have been is last Tuesday so it'd be 6 days old.

smj2301

If it were me I would use it if it tasted ok.  Refrigerated milk is good for up to 8 days.  It seems "frothier" at the top because the fat rises, you just need to swirl it (don't shake).  Kelly mom has some good info here

jlpev

Oops I always just shake mine...

stgn01

I would totally use it.  If it smells fine and you just pumped it on Thursday, it should be all good.  I would hate to see you dump all 8oz.  That would make ME cry!!!

smj2301

jlpev:

Oops I always just shake mine...

Here's some info as to why, it's kind of interesting:

Don't Shake the Milk

Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC

Why not?

Because shaking expressed mothers' milk (or boiling or freezing it) denatures the shaped molecules of the protective proteins, leaving only the pieces - the amino acids - the parts. Lactoferrin, lysozyme, and other protective components work their protection magic when they are in their original shaped molecular structure. Some components remain intact, even during freezing, shaking or heating. They not only protect the gut from many kinds of infection, but also prevent inflammation of the gut lining. Even broken up, the separate amino acids are still really good stuff and are digested by the baby as nutrients.

Imagine a set of pop-beads assembled into a necklace or bracelet. When the beads are acting as a bracelet or necklace, they are doing their job as protective elements. When you break apart the beads, you have in your hand many individual chunks of amino acids which are then digested.

Cellular components are also susceptible to damage by physical stress. After all, they are living cells.

With mother's milk, you get at least two functions for the price of one. With manufactured formula, you only get the individual beads, never the necklace or bracelet. And never the living cells.

So, please handle human milk gently, respectfully and kindly. It's far more than perfect food for babies - it's a living tissue and protective shield too.

? 1998 Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC

lindaj@bflrc.com