High Lipase in BM suggestions?

StefandTodd · December 2011

I have some BM stored in the freezer that I've built up very slowly over the last few months. I return to work on Monday, but I'm going out tonight so I took out some BM from October and defrosted it and it smells VERY metallic. In the past, LO has taken frozen milk only once...he took about 2.5 oz over 5 hours though and was hungry when I got home. I don't remember smelling it that time, but it was only a few weeks ago and also milk from October.

Anyway, the metal smell - high lipase right? Most likely?

If you had this, can you tell me your experience? Would LO take it anyway? What about mixing 50/50 "old" and "fresh" in order to not have to trash my whole stash?

TIA for any suggestions/experience.

StefandTodd · December 2011

So, out of curiosity, I defrosted my freshest frozen milk, from 11/17, and it does not smell metallic.

Could the metallic smelling one be bad completely?

Thanks again

alibee09 · December 2011

Hm, my experience with high lipase wasn't a metallic smell as much as the WORST TASTE EVER. It was beyond soapy. It was horrid, but somehow my kid didn't notice.

I wonder if it picked up some smell from the freezer?

HeyLadyloo · December 2011

I don't recall a metallic smell to the milk, but it tasted so horrifically terrible I almost tossed my cookies when I tested it. I couldn't get away with mixing any of the 'bad' with the 'good' since my daughter would reject even the slightest combination. Unfortunately I discovered the problem a few days before I returned to work, so ended up having to toss about 60 (or maybe it was 80?) ounces of milk, which made me nauseous all over again. (As a side note, that should have been a prelude to her extreme picky eater-ness, but I digress.)

I ended up having to scald all of my milk immediately after pumping, so my kitchen looked like a chemistry lab the entire time I nursed. Fortunately, I worked from home most of the time, so I was able to do that without too much pain and suffering.

Good luck!

amyfelice · December 2011

I agree, mine didn't smell bad at all but it tasted puke-tastic. i had to scald all my milk after pumping. I did it in the microwave which you are not supposed to do. I would heat it very slowly with a kitchen thermometer, 7 seconds at a time and stir and check from what I remember but i used to pump just a little bit so it would easy to boil it which is not good.

mandy0505 · December 2011

All of my freezer milk has a metallic smell to it once it is re-heated. I don't know if I've ever smelled it prior to heating it as I've only given her a bottle on a hand full of occasions otherwise she is at the breast when I am around.

I have also "test tasted" it and it seems to taste the same as fresh. She has never refused a bottle yet

StefandTodd · December 2011

Thanks for the responses ladies! I did a bit more googling last night and I think I might have an understanding (I hope) of what's going on. He drank 2 oz off the 4 oz metal-milk last night and then refused the rest but was really crying and hungry. My H offered him the other non-metal 2oz bottle and he sucked it down. So when I got home, I thawed the NEXT oldest bag to see if it was very metal-smelling and it is not that bad at all. I think I'll have my H offer him that one this evening to see...and I'll just plan to throw out frozen milk as I find it to smell that bad since I know he won't drink it. I'm much more hopeful now that it isn't ALL bad. Thanks again for the responses

amyfelice · December 2011

Also with my lipase issue, it was all bad once it was in the fridge or freezer, even after a day or so, so that is definitely good news.It was just different degrees of disgusting.

chad&katie · February 2012

EASY TIP FOR GETTING RID OF BAD SMELL OF FROZEN BREASTMILK!! I have been exclusively pumping for almost 10 months. I was making at least 20 oz more per day then baby was drinking, therefore I froze in hopes to stop pumping early and still have months worth of breastmilk for feedings. When my baby was 5 months I decided to start cycling through some of the frozen milk (estimated around 1500-2000 oz.) When I thawed it had a strange smell. After researching online and speaking to LC I found that my milk probably had a high level of lipase in it and that the milk is still safe for baby to drink. Well, baby will NOT drink the milk. LC and online suggests scalding and then freezing. Exclusively pumping is already a ton of work, not to mention the time taken to clean/sterilize pump parts and store frozen milk (or the risk of losing good nutrients from scalding.) I decided I was not going to scald and freeze and instead cut back on pumping (therefore only feeding baby fresh milk and not freezing anymore.) While weaning to decrease my supply I decided to experiment--I tried to freeze my freshly pumped milk immediately after pumping, so it was slightly warm (vs chilling first.) 3 months later, I came across the "warm" milk in my freezer and decided to thaw it. IT DID NOT SMELL. There was no smell to it (similar to fresh milk.) Worth a try, spread the word and hope to save another mother from tears over wasted frozen breastmilk.

High Lipase in BM suggestions?

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