- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Breastfeeding
NiceAsstra
member
I think some of my thawed milk is bad. Help!
NiceAsstra
member
Hi there- it's been a LONG time since I have been on the bump. I need some help ladies.
In the past month the few times my H or sitters have tried to give my 5 month old thawed milk he has rejected it. He has in the past had NO problem taking bottles. Every time this has happened the milk has smelled funky to me. Not necessarily spoiled though. I have tasted fresh-from-the-pump milk and it barely has a taste to it, just sweet, and no smell. This rejected milk def. has a smell to it. I usually end up leaving expressed milk on the door of the fridge for 2-3 days before freezing it. The milk was only 1.5 months- 2 weeks old.
I read this somewhere, "You can tell if breastmilk has gone bad by the smell, if it smells sour it probably is, you can taste it to find out if needed. If you find that even fresh pumped milk within a few hours smells sour, tastes soapy, sour or rancid it can be due to too much lipase (an enzyme in milk) which breaks down the fats in the milk. Most babies do not mind a mild change in taste, and the milk is not harmful, but the stronger the taste the more likely that baby will reject it. If this is the case then newly expressed milk can be stored by heating the milk to a scald to inactivate the lipase and stop the process of fat digestion. Scald the milk as soon after expression as possible"
I think that might be what's going on. But I am not sure and freaking out since I go back to work next week. Has anyone had an experience like this?? I will try scalding it, but also wanted to hear similar situations. tia!!
In the past month the few times my H or sitters have tried to give my 5 month old thawed milk he has rejected it. He has in the past had NO problem taking bottles. Every time this has happened the milk has smelled funky to me. Not necessarily spoiled though. I have tasted fresh-from-the-pump milk and it barely has a taste to it, just sweet, and no smell. This rejected milk def. has a smell to it. I usually end up leaving expressed milk on the door of the fridge for 2-3 days before freezing it. The milk was only 1.5 months- 2 weeks old.
I read this somewhere, "You can tell if breastmilk has gone bad by the smell, if it smells sour it probably is, you can taste it to find out if needed. If you find that even fresh pumped milk within a few hours smells sour, tastes soapy, sour or rancid it can be due to too much lipase (an enzyme in milk) which breaks down the fats in the milk. Most babies do not mind a mild change in taste, and the milk is not harmful, but the stronger the taste the more likely that baby will reject it. If this is the case then newly expressed milk can be stored by heating the milk to a scald to inactivate the lipase and stop the process of fat digestion. Scald the milk as soon after expression as possible"
I think that might be what's going on. But I am not sure and freaking out since I go back to work next week. Has anyone had an experience like this?? I will try scalding it, but also wanted to hear similar situations. tia!!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: I think some of my thawed milk is bad. Help!
BFP#1 1/31/12, EDD 10/6/12 Harrison Gray born sleeping @ 18w6d. You changed our lives little guy.
BFP#2 EDD 10/29/13, C/P 2/25/13, Bye little Ish, we barely got to know you.
BFP#3 EDD 12/21/13, Baby Boots born 11/23/13 My rainbow baby!
January PAL Siggy Challenge: Good Advice
Sounds like lipase issue to me. I had to toss a bunch of milk with my first because of this. I don't think leaving it on the door would spoil it, this is where I always stored breast milk and it was fine.
I ended up scalding all my milk after I figured out I had the lipase issue with my milk. It adds an extra step to storing milk, but it's not a huge deal. This is what I did. When I pumped at home, I would immediately pour my milk into a pan and scald it. Watch closely! It doesn't take long to heat up. As soon as you see bubbles on the side of the pan, remove from heat. Let it cool down on the counter, and then store (I would pour into a bottle, let it cool in fridge, then go back in about an hour and put it into bags to freeze, I guess you could just put it right into freezer bags too).
If I was pumping at work, I would scald my milk as soon as I got home, or if no time, do it that night right before I stored it. I usually just did this on Friday when I froze milk. Rest of the week I used my pumped milk for the next day.
I had no issue with smell after I started scalding. I hope this is all it is for you, good luck!
son#1 born 6/2010
son#2 born 4/2012
son#3 born 7/2014