Odor in Defrosted Breast Milk

Hi K.,

There is info on http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/lipase-expressedmilk.html

No, chances are your milk has not gone bad so please please don't throw it out! It probably has to do with excess lipase in your breastmilk (the enzyme that helps digest fat) in the milk, so breaks down the fat, which is what makes breastmilk taste so good. You wouldn't notice it if the milk were fresh. The way to prevent this happening is to _lightly_ scald it (do not microwave), before freezing as normal.

P.

Hi K., I am with Diana on this one. I breastfeed my son for the first year and for the first 6 month I did a lot of job related traveling. I was gone for a week at the time and my husband used all my freezer stash. It always smelled funny to me and tasted funny too, but my son did not mind and the milk was actually good. The smell and taste is related to lipid breakdown as aleady mentioned by Diana. I have always used the Breast Milk Storage / Freezer bags. Don't throw out your milk if your baby likes it. My son never minded the smell and the taste until we had switched him to cow's milk. I always kept some breastmilk for times when he was sick, but once fully on cow's milk, I could not fool him anymore with my frozen breastmilk. Good luck and all the best for you and your baby, C.

if the milk is stored in plastic bags or anything plastic, I will throw them out if they have odor, it could be the plastic out-gassing dioxin which is toxic to your baby.

I have a bad experience myself having the same problem using my frozen breast milk stored in those disposable plastic bags that fit into a bottle tube. I also smelled something funny but that was years ago and not knowing that dioxin from plastic may leak out when frozen. I also got upset to have to throw them out eventually. My baby may have consumed the milk once and I always felt this may be the culprit why she had speech delay until 3-5 years old. She is okay now though.

I never liked the smell of my breastmilk when it was defrosted. It always smelled "bad" to me...It seemed a common point of discussion in my breastfeeding support group. It wasn't rancid and my daught took it just fine. Even the "soapy" taste/smell does not mean your daughter can not drink the milk. The "soapy" issue means a higher level of lipid breakdown in the milk while stored. I'm sure you saw all of the advice online about scalding the milk if this is the issue (prior to freezing/it does nothing after freezing. Again, even if the issue is lipid breakdown it is not harmful for your child. I would keep using the milk unless you SEE something in it (besides the solid fat which can look like little crystals) or your daughter refuses it...Again a number of us just don't like the smell of our milk.

I would check with the La Leche League or Sequoia Health and Wellness Center in RWC and see what they say. I believe you can even have it tested!

Found this on line at http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/breastfeed...

Whether you're a new mom or a seasoned parenting pro, breastfeeding often comes with its fair share of questions. Here are answers to some common inquiries that mothers — new and veteran — may have.

How do I store my breast milk?

You can freeze and/or refrigerate your pumped (or expressed) breast milk. It's important, though, to store it in clean and sterile bottles with screw caps, hard plastic cups that have tight caps, or nursing bags (pre-sterilized bags meant for breast milk). Also make sure to put a label on each indicating when the milk was pumped. You should not add fresh milk to milk that is already frozen.

How long, exactly, can I store my breast milk?
For healthy full-term infants:

You can store it at room temperature:

for 4 to 8 hours (at no warmer than 77° Fahrenheit, or 25° Celsius)
You can store it in the refrigerator:

for up to 2 to 3 days at 32°–39° Fahrenheit (0°–3.9° Celsius)
You can store it in the freezer (be sure to leave about an inch of space at the top of the container or bottle to allow for expansion of the milk when it freezes):

for up to 2 weeks in a freezer compartment located inside the refrigerator
for 3 to 4 months in a freezer that's self-contained and connected on top of or on the side of the refrigerator and is kept at 0° Fahrenheit (–18° Celsius). But be sure to store the milk in the back of the freezer, not in the door)
for 6 to 12 months in a deep freezer that's always 4° Fahrenheit (–20° Celsius)
If you thaw frozen milk, you can refrigerate it and use it within 24 hours, but do not refreeze it. And don't save milk from a bottle that your baby already drank out of.

It's also important to note that different resources provide different variations on the amount of time you can store breast milk at room temperature, in the refrigerator, and in the freezer. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns or questions.

How much of my milk should I store in the freezer?
Although some women may choose to pump large volumes to be frozen, it's a good idea to actually store the breast milk in small portions so as not to waste any. Label the bottles, cups, or bags 2 oz. or 4 oz. (59.1 or 118.2 milliliters), then freeze them.

You could also pour the milk into ice cube trays that have been thoroughly cleaned in hot water, let them freeze until hard, store them in freezer bags, then count up the amount of cubes needed to make a full bottle.

Why does my refrigerated and frozen breast milk look weird?
Breast milk that's been frozen or refrigerated may look a little different from fresh breast milk, but that doesn't mean it's gone bad. It's normal for breast milk to look slightly blue, yellow, or brown when refrigerated or frozen. And it may separate into a creamy looking layer and a lighter, more milk-like layer.

I do know one thing I breast fed both my kids but I make hand made soaps, lotions and scrubs and these things has no chemical preservatives processed milk is processed milk breast milk does have added preservatives so my rule of thumb is anything with no preservatives (natural) has a shelf life of approx 2 months.