Help! Is my Frozen Breast Milk Bad?
Have you ever pulled your frozen breast milk out of the freezer to thaw it and it looks strange? Or smells funny? You have a moment of panic…was all my hard work pumping for nothing?! Can I feed this to my baby?! Remain Calm. Do not pour your milk down the drain! Even when we follow the Breast Milk Safe Storage Guidelines, there are a couple of things that can cause us to question if breast milk is still “good”.
White spots in frozen breast milk
When frozen, breast milk separates into two components a fat (cream) and a liquid. The fat component can appear as white spots in your frozen milk. You may notice that the fat separation occurs at the top of the container. For example, if you store your breast milk in bags that were initially frozen laying flat the white spots will be at the front face of the bag.
When this happens, just gently swirl the milk after thawing to mix the components back together.
Frozen breast milk smells
Lipase is naturally occurring in breast milk. Its purpose is to breakdown milk components to make them more easily digested/absorbed and help fight disease-causing organisms for your baby. Some women produce excess lipase that causes the breakdown of milk fat more quickly. Sometimes this can change the smell or taste of breast milk. Some people say the milk smells like soap or tastes sour. Even though we may notice changes to the milk after thawing, most babies do not.
If this is happening and your baby is refusing thawed milk, try scalding your milk after pumping. This reverses the action of lipase and can prevent the different smells or flavors from developing.
How to Scald Breast Milk:
Scalding breast milk is a simple process that helps eliminate the excess lipase from changing the smell or taste of the breast milk once stored.
1. As soon as possible after pumping heat the milk in a small pot on the stove until seeing tiny bubbles start to form around the rim of the pan
2. Immediately cool the milk by placing it in the fridge
3. Store in a freezer-safe container once fully cooled
Breast Milk Separating
Once breast milk is placed in a storage bottle or bag, the milk begins to separate as the temperature gets cooler. The fat in the milk rises and the more water based components stay at the bottom of the container. This is normal, just like water separates from oil in salad dressing. To milk the components back together before feeding gently swirl the container for a few minutes until the milk is fully combined.
Learn how to prevent your breast milk from going bad
Click here for more information about if frozen breast milk has gone bad
I am a registered nurse in the State of Florida and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). The content on this blog page is for informational and educational use only. I have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the information shared is accurate, but I cannot guarantee that it is free from errors. The information shared here does not take the place of a medical provider, nor establishes any kind of client relationship with myself as a registered nurse or a lactation consultant. I am not your IBCLC or RN unless you book a consult with me directly and we establish a patient/caregiver relationship.