My Breastmilk Tastes Soapy After Just a Few Hours of Being Expressed?

Try ths link:

http://forums.llli.org/showthread.php?t=297

It is to a forum regarding scalding your breastmilk on the LLL website. Hopefully this will answer some of your questions.

Also try this link:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/lipase-expressedmilk.html

Another helpful link giving specific temperatures for scalding.

K.,

Here is a really good article on lipase. It explains it much better than I could.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/lipase-expressedmilk.html

The kellymom site is actually fabulous for any type of breastfeeding or pumping info. It is a great resource.

Good luck!

T.

You'll probably have to do some experimenting. Some women find that if they freeze the milk immediately it keeps from breaking down, some don't. The scalding will help more but it is not always practical to do that at work! I have known one person who scalded hers in the microwave at work. This is not generally recommended because it destroys other properties of the breastmilk, but for her it was better than the alternative of supplementing with formula or trying to do all of her pumping at home.

I have never heard of anything that can "fix" the problem--dietary changes or whatever. I think you just have to live with it.

K.,
I had this problem although I described mine as tasting "musty." Anyway, I decided that it must be the lipase problem and never stored my milk for more than 24 hours. I didn't go back to work during nursing though, so you are faced with a different challenge. I do think that it just happens to be some women and their breastmilk. Actually, I think it could be different with the breastmilk produced for your next child. Anyway, yes, the only remedy that I heard of was to scald the milk on the stove just briefly. Unfortunately, you will lose some of the other good bacteria and stuff but it's worth a try. The local Le Leche Leaders helped me immensely with this and one in particular could give you details on the scalding process. Call ###-###-#### and ask for Julia. Good Luck! M.

It sounds like the same situation I had. It is an enzyme in the milk that we produce too much of, from what I understand. Here is the info on how to express and then "treat" the milk to help keep it from going "sour" this way if you are interested. From http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/storagehandling.html
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"WHAT ABOUT SOURED or "OFF" MILK?
Milk is not spoiled unless it has a sour odor or tastes bad. Some moms find that their milk seems to spoil rather quickly despite careful attention to proper storage and handling. This is thought to be a result of the milk having an excess of lipase, an enzyme which helps break down the fats in human milk. One way to keep milk from spoiling so quickly is to halt the breakdown of fats by scalding the milk just prior to storing it. This is done as soon after expression as possible and over a stove eye. Scalding the milk involves allowing small bubbles to appear on its surface but removing it from the heat before an actual boil occurs. The milk should then be stored immediately either in the refrigerator or freezer.

Other mothers have reported a soapy smell to their frozen milk after it is thawed. This change in smell has been attributed to changes in the milk fats related to storage in self-defrosting refrigerator-freezers. It has not been found to be harmful to the baby.

Sometimes odors from the refrigerator or freezer can enter stored breastmilk. To avoid this, be careful about your choice of storage containers (review the information above), consider adding a box of baking soda to the unit, throw out old leftovers and make sure any newer food is covered or wrapped tightly, and check that the temperature of your refrigerator or freezer is set low enough. ."
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For me, I wasn't willing to do this, so I never gave a bottle once I figured this out about my milk. I wish you luck!

Blessings,
: ) K.

Hi K.,

Congratulations on working to provide your daughter the best start in life.

I was concerned that I had excess lipase when my son refused a bottle, also. I smelled and tasted my milk, and the stored stuff had a distinctly different taste and smell than freshly expressed. However, after speaking with the head of the milk bank (I was concerned about the milk I was donating), she assured me that excess lipase is VERY rare and that every mother's milk tastes differently after being expressed. Apparently the milk composition begins changing immediately after being expressed. There are a couple other reasons your daughter may be refusing the bottle.

* Is someone besides you giving your daughter the bottle? I know my son would absolutely refuse a bottle if I were anywhere in the vicinity.
* Have you tried giving your daughter the bottle at the same time of day, with the same caregiver, on numerous occasions? If it takes up to 18 introductions of a solid food before a child likes it, it could be the same for the bottle for some kids.

Another thought to keep in mind: Some babies, like mine, will moderate their daytime feedings and wait until you are around to make up for calories and time with you. My son chose to wait until I got home, then ate voraciously and frequently.

I sincerely hope that one of these other suggestions is the key to your dilemma as you are already going to be pumping, which will be enough of a challenge.

Please call your local La Leche League leader (www.llli.org) and attend a meeting. The support and answers to questions like this is invaluable.

Good luck!

I had the same thing and after my second child finally SOLVED THE MYSTERY !!!!! It's the plastic! We got glass bottles from Babys R Us and the problem was instantly solved. I had mentioned this problem to my midwife and she is the one that actually told us what the problem was. This after trying everything from diet changes, scalding the milk and countless other things... Apparently plastic leaches into the milk a bit. On the Evenflo glass bottle labels it said that it prevents plastic from leaching into the milk. You'd think that if they know that this happens with plastic that people wouldn't use it?!?

My daughter REFUSED any stored milk and I was becoming so hopeless for my return to work. This instantly solved it. I then went out and bought glass canning jars that you can freeze for milk I had to store long-term. I hope this solves it like it did for me. I only wish I had known this with my first daughter!!

I would look at the possibility of not going back to work so soon. Then you can give her the boob and not have to worry about the bottle, and you can spend that valuable time bonding w/ her. Is that possible?

Please forgive my very long response, this comes directly from the La Leche League Breastfeeding Book of Answers 3rd Edition:

"Some mothers who have meticulously expressed and frozen their milk for later use have discovered that all their frozen milk has turned rancid. this happens when a mother produces milk high in lipase, the enzyme that breaks down fat in milk. Depending upon the level of lipase, some mothers notice this rancid smell after milk has cooled in the fridge; others notice it only after the milk has been frozen for awhile."

"If the mother finds after freesing and thawing that her milk smells rancid, she can prevent this from occuring in the future by heating her expressed milk to a scald (bubbling around the edges but NOT boiling) right after collecting it and them quickly cooling and freezing it. Scalding inactivates the lipase. Once the milk has aquired the rancid smell, however, treating the milk will not help. It is not known wether or not this milk is safe for the baby; however, most babies refuse it."

"Some mothers have reported a slightly soapy smell to their frozen milk after it was thawed. This change in smell has been attributed to change in the milk fats related to storage in a self-defrosting refridgerator-freezer; it has not been found to be harmful to the baby."

Not sure if any of this will help. Have you tried the scalding thing yet? I hope you figure this out soon. good Luck, J. at Every Mother & Child

I know someone that had her milk tested, and found she lacked something where her milk couldn't be stored. I wonder if you could ask your doctor to have it tested and see what comes up.