Medically reviewed by Alyssa Copeland, RN, IBCLC Ch-ch-ch-changes! Have you ever noticed that your milk looks or smells different from when you first put it in the fridge or freezer? Maybe you’re wondering if it’s still good and if you can still feed it to your baby. In this post, I’ll go over: The 5 ways breast milk changes when stored How to tell if your breast milk has gone bad What to do with spoiled milk Disclaimer: The information on this website is for informational purposes only. You can read my full disclaimer here. How breast milk changes as it’s stored 1. Fat separates ((OK to feed)) As breast milk sits, the fat rises. You may see a thick, creamy layer on top and a thin, milky layer on the bottom. Just swirl or gently shake the bottle to mix the fat back in before a feeding. 2. Color ((OK to feed)) The color of breast milk can change as it’s stored, and that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gone bad. When the fat separates, the thin layer on the bottom can look a little bluish, and frozen milk can turn more yellow. 3. Soapy smell or taste ((OK to feed)) You might notice that your milk has taken on a soapy or metallic smell. This is caused by the lipase enzyme, which breaks down fat. It mainly happens with frozen milk, but it can also happen with refrigerated milk. Even though it is still safe, some babies might refuse to drink it because of the taste. You can either combine the high-lipase milk with fresh milk, or you can scald your milk before storing it. This is done by heating the milk in a pan just to the point where bubbles start to form around the edges (be careful not to boil), then quickly cool it in an ice bath. 4. Quality decreases over time ((OK to feed)) I hesitated to write this section because I don’t want you to think that there’s anything wrong with building a freezer stash and giving your baby frozen milk. I don’t want you to think that frozen milk loses all of its nutritional value. It doesn’t! Just like any other food, the fresher the milk, the better the quality. ((Just compare fresh food to frozen and you’ll understand what I mean!)) Frozen milk still contains everything your baby needs, and it’s still better than formula. But I wanted to give you all the facts, so you can better plan how to use your freezer stash to preserve the quality as best you can. The quality of breast milk goes down the longer it’s stored. Fresh milk has the highest quality, followed by refrigerated, and then frozen. Over time, the nutrients in breast milk break down. Different studies have shown that breast milk loses some of its Vitamin C content, fat, protein, calories, antioxidants, and anti-bacterial and protective properties. So what should you do? Make sure you’re labeling your bottles and storage bags with the date expressed. Use fresh milk when possible to give your baby the best of the best. And when using stored milk, use the oldest milk first. Breast milk is good for up to 4 days in the fridge, but if you don’t think you’ll use it within those 4 days, it’s best to freeze it as soon as possible to preserve the quality. Consider donating a portion of your freezer stash if you don’t think you’ll use it within 3-6 months. 5. Bacteria growth ((NOT ok to feed)) If breast milk is stored longer than the recommended times, bacteria can start to grow and multiply. For the recommended breast milk storage times, click here. How to tell if breast milk has gone bad There are three main ways to tell if breast milk has gone bad. Smells/tastes bad ((Definitely spoiled)): If it smells or tastes foul, sour, or makes you want to gag, that’s an obvious sign of spoiled milk. Has chunks in it ((Probably spoiled)): When breast milk is stored, a layer of fat rises to the top, but it should mix back in when you swirl the bottle. If it still has chunks that don’t mix back in, that could be a sign that it’s gone bad. Stored longer than the recommended time ((Maybe spoiled)): It’s not always easy to tell just by looking at or smelling your breast milk, so it’s important to store it within the recommended guidelines. If you accidentally leave a bottle sitting at room temp longer than recommended, it might still be ok if it looks and smells fine, but use caution. I once fed my baby a bottle that had been left out for 8 hours and had no problem. But you’ll want to be extra careful with babies who are under 3 months old, born premature, or have weakened immune symptoms. Just use your best judgment, and when in doubt, dump it out. What to do with spoiled breast milk Spoiled milk should not be fed to your baby, and you should be careful about using it topically, especially on your baby. But there are some alternate uses for it so it doesn’t have to go to waste. A few examples are: Breast milk jewelry: There are a lot of companies that will turn your breast milk into jewelry. Two of my favorites are Wild Flowers & Milk and KeepsakeMom. Breast milk paintings: Did you know you can paint with breast milk? Check out EmIsCrafty.com and @breastmilkart for inspiration. Or if you’re not the artistic type, you could have someone create a painting for you. Artist Gina Jones creates custom breast milk paintings. You just send in a photo and 5-10mL of your breast milk and she will create a gorgeous painting. Milk bath.. maybe: If you have some milk that was left out a little too long, you might still be able to use it in a milk bath if it doesn’t smell sour or have chunks
