https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 06:42:03 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2416126 Sun, 10 Jan 2016 20:26:48 +0000 catlady 2416126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I had excess lipase and ended up with a couple different strategies to deal with it. First, I figured out how long I could let it sit in the fridge without scalding where LO would actually drink it (ended up being 2 days). Then, I figured out how long I could keep it out before scalding and then freezing (turned out it was ok to keep it in the fridge all day at work and then scald at night). I tried things like freezing without scalding and then defrosting a week later and that didn't work. There was alot of experimentation. One quick tip if you end up having to scald is that there is a Munchkin bottle warmer that doesn't have a high temp safety on it so I would use that and just put a digital thermometer in and watch until it got to the right temp. That was much easier than watching it in a pot on the stovetop every night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2415499 Sun, 10 Jan 2016 08:23:56 +0000 hilsy85 2415499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Bubbles: @mrswin: @JenGirl: @SeptMomma12: @Jess1483: @T-Mom: @Charm54: thanks ladies! I am going to try a bottle today without any freshly pumped milk just refrigerated from 2 days ago and frozen) and if she takes it then I guess I won't worry about it! If she doesnt I will check out some you tube videos. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2413154 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 17:17:45 +0000 mrswin 2413154@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I have high lipase (metallic smelling) and my DD refuses all frozen milk unless I scaled it which is a PITA! I WOH so I feed her whatever I pump that day the next day, at the end of the week I scald whatever I have left over.</p> <p>I put the milk in a pot on the stove and heat it until it is about 95C (small bubbles on the suface but not boiling) and as soon as it reaches that then I stick the pot in the sink with cold water to bring the temp down right away. Once it is room temp I bag it and label it all. If my SO needs to defrost a bag he will just run it under cool water.</p> <p>I googled a YouTube video on how to scale breastmilk the first time I did it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2413148 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 17:11:31 +0000 Bubbles 2413148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine would turn soapy after freezing, or even just after a while in the fridge (I never worked out how long). I used to scald it by heating in a pan on the stove - although I'm not sure if this is the correct way to do it. It worked though and stopped the soapy issues. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2413134 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 17:01:43 +0000 JenGirl 2413134@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have some lipase issues as well, but my son seems to eat it okay, so I haven't bothered to do anything about it. However, now I've got a huge freezer stash that I'm hoping to donate, so I hope the little kiddo I'm donating to doesn't mind it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2413099 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 16:45:59 +0000 SeptMomma12 2413099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My frozen milk smells awful (at least to me), but DD doesn't mind. As long as she'll drink it, I don't think you need to worry! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412976 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:30:50 +0000 Jess1483 2412976@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Freezing didn't stop the process for me at all. It still was bad. I know that works for others. You may have to do some experimenting. Poor DS1, he was the subject of many such expirements. But I was prepared for DS2! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412962 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:23:15 +0000 T-Mom 2412962@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had this issue too.. my milk would turn nasty over night in the fridge so I would freeze it immediately after pumping to stop the process. At day care they defrosted the milk quickly right before it was needed by using a small crockpot on low heat, basically a bottle warmer. And I never was able to have a large stash or else it would get gross in the freezer. Maybe only a month's worth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412936 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:05:28 +0000 Charm54 2412936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep this was me - extra lipase caused my milk to smell and taste soapy. For me as an EPer, the longer it sat in the fridge/freezer the "soapier" it got. </p> <p>lc told me it was safe for LO to drink and she took it okay.</p> <p>Interestingly, it seems to be related to my gall bladder attacks, which apparently causes extra lipase in your body. It was really bad smelling when I was having my worst attacks. When I had my gall bladder removed in December my milk completely stopped getting soapy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412935 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:05:25 +0000 Mamaof2 2412935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: oh man I had excess lipase with both kids - DS was refusing a bottle so DH tasted it and called me to tell me my milk was bad :meh: </p> <p>I WOTH so I had to pump every day - my LC told me to do test to see how long it took until it went bad so I pumped 2 oz of milk and set it on the counter and tasted it every hour - it went bad after 10 hrs - so I knew that if I need milk it would be good for about 9 hours after pumping otherwise I had to scald it first.</p> <p>I used a baby bottle warmer and heated it to 162 (I think, its been a long time) before putting in fridge or freezer </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412932 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:04:58 +0000 Jess1483 2412932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I treat my milk by scalding before freezing. My milk "lasts" exactly 5 hours before turning if I don't. If you're interested in the scalding process id be happy to share. I think it's relatively easy (if you have a stovetop). </p> <p>But yeah, if baby drinks it, it's totally safe. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412926 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:00:57 +0000 erinbaderin 2412926@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I hope you don't have to! I was lucky that I didn't really need it - I was home for the whole time I was breastfeeding (1 year mat leave) so I was just pumping in case I wanted to go out and miss a session. My son also never deigned to drink from a bottle so it was sort of a moo point anyway, no great loss, except I kind of regretted all the 4am pumping sessions that I could have skipped. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412918 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:56:12 +0000 winniebee 2412918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I usually pumped at night before bed and left it in the fridge for morning and cycled through and froze the older stuff that night. I usually had a few bottles of "fresh" BM in the fridge so I am pretty sure I didn't freeze right away. But honestly since LO took the milk no problem I didn't bother to experiment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412911 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:52:55 +0000 hilsy85 2412911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Raindrop: ah interesting! so maybe my method of defrosting is contributing. tthanks for the input :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412908 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:51:38 +0000 Raindrop 2412908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I did mine overnight. I gave it the first thing in the morning. My main problem is LO takes forever and day to drink sometimes. So he might drink half and leave the other half to drink in 20-30 minutes and during that time it would seemingly turn bad. So annoying!</p> <p>Sorry you are going through this!! </p> <p>Yeah running it under water for me always made it turn bad smelling right away. For me at least doing the overnight defrost worked best to reduce the bad smell. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412907 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:51:28 +0000 hilsy85 2412907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: hm did it also have the smell if you froze it immediately? versus fridging it for a day and then freezing it? I should conduct an experiment to see if any of that makes a difference but I hate pumping! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412903 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:48:22 +0000 winniebee 2412903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I remember from Kellymom she said it's safe to drink, if the baby will drink it! I also noticed with my milk even if it wasn't frozen, but if it was in the fridge for more than a few days it would start to get that soapy smell. FYI! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412900 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:47:50 +0000 hilsy85 2412900@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Raindrop: how long did it take to defrost 2-3 oz in the fridge? My issue is I usually need it on short notice so Don't know if I'd have the time to do it that way (I have been doing it under running cool water). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412899 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:45:59 +0000 Raindrop 2412899@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It sounds like excess lipase. </p> <p>For me I was able to defrost it in the fridge and if I gave it right from the fridge the day I defrosted it it wouldn't have the rancid smell. </p> <p>It took pretty much perfect timing to do this though. My LO refused the odd breast milk so I had to ditch like 30% of my stored milk if I messed up the timing on this. I didn't have that much though... I only was able to freeze maybe 100 ozs. Luckily LO was okay being supplemented with formula.</p> <p>I did read scalding helps but I never tried it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412898 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:45:07 +0000 hilsy85 2412898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: blah...I'd hate to throw it all out. I'm a SAHM so don't need a huge stash but it's nice to have a little something extra! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412895 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:43:41 +0000 erinbaderin 2412895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree. I had (self diagnosed) excessive lipase - I was baffled when my son wouldn't drink defrosted milk until I sniffed it and BLECH. I ended up throwing it all out because my son wouldn't touch it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412894 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:43:19 +0000 hilsy85 2412894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: so the sour smell doesn't mean it's unsafe, right? I'm guessing it has to be excess lipase, as the only other reason I can imagine it smelling bad is if I like left it out on the counter or in the fridge too long...?<br /> She has eaten frozen breastmilk before (mixed with fresh), so I hope she just doesn't mind the taste. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412888 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:41:04 +0000 winniebee 2412888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It sounds like excess lipase to me. It can either smell rancid or it can smell soapy. I had excess lipase with both kids (the first time around worse) but it smelled soap and had a faint soapy taste...kids still drank it so I still used it. You can scald the breastmilk before you freeze it to avoid this problem, or so I've read. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sour-smelling-frozen-milk#post-2412884 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:39:39 +0000 hilsy85 2412884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just defrosted some frozen milk from about 10 weeks ago and it smelled really bad--sour and just yucky. What could cause this? As far as I know I froze it correctly...I also defrosted milk from about a month ago and it didn't smell really bad but had a very very faint sour smell. Does that mean it's not safe for LO?</p> <p>Also, could this be excess lipase? If so, can anyone tell me about the scaling and storing process? how annoying is it? </p>