https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:11:10 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teach-me-about-breast-milk-handling#post-1104178 Sun, 22 Sep 2013 20:23:27 +0000 Foodnerd81 1104178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would try tasting it too- taste it when it's fresh and you know it's good, and that way you know roughly what it should smell and taste like.<br /> I'm laughing at the image of your purse shaking to make breast butter. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teach-me-about-breast-milk-handling#post-1104163 Sun, 22 Sep 2013 20:13:59 +0000 pl0508 1104163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If it's bad you will know by the smell. Just always smell it! </p> <p>I use the Kelly mom link referenced above </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teach-me-about-breast-milk-handling#post-1104138 Sun, 22 Sep 2013 20:00:25 +0000 Ellie 1104138@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks all. I'm just nervous about giving her something that's gone off and I can't tell the difference.</p> <p>I must have extremely shaken my purse, making the fat turn into butter. That's what it looked like, really. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teach-me-about-breast-milk-handling#post-1104025 Sun, 22 Sep 2013 18:50:49 +0000 Foodnerd81 1104025@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I keep going back to this page: <a href="http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/milkstorage/" rel="nofollow">http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/milkstorage/</a></p> <p>The lc is my hospital also told us the rule of fours- on average breastmilk can be left out for 4 hours, refrigerated 4 days, frozen 4 months. Those are kind of conservative but easy to remember. </p> <p>I thought te clumps are fatty parts that solidified in the fridge? They have always mixed back in once it warms up. And I don't think jostling in your purse counts as shaking- I think of shaking as what you do to mix the formula. But I'm no expert. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teach-me-about-breast-milk-handling#post-1103990 Sun, 22 Sep 2013 18:30:00 +0000 junebugmama 1103990@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ellie: The clumps are normal</p> <p>Shacking will destroy some of it's nutrients same with heating in the microwave. I have no idea what happened in your purse, but I put mine in there all of the time.</p> <p>Not everyone can build a stash. I had a stash from the beginning and lost it due to a power outage. I was never able to get more than 30oz in the freezer after that. My body made the perfect amount for my baby and that was it :) which is also really normal </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teach-me-about-breast-milk-handling#post-1103973 Sun, 22 Sep 2013 18:14:23 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 1103973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The "clumps" from swirling milk to combine it are pretty normal. I store my expressed milk in plastic bottles or breastmilk storage bags, towards the back of the fridge away from the door. I generally use my milk the next day, but some milk pumped on Friday stays in the fridge until Monday just fine.</p> <p>I believe they say not to shake it because it can destroy some of the proteins in the milk. But it's still "safe" to drink - I've dropped a bottle before and still fed it to my son. It's just not something you always want happening.</p> <p>Kellymom.com is a great resource for breastfeeding &amp; pumping! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/teach-me-about-breast-milk-handling#post-1103811 Sun, 22 Sep 2013 16:03:28 +0000 Ellie 1103811@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Long story short, I am now able to actually collect expressed breast milk and feed my 2 month old pumped milk in a bottle. I know safe handling of formula and what it should look like, etc., but I'm not too familiar with milk.</p> <p>I've read the information in regards to refrigeration times with breast milk, but I want to know more about what it's like storing and feeding. So please, tell me what I need to know! Mainly:</p> <p>- I've noticed that sometimes when I go to use refrigerated milk and I swirl it to recombine, some small clumps don't dissipate. Is this normal?</p> <p>- I've read not to shake breast milk. Why? Is that why that bottle that I threw into my purse looked curdled after 15 minutes? Is it usable?</p> <p>I don't see myself able to build up much of a stash yet, but I'm mainly collecting an ounce at every feeding and then later combining those into a single feeding for the evening. </p>