Frozen Breastmilk/Excess Lipase

After seeing a post on here about how frozen BM takes on a gross flavor, I decided to try some last night. Typically, I pump at work for the next day's feedings, but occasionally I need to grab 2-5oz from my freezer stash to get to 20oz.. So anyways, I tasted some, and HOLY GOODNESS it was gross. It tasted like soap. I know it wasnt soap residue, so Im guessing its the lipase. A quick Google search said that 1-its fine to feed the baby, and 2-to prevent this you should scald the milk prior to freezing it. Once its frozen, there is nothing you can do about the taste.

1-Does anyone have experience with scalding it? Can I scald it after its been refrigerated all day while Im at work?

2-What causes excess lipase? Liv doesnt seem to mind the taste, but I CRINGED this morning when the nanny gave her that bottle. I mixed some fresh BM with it to mask the flavor, but I still felt guilty.

3-When I use my expressed milk, I use the newest milk first at the advice of my pediatrician (if you want to know why, ask and Ill post in teh comments.) This particular bag was from the beginning of october bc it was my only bag under 5oz. So does the flavor get worse with time?

Im thinking Ill call my LC, just curious what you guys here have experience with.

Thanks much! xo

sandsandmore
cherry / 242 posts

Nov 10, 2011

Yes, I have this. I'm donating at least 500+ ounces to a milk bank because my son wont' drink frozen milk. I haven't bothered scalding the milk because I'm still making enough for his needs. And you're right, once it's frozen, there's no way to salvage it. Yes you can scald at the end of the day, that's what most moms do, just do it all at once. There are a couple videos on youtube of moms doing this and explaining their process.

Lipase is part of the milk, it's an enzyme that breaks down the milk fat. But when we have too much, eeck. So there's nothing wrong with the milk, it just has that taste.

Why do you use the newest milk? My milk gets all mixed up for the day (I pump 3 times, prepare bottles once a day, mix everything together).

As far as does the lipase get better/worse over time, I'm not really sure. When my son was still in the NICU, he got bottles, but they were always fresh, so I don't really know how long it's been present. But I've randomly opened bags and they're all rancid.

Let me know if you have any more Qs!
LivsMama
pear / 1728 posts

Nov 10, 2011

Thank you so much!! So Then is Liv going to have a harder time digesting the fat off bc Im getting rid of some of the lipase via scalding it?

As for the newest milk, all of my milk for a day of pumping does get mixed together, then I divvy that up into freezer bags and date them. He suggests I use the newest date-not necessarily the newest pump. He said its because the breastmilk nutritional content changes based on the baby's needs, and its even thought that babies can somehow "tell" the moms body exactly what it needs more of (calories/vitamins/etc) and our bodies will adjust. So if the baby is requiring 1000 calories of milk, your current milk might fulfill that in, say 20oz, but older breastmilk that is less caloric might require 30oz to get those calories. Basically, the reason is that its better nutritionally suited to the baby's needs the more recent it is. He suggested using the older stuff when you only need a small amount (like my only needing 2-5oz on occasion) or with preparing solids for the baby when its time.

My pediatric group doctors are from Europe, and they were telling me that they get drastically more education on breastfeeding over there than the doctors do over here. We really like them and how supportive they are of our BFing Liv.
Mrs. Bee
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts

Nov 10, 2011

interesting. i always used the oldest milk because i wanted to use it up before it went bad, but that makes sense. milk gets higher in fat content as the baby gets older, so old milk might not meet the nutritional requirements of your baby now.
sandsandmore
cherry / 242 posts

Nov 10, 2011

I believe that about doctors getting more education in BM. My lactation consultants always did say that the nutritional value of milk changes over time to meet your babies needs, but they could never really tell me what changed exactly. I was especially curious with my Sam because since for so long he was NPO in the NICU and wasn't getting any milk, only IV nutrition, would it be better for him to get older milk or newer milk once he could start getting it again.

Like Ms Bee, I always wanted to use the oldest milk first because it did have a shelf life.

As for scalding the milk, what I've been told is that the antibodies will be killed off, but that babies will still be getting the benefit of the milk, Again, what that really means, I've never gotten a great answer.
MsMini
grapefruit / 4056 posts

Nov 10, 2011

Sandsandmore - if your baby was NPO for a long time in NICU, it is actually the most important for them to get the colostrum you pumped before they are given the more mature milk. The colostrum "primes" their digestive system most effectively, so that should be given, and used up, then the fresh milk be used as much as possible.
sandsandmore
cherry / 242 posts

Nov 10, 2011

Oh, the boys did get the colostrum. Sam developed NEC when they started fortifying the breastmilk later....he would be NPO each time he was sick and had to recover. He had a lot of issues going on so .... it's a long story,
sandsandmore
cherry / 242 posts

Nov 10, 2011

Oh, just to share. I was so determined to get my boys colostrum, I was pumping within 5 hours of delivery. Every 2 hours. My husband would hold the little syringes to collect it and would literally suction the colostrum off my boob. I'm pump, pull off, suck with the syringe. By the 2nd day the milk was flowing.
LivsMama
pear / 1728 posts

Nov 11, 2011

My LC said that if you scald on the stove that a majority of the antibodies are preserved. If you microwave It then you lose them. I also learned last night that one of my freshly expressed bottled that had been in the fridge for less than 24 hours already tasted soapy. I dumped it. It was gross and I didn't want to freeze it with the taste already there. Nasty.

It's sad how little training doctors get here in regards to BM and Bfing. Our pedi is SO helpful and such an advocate (and doesn't push solids before 6 months unless he thinks the baby is really ready and in need) that they make me excited to keep telling them at every visit that she is still EBF.
Mrs. Bee
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts

Nov 11, 2011

yah pediatricians know so little about breastfeeding here. mine had never heard of fenugreek, which is something every lactation consultant knows about. well at least we have some great lactation consultants....
anbanan15
grapefruit / 4681 posts

Nov 11, 2011

That makes sense about the nutritional content of the bm and giving the newest first, most nutritionally equipped for your baby, but what's with all the saving for weaning then? If that milk isn't going to be as rich in calories for the baby 6, 12 months from now?

In my milk donor search I learned that you should try to find a recipient that is close to the age at which the milk was expressed, for the same reasons you stated, however if one can be found any bm is still better than no bm.
808love
pomelo / 5866 posts

Nov 11, 2011

When I learned about lipase online, I used it as a great excuse not to pump and freeze, just pump and use. I don't think my baby has the sensitivity but I did taste it and it was nasty out of the freezer.
I noticed that I don't leak since I only pump once a day. That's the bright side. I just don't have the motivation to pump and scald.
anbanan15
grapefruit / 4681 posts

Nov 11, 2011

Ok so I just tasted bm that I pumped from ~6:00pm EST yesterday. It tasted like nothing. That's good right?

I'm not sure about the frozen stuff though and I will never know since I am donating it all, but that makes me wonder moving forward...Very interesting ladies!
LivsMama
pear / 1728 posts

Nov 11, 2011

If it tasted like nothing then you're fine. Trust me, if the lipase starts working it will taste distinctly like soap. Also, you had asked about the old milk. My pedi said if there is a day where I might need to use all frozen milk that I can use mostly new with some old, up to 50/50, or use it for cooking for the baby. He said most women don't have a large enough stash where it will go bad, but if it's getting there, use it or donate
Lozza
pear / 1837 posts

Nov 11, 2011

So, I find both fridged and frozen milk to be gross and soapy-tasting, but DS doesn't seem to mind and will happily drink a bottle of frozen milk. So maybe try it out with your LO, and save yourself the effort of scalding if your LO doesn't care?
LivsMama
pear / 1728 posts

Nov 12, 2011

She doesn't seem to care. She'll still take it. But now that I know how nasty it is I can't get past it mentally so I'll scald it I don't know if I'll use the rest of my freezer supply or not. I have about 100oz so I might donate that since they combine it all and pasteurize it for preemies

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