Breast milk can spoil just like any other milk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has specific storage guidelines for safely storing your breast milk. But what happens if baby drinks spoiled breast milk? As a breastfeeding mom, you work so hard for every ounce of your breast milk, so it can be devastating to think some of it may have spoiled.
In this post we’ll go over how to tell if your milk is spoiled, what happens if baby drinks spoiled breast milk, and proper breast milk storage guidelines.
How to Know if Breast Milk is Spoiled
If you follow proper handling of breast milk and storage guidelines, it’s very unlikely that your breast milk will spoil.
But perhaps you’ve waited until the very end of the time frame recommended to freeze your milk, and now you’re wondering if it’s spoiled. Maybe you forgot to store your breast milk while it was sitting out at room temperature. Or you’ve just thawed your breast milk, but something doesn’t smell quite right.
The best way to detect spoiled milk is through the smell test and taste test. Most often, if your breast milk has gone bad it will have a sour smell. The spoiled milk will also have a sour taste.
If you taste your breast milk and it has a bad taste, you will most definitely know it’s gone bad.
The normal smell of breast milk can change from person to person. Some fresh breast milk has a sweet smell while other breast milk has no smell at all.
Human milk can also curdle or change texture like cow’s milk when it goes bad. When swirling around to re-constitute the milk after it naturally separates, it will not mix. If you see this, definitely dispose of the milk.
Here are a few things that do not indicate spoiled breast milk:
- Milk separation: Fat separation in breast milk is completely normal and a natural thing that occurs when you refrigerate fresh breast milk. You may see a separation between the fattier part of the milk and the more watery part.
- Soapy smell: If a mother has a high level of lipase in her milk, it may cause her breast milk to have a soapy smell after storing in the fridge or when her frozen breast milk is defrosted. This does not mean the breast milk has spoiled, and the milk is still safe to feed. Some babies will drink this milk with no issues at all, while others may not like the taste and will reject it.
- Color of breast milk: The color of your breast milk can change due to multiple factors such as the mother’s diet, water intake, medication, what stage the milk is in (colostrum vs. mature milk). This is not an indicator of spoiled breast milk.
What Happens if Baby Drinks Spoiled Breast Milk?
The most common indicators that you’re feeding your baby spoiled milk are seeing your baby squirm, spit the milk out, or rejecting the breast milk (when they don’t usually) due to the bad taste. Or you may see vomiting after your baby drinks the milk.
If you noticed the milk was spoiled during the feeding, dispose of the milk and offer your baby a fresh bottle.
If your baby does vomit after drinking the spoiled milk, you’ll want to watch them closely for any other changes or further vomiting episodes. If your baby vomits again or continues to vomit, contact their pediatrician. If your baby does not vomit after you notice they drank spoiled milk, just continue to watch your baby closely for any changes.
If your baby is older (6+ months), you can offer them some sips of water to clear their mouth. Or if you didn’t finish the bottle of spoiled milk, you can offer them some more breast milk.
They may get an upset stomach or become fussy. If you notice any other concerning signs such as diarrhea, fever, or increased fussiness, contact your baby’s pediatrician.
Proper Breast Milk Storage Guidelines and Handling
Storage Guidelines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends storing freshly pumped or expressed breast milk for up to 4 hours at room temperature, 4 days in the refrigerator, and within 6-12 months in the freezer (12 months if you store your milk in a deep freezer).
There are other storage guidelines as well related to thawed, previously frozen milk and leftover breast milk from a feeding. For new moms, this can get a bit overwhelming trying to remember all of the specific guidelines.
If you want to learn more about how to thaw, warm, and use breast milk check out this post. It also includes a free printable for breast milk storage guidelines that you can keep on your fridge for easy access to all of the guidelines for keeping your breast milk safe!
You’ll also want to be sure to store your breast milk at the back of the refrigerator or the freezer. Not in the very front or the side doors. This is because temperature changes can cause unstable temperatures in your breast milk and increase the potential for bacteria growth.
Handling Breast Milk
The CDC also has guidelines related to handling your breast milk to keep it safe. Here are a few important handling recommendations:
- Wash your hands with soap and water before expressing (a pumping session) or handling breast milk.
- If using a pump, inspect the pump kit and pump tubing to make sure it is clean.
- Use breast milk storage bags or a clean, food-grade storage container to store breast milk.
- Never store breast milk in disposable bottle liners or plastic bags that are not intended for storing breast milk.
- Clearly label the breast milk with the date it was expressed.
- Store in small amounts to avoid wasting milk that might not be finished or would spoil.
- Clean your pump parts after each use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are signs of spoiled breast milk?
Sour smell or sour taste. Attempt the smell test and the taste test to determine if your breast milk is spoiled. You will know!
What happens if baby drank breast milk that sat out too long?
This depends on how long honestly. If it was an hour later, most of the time it’s okay. However, if it’s been many hours past the recommended time for storage, follow the same precautions by watching your baby closely for any changes related to drinking spoiled breast milk.
If they don’t experience any symptoms, then they will be okay! Contact your baby’s pediatrician if you have any concerns.
Does breast milk get spoiled in the breast?
No! This is not possible. Breast milk is an incredible liquid that has living components within it that constantly changes based on your baby’s needs. Breast milk also does not remain stagnant in the breast. It is constantly changing.
Don’t panic or be too hard on yourself if your baby drinks spoiled breast milk. Observe your baby closely and always contact their pediatrician if you have any concerns. You’re doing the best you can with the information you know. You got this!
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- Can I Overfeed My Breastfed Baby?
- Ultimate Breastfeeding Checklist for New Moms
- The 2 Shirt Method for Breastfeeding in Public
- 25 Best Cooler Bags for Traveling with Breast Milk
