EXPRESSED BREAST MILK, ALTHOUGH NOT CURDLED, BUT SMELLS OR TASTES SOUR OR SOAPY, WHY?

When your baby refuses to accept your expressed breast milk and creates a fuss over it, do not think that the baby is acting stubborn. The milk although not apparently curdled, may have a little rancid taste.

So you need to check on the following

1) Check the breast milk storage containers – Use good quality storage bags. If you are storing in plastic containers, try using glass containers instead.

2) Check if you are following proper guidelines for breast milk storage-

· Always store the container at the BACK of the refrigerator or freezer.

· If you are not going to use the breast milk in next 5 to 8 days, then freeze it as soon as possible.

· Is your freezer cold enough? If your freezer keeps ice-cream hard, then the temperature is right.

· Store the milk away from odour releasing foods in the refrigerator.

3) Still if the expressed breast milk tastes soapy or sour, then it can be due to high levels of enzyme lipase in your breast milk, which breaks down the fat in your milk and thus change the taste of the breast milk.

In such cases, newly expressed breast milk should be heated to scald the milk(i.e. till we see bubbles around the edge of the pan in which we heat it). Then the milk is quickly cooled and should be put in the freezer.