How can I tell if my frozen BM is no good?

[gobucks1013]

Maybe a silly question, but I just started dipping into my freezer stash and I got out a 4oz bag of BM from March 1st. This is the first time I have thawed frozen BM. Is there any way to tell if it has gone bad just by looking at it? Now that the BM is thawed, it looks very "creamy" like coffee creamer. Normal? It doesn't smell or anything and besides, I have read where thawed BM sometimes smells spoiled even when it's not.

Any info/advice appreciated. Thanks! :)

[udderluv]

Generally, BM is good for 3-6 months in the freezer...Just like other items the colder the stoarge the longer it lasts! One of my resources states that BM is good for up to 10-12 months if in deep freeze. Of course, when in doubt throw it out! The milk always seperates so swirl it good to get it to remix.

BM is like liquid gold and I have personally used freezer stash around 5 mo old with my first without problem.

[Amy_G_]

taste it. ;)
if it doesn't smell off and looks like creamer, it should be just perfect.
it doesn't go bad easily, just so you know.

[raelooney]

I have wondered the same thing! I'm glad someone asked this question!

[Amy_G_]

hours at room temp,
days in the fridge,
months in a regular freezer,
up to about a year in a deep freezer.
that's how I remember it, even though the actual guidelines are more specific than that.

[raelooney]

my milk seems to start going bad the day after I pump it in the fridge. Maybe it's just me being paranoid? Now that my dd is taking the bottle better, I'll test it a little more. I was convinced that she wouldn't take the bottle because the milk was sour. lol I think I was just stressing to much about getting her to take it!

[Amy_G_]

if you think the milk is truly "off" the next day, read
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/lipase-expressedmilk.html

[KerryS]

my milk seems to start going bad the day after I pump it in the fridge.

Fresh breastmilk won't go bad after one day in the fridge. Most likely what you're experiencing is a higher concentration of lipase in your milk (lipase is the enzyme that breaks down fat). The lipase can cause your milk to take on an "off," soapy taste/smell. This is not harmful to the baby (although some babies really don't like it and won't take the milk - if your baby is like that, there are things you can do to neutralize the lipase before freezing it).