QUESTION: My question is about frozen breastmilk.  When I went back to work, I started to save some milk in the freezer.  The first time I went to use some, I noticed a funny smell - kind of like metal.  I tasted the milk and it tasted just like it smelled.  It didn't taste good, but not sour either.  I thought this was freezer burn, so I started to thaw out some more bags.  Each bag I thawed had the same smell and taste, regardless of how long (or short) it had been in the freezer.  I decided to get rid of all the milk as I did not feel comfortable giving it to my daughter.  I started to stock some more, and I made sure to store it properly, using Medela bags inside ziploc freezer bags.  Again, when I went to use thawed milk, the same smell and taste were there. I am wondering if this is a problem specific to my milk.  My freshly expressed milk does not have this smell or taste at all.
 

Dear Susan,

The problem with the frozen milk could either be a problem specific to your milk or specific to your freezer.  Some women have more lipase in their milk than others.  Lipase helps to break down the fat in the breastmilk.  That is probably what is happening that is causing the milk to smell and taste bad.

One suggestion is to scald (bring just to a boil then take off the stove) the milk prior to freezing.  Have you tried offering the milk to your baby?  Many babies won't even care about the taste change.  (Try drinking some of the infant formulas - they'll gag you!)

Are you putting the milk against the freezer wall?  If you have an automatic defrost cycle, then this could also be a problem.  Breastmilk should never be stored up against a freezer wall.  You might also try experimenting with glass bottles or containers for freezing to see if that has any effect.

One last comment, are you aware that breastmilk can be stored safely in a refrigerator for 8 days?
Good luck!
Cher Sealy RN, BSN, IBCLC, LLLL

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