Excess Lipase

I pumped excess milk as I had it and began to build a small freezer stash so if I wanted to go somewhere for the day and leave Kamrynn with daddy, grandparents, or sitter, I could.  The maximum ammount of time it is safe to store breastmilk in a standard kitchen freezer is 4 months.  Our freezer's gasket doesn't completely seal, but still keeps ice cream hard, so I didn't feel comfortable letting the milk go much longer than 3 months.

I thawed a pouch of milk in a sink of cool water and poured it into a bottle.  I smelled it and thought it smelled funny and had Trevor smell it.  He thought it smelled funny also, so I dumped it out and nursed her, thinking it was bad and not wanting to mess with unthawing a second pouch.

The next pouch was the same.

The third pouch of milk was barely 2 months old, so thinking I was safe giving it to her, I proceeded to thaw, put in a bottle, warm and sat down with Kamrynn in my arms.  Having never tasted breastmilk before, I tasted what I had tested for temperature on my wrist.  It tasted gross!  Kinda rubbery/plastic-ish.  Trevor had tasted fresh breastmilk a few weeks after Kamrynn was born so I had him taste it to ensure THAT gross taste was what it was SUPPOSED to taste like.  NO!  He made a face, rubbed at his tongue with his shirt and finally brushed his teeth.  I nursed Kamrynn.  And did some research.

Certaintly the milk hadn't gone bad.  I had done everything I was supposed to do to store it, and it was well within the storage time frame.  I soon learned that spoiled breastmilk will taste and smell sour - similar to cows milk.  This was not a sour taste or smell.  After more research I determined I have Excess Lipase.  You can read about it here.

The milk is not bad, nor will it harm Kamrynn.  It is just as good for her as fresh milk.  If she will drink it, it is fine to give her.  If she wont, I'll consider donating it - where it will be mixed with many other mother's milk and diminish the taste.  I know I wouldn't drink it.  I haven't decided whether I'm going to try it with Kamrynn or just donate it.  I have about 50oz frozen (most milk banks require a minimum amount of 150oz.).

I now know why I haven't been hired for any of the jobs I've applied for.  If I worked, I would have to pump and scald the milk to prevent it from changing.  Scalding ruins some of the good properties of the milk... still better than formula, but not as good as fresh.  The milk has to be immediately scalded and frozen, something that is unlikely that I would be able to do in a classroom (although most science classrooms have hot plates, they dont usually have a freezer).  My number one job is taking care of Kamrynn to the best of my abilities.  I guess the answer to my prayers for a paying job is, "No."

So, here's to being a Stay at Home Mom!