Milk storage

If I let my milk sit in the fridge for longer than one day, it starts getting a sharp odor to it and Finn will not drink it (not that he drinks much pumped milk anyway - but that's another story).   So I have been freezing what I pump the same day I pumped it.  I am not pumping that much (pretty much only once or twice when I am at work, which is 2 days a week), so I only have about 11 oz total frozen and the oldest is from last week.    

I have been using the oldest frozen milk to feed him when I am gone and then putting the newly pumped milk directly into the freezer - so he is only eating frozen milk (but recently frozen).  A friend of mine told me that it is best to use fresh milk and to think of frozen milk as a back up in case of a spill, etc...  Should I change what I am doing and give him the milk I pumped the previous day or is it fine to only give him the frozen stuff.  If I keep just giving him the freshly pumped milk, then what happens if I never use the frozen?  I hate for it to go to waste.  Also if he does not eat all of the fresh stuff that day, then it may not be good anymore by the time I freeze it.  I wish my milk kept better in the fridge - this would be easier.  Man, just when I thought I had things under control, I get confused again!  

thanks for any input

[mum2beagain]

Well fresh is better, then refrigerated then frozen, but personally I'd rather freeze it than throw it away or have a baby that wouldn't drink it.
Is he fine with the previously frozen milk? Frozen milk can be kept in the deep freezer for 6 to 12 months or in a side by side or bottom/top fridge freezer for three months so I wouldn't worry about keeping it frozen for a while; it can always be used in cereal and such when you introduce solids.
Also it can make a difference where in the fridge you keep it, it should be as low as possible in your fridge and right at the back this is the coldest place. Top shelf is the least favorable and shouldn't be kept in the door as the door will not keep it cold enough.

[tiredbuthappy]

technically, fresh is better than frozen. But, since he is mostly getting milk at the breast, that amount is insignificant and in your case it really won't make a difference. I also would rather not let milk go to waste.
Some of the antibiotic properties of milk are lost when frozen. So, if a baby is getting only pumped milk then it is better to give the fresh than frozen if fresh is available. Finn is getting plenty of those components from you from the rest of his feeds.

[Ecologic]

Make sure to keep it in the back of the fridge. Maybe increase the cold settings in your fridge as well? I sometimes keep mine for 1 week without problems - on the top shelf!

Does your milk go bad if you let it sit at room temperature - just curious? You are supposed to be able to keep it for 8 hours that way - I have done it several times as well without problems. Maybe it's something that you regularly eat that speed up oxidation??

Fresh is better because it has more antibodies but frozen is better than nothing. Hubby gives Benoit a lot of frozen milk when I travel.

[nola0805]

Thanks so much everyone - very helpful advice.  I had been putting it on the top shelf.  I will try the bottom back of the fridge and see if that helps.  

ecologic - I cannot leave my milk out at room temp for more than 2 hours or it starts to get a little funky.  I seem to have high maintenance milk!

tired - it is good to know that a little bit of frozen is not bad.  When I go back to work full time in Jan, I will find a way to give him the milk that I pumped the previous day.

[LosingMyMindInGA]

I skimmed over some of the other replies and didn't see any comments about this...but my understanding is that you should let the milk cool down in the fridge before putting it in the freezer.  Sudden drastic temperature changes can break down the protiens and other nutrients in the milk.  I stricly pump and bottle feed.  I keep about 2 days worth of milk in the fridge at all times. I keep it on the top shelf and have the fridge set at just over med temp.  I also have around 50=-60 ounces frozen.  It will stay good for several months so I'll just keep checking the dates and when it gets close to time for it to expire I will rotate out the old and freeze some new.  

[30something13]

it should smell sweet and the foremilk will seperate from the hind milk and be like a film on top, If it is smelling different then it might just be your hormones at this time of the month.? Just thinking on that one.

Yes the milk can sit out for 8 hours as I did this and the NICU did this for my daughter for 14 days.

What is the smell like actually? Also the one thing that needs to be sure of is keeping no onions in the fridge or food that has smell as the milk can absorb it, put baking soda in the fridge to see if that helps, and things in the fridge acan smell differnent too if the cooling tube is blocked and this happens more at the first of winter, it needs cleaned!


Look into those things to make sure and ummm but you are nursing most so it really is nothing to worry about.