Pumping Q&A

Question:

Is getting sick from bad breast milk actually a common thing? Or is it unlikely and just one more thing to add to the intense anxiety of being a new mom?

What usually happens if baby drinks spoiled breast milk?

Answer:

Baby actually getting sick from spoiled breast milk isn’t very common.

If baby drinks spoiled milk, the baby may actually refuse to drink the milk in the first place. Once they swallow the milk, they might make a grossed out face and actually refuse to drink any more.

If they drink enough of it, they may end up getting an upset stomach. The upset stomach may present itself as stomach cramps, bloating, squirming, rejecting breastfeeding, and general fussiness. Sometimes they will end up vomiting up the milk. 

If the baby does develop symptoms, it usually doesn’t last long.

However, if any symptoms persist or your baby develops a high fever or has excessive vomiting, call your healthcare provider right away.

Has the breast milk actually gone bad?

How to tell:

• A sour smell

• An odor like rotten fish

• A smell or taste that is ‘off’ in any noticeable way

From a mom who’s been there:

“One time we actually gave my baby bad milk accidentally. Our fridge had broken and we didn’t realize it. Baby’s reaction was to taste the milk and then make a face and he didn’t really want any more though maybe he took like one more sip and still didn’t like it. When he still seemed hungry I fed him myself and we smelled his milk and it smelled off to us. We tossed it and that’s actually how we figured out the fridge was broken because it was milk I had just pumped the night before. And we realized everything else in the fridge felt way too warm as well. Baby was totally fine, just kind of grossed out by the milk.”