If you’re a new mother, you already know the significance of breastfeeding. It is not only beneficial to your baby, but it is also an excellent method to connect with him or her. It’s critical to keep your breast milk fresh at all times, though.
What happens if baby drinks spoiled breast milk?
Spoiled breast milk could have a thicker texture with contaminations which might cause the wee one to have stomach cramps, upset stomach, and bloating. Diarrhea and Vomiting are also the results of spoiled breast milk consumption.
In this blog post, we will discuss what happens if baby drinks spoiled breast milk and whether or not it is dangerous.
Is It True That Breast Milk Goes Off Or Spoils? Can It Spoil Inside The Breast?
NO, breastmilk will not spoil or go bad in your breast. Because the nature of breastmilk is always changing in response to your baby’s demands, unlike cow’s milk, it cannot go rancid or sour inside your body.
Breast milk may become spoiled or go bad once it has been released. If breast milk is left outside for a long period, it will spoil.
How To Tell If Breast Milk Is Bad?
Although the color of breast milk is sometimes regarded as a sign of whether it is good or bad, this assertion is incorrect. The color of a mother’s milk can be influenced by her diet and other physical factors, thus it isn’t an accurate indicator.
Even though fermented milk has an unpleasant odor, most of the time it is undetectable. If you detect a soapy aroma, there’s no need to be alarmed. It’s mostly due to lipase, an organic enzyme in milk that does not cause any damage.
Is there a reliable test for this? You might attempt tiny sips of the milk. A putrid or sour flavor is an accurate sign that it has gone rancid.
Swirl Test
To summarize, the fat in breast milk is broken down into fatty and watery portions. The fatty portion will generally stay towards the top, while the watery portion will be at the bottom. If the milk is OK, after swirling them together, the two components should mix.
The swirl test is a quick, simple method for determining whether your milk is still safe to consume. Simply swirling the bottle and observing the results will do it. If you discover that the two components have been properly combined, it’s an indication that the milk is OK. However, if you notice solid chunks floating around, it implies that the milk has gone rancid.
What Happens If Baby Drinks Spoiled Breast Milk?
You may observe them rejecting or dribbling breast milk from the corner of their mouth if you gave your infant spoiled breast milk by mistake. In addition, you may witness them playing with the bottle and not drinking or writhing and removing nipples from their mouth.
So, if your baby is expressing worry while drinking milk from a bottle, first ensure that the breast milk or formula is of good quality.
Spoiled Breast Milk Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of a baby drinking spoiled breast milk may include the following:
If your baby consumed contaminated breast milk, you may observe an abrupt increase in crying and restlessness.
After the first half-hour, they may vomit out the decaying breast milk. Because tainted breast milk has been eliminated from their system, they will most likely be fine once they’ve vomited it up.
Vomiting and diarrhea are also common symptoms. And if your baby is vomiting frequently, it’s time to see the doctor since this can lead to dehydration.
What Should You Do When Baby Drinks Spoiled Breast Milk?
If a baby consumes breast milk, he or she might scream from stomach discomfort and regurgitate the liquid.
After the child throws up and stops crying, hold him upright and softly pat his back to assist him to spit out any remaining spoiled milk in his tummy if there is any. It will also assist him in burping.
The baby’s stomach should be empty of rotten milk, so he won’t be restless and squirming.
How To Store Breast Milk Properly?
Now that you know what happens if baby drinks spoiled breast milk, you must be extra cautious while storing it. The best way to store breast milk for future consumption is to use food-grade bottles. For improved storage, make sure the bottles are airtight and have robust lids. Never leave your bottle of milk out in the sunlight for more than 3 hours since it will not be stable at that temperature.
The bottle should be kept in a refrigerator for only 3 to 4 days before it begins to go rancid.
When refrigerating, keep it at least three inches away from the refrigerator door and out of the way of direct heat or microwaves. Never thaw frozen milk using direct heat or a microwave oven. This might ruin it and compromise its nutritional value.
Thawing Breast Milk Safely
Fill a clean container halfway with warm water and place the storage bag or vessel inside. For a couple of minutes, run hot tap water over the bag. Avoid using direct heat or a microwave oven.
Uses For Expired Breast Milk
Baths
Breast milk has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a great skin cleanser. Stir a small amount into your baby’s bath or enjoy your milk bath.
Freeze It
To treat minor cuts, baby scratches, and bruises, place breast milk in cubes in the freezer. Frozen breast milk has incredible healing properties, which is why it’s so useful for treating wounds.
Soap
Making homemade soaps is another option for parents to enjoy milk during bath time.
Diaper Rash Ans Eczema
Breast milk was just as effective as hydrocortisone in treating diaper rash and eczema, according to a study. Simply pat some breast milk on your baby’s butt and then put the diaper back on to do this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How does normal breastmilk look?
Ans: The majority of the time, typical breast milk is white with a few small tints of color. This may be gold or blue in most cases, but it can also vary depending on your diet.
Q2: Why isn’t my 7-month-old child drinking my expressed breast milk?
Ans: This usually happens if the baby senses something foul in the milk. The milk is frequently spoilt, and as a result, the infant will not take it.
Q3: Will a baby drink spoiled breast milk? Is it dangerous
Ans: The baby will probably vomit or have a stomachache once or twice as a mistake. The most that can happen is that the infant will throw up or be sick. Moldy milk, on the other hand, might result in severe problems if you’re not careful with it.
Q4: What happens if the baby drank 5 hour old breast milk?
Ans: Breast milk can be kept for up to 4 hours at room temperature. If your baby has consumed breast milk that sat out for 5-6 hours, it is safe.
Q5: What happens if you leave breast milk out overnight? Can baby drink milk that’s sat out too long?
Ans: It’s not a good idea to feed your baby breast milk that you accidentally left out overnight. It is simply because the milk is spoiled.
Q6: How much milk should I store in the freezer?
Ans: Breast milk should be frozen in storage bags of 2–4 ounces. So, you can remove one at a time or double the amount depending on your baby’s demand.
Q7: Why does my frozen breast milk look orange?
Ans: The yellowish, orangish color of breast milk can be caused by the amount of fat in breast milk, which varies depending on when you express your milk.
Q8: Why is my breast milk Green?
Ans: Breast milk that has a green hue or appears to be tainted is not necessarily bad. It simply indicates that the mother has been eating green leafy vegetables.
Q9: What happens if the baby drinks spoiled formula milk?
Ans: If your baby has drunk spoiled formula milk, the first thing you should do is observe him for any adverse reaction.
Q10: What happens if the baby drinks breast milk after 2 hours?
Ans: After two hours, any additional breast milk should be discarded. The remaining breast milk may be utilized after two hours if your baby didn’t finish the bottle. Any extra breast milk should be disposed of after 2 hours.
Conclusion
So, what happens if baby drinks spoiled breast milk? Vomiting, diarrhea, and an upset stomach are the most common symptoms. However, in rare cases, it can also lead to food poisoning. So, it is always better to be on the side of caution and discard any expired breast milk.
It is not advisable to give your baby any milk that has been stored in a bottle for more than two hours. Breast milk is a natural source of nutrition for babies and has many benefits. However, if breast milk is left out for too long, it can spoil and become dangerous for your baby to consume. If you have any questions about storing or using breast milk, be sure to speak with your pediatrician.
