My Breast Milk Donation Journey Part 1: High Lipase

About a month after Junior was born, while still on maternity leave, I started pumping about every 2 hours during the day. This was to increase my milk production to meet my goal of exclusively breastfeeding, but to also start a freezer stash of breast milk. By the end of my leave, I amassed over 100 ounces of storage. I felt accomplished. I felt pretty secure. Until it was time to get Junior to take a bottle so he could start daycare. He wouldn’t take it. At first I figured it was because he preferred breastfeeding. Why drink previously frozen milk from a bottle when you have the fresh stuff right there? But then I decided to taste the thawed milk. It tasted metallic, almost spoiled, and smelled the same. Had my precious storage gone bad!?

Instead of just accepting that, I frantically searched the internet to see if anybody else had this issue. Sure enough, the information was right there. High lipase.

What is Lipase?

Lipase is a naturally occurring enzyme that breaks down fat. If the milk is consumed directly from the breast, or shortly after expression, it usually poses no issue. When frozen and stored for an extended period, the lipase activity continues and gives the milk a metallic or soapy smell and taste.

What Can I Do About It?

Unfortunately, once this happens, it can’t be reversed. But, you can prevent it by scalding the expressed milk before freezing it for storage. I’ll go over how below.

So What About All That Precious Milk I Stored?

Some babies will still drink the milk. Some won’t. If your baby won’t drink the milk, you can try mixing it in their purees to mask the taste when they start solids. Junior wouldn’t take the milk that way either. I couldn’t just throw it away, so it sat in the freezer a few more months before I learned about donating breast milk. Which I will, of course, be sharing.

How to Prevent the Effects of High Lipase

Ideally, the expressed breast milk should be scalded immediately to prevent the lipase activity. I found that if I expressed the milk during the work day, and scalded it when I got home, it was just fine. I usually use the milk that I pump within 24-48 hours, and it does not turn in smell or taste. If I pump more than need, I go ahead and scald it before freezing to store.

Start by heating the expressed breast milk in a clean saucepan on your stove top.

The lipase is inactivated by heating to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, but do not let the milk come to a rolling boil. I find that I have to remove the milk by 170 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent it from boiling.

Transfer the milk to a glass container and immediately put it in an ice bath. Some people prefer a metal cup to prevent breaking when chilling the milk, but I’ve never had this problem.

Then transfer the breast milk to a bottle for use or in a storage bag to freeze. See my previous post “DITL: Working Mom Pumping Routine & Breast Milk Storage” to see how to label and how long you can keep your milk stored.

I’m thankful that at nearly 8 months, I’m still able to breastfeed and pump without having to supplement! And I have a mini freezer storage, though nowhere near what I had previously. But I’m also thankful I learned about donating my breast milk stash to premature babies in need and am excited to share that process with you in part 2 of My Breast Milk Donation Journey! I really wish I would have known to test for high lipase before working on my freezer stash, so my hope is to prevent the headache for other expecting and new moms. I’m glad I know what to do to keep my freezer stash usable when (God willing) the second time comes around!

Day in the Life (DITL): Working Mom Pumping Routine & Breast Milk Storage

Pumping. Not the most glamourous of tasks, but when you think about the benefits of breastmilk you’re giving your child while you’re away from them, it’s totally worth it. Like other things full time working moms face, it can be challenging and daunting to think about. But if you come up with a routine, and stick with it, it becomes a piece of cake and something you don’t even think twice about. Today, I’ll be sharing my pumping routine, what’s in my pumping bag, and breastmilk storage guidelines.

By law, companies with over 50 employees must provide a reasonable break time and a private space that is not a bathroom for breastfeeding moms to pump while at work. If your company does not meet the requirements by law, I would still encourage you to make your case for your right to pump to provide your child with the nourishment they need while you’re away from them at work. Again, it’s totally worth it.

Pumping Routine
My day usually looks something like this:
I breastfeed Junior at about 6:30 before heading out the door in the morning.
I take him to daycare and get to work at 7:30. By 7:40, I’m set up for my first pumping session.
I start seeing patients at 8am.
I break to pump again at 10am.
Before leaving for lunch at 12pm, I pump again.
I come back and see patients at 1pm.
I break at 2pm to pump.
Before I leave work at 4pm, I pump a final time.
I pick Junior up from daycare and breastfeed him within 30 minutes when we get home.

Each session lasts 15-20 minutes, not counting set up and clean up. Each session yields 3-5oz, usually resulting in a total of 12-15 oz a day. Generally, breastfed babies require 1.5oz for every hour at daycare. Junior is in daycare 8-9 hours a day, so the 12-15oz range covers his needs.

Before pumping, I wash my hands and make sure my space is clean. I also take a quick moment to breath and release whatever may be going on, as my mood/stress level definitely impacts my yield. If my day is particularly busy, I completely close my computer so I don’t see my schedule or patients checking in (I pump in my exam room). But usually, I can multitask and work on charts while the pump is going. Many women find pumping bras useful, but I’ve mastered the one-hand cradle of the collection bottles and use my free hand to type. Always rinse the collection bottles and valves after each session, then wash thoroughly at the end of each day.

I pour what I’ve collected into one bottle, then transfer that total yield to a storage bag. Take your time with this step. You will definitely cry over spilled (breast) milk!

I store the milk in a thermal bag with an ice pack during the day, then transfer them to my refrigerator when I get home. I prep Juniors bottles for the next day with the breast milk I collected while at work.

What’s in My Pumping Bag
Hand Sanitizer
Contigo Auto Seal Chill 24 oz bottle
Spectra Dew 350 electric pump
2 – 24mm flanges with collection bottles and valves
Tubing with backflow protectors
Breast milk storage bags; I prefer Lansinoh brand
Scallops Bottle Bag by Cloud Island
Re-freezable ice pack
Framed photos of Junior

La Leche League Breastmilk Storage Guidelines
Freshly pumped at room temperature: 4-6 hours
Insulated bottle bag: 24 hours
Not previously frozen, refrigerated: 4-5 days
Frozen: 6-12 months
Once breastmilk is thawed, it should be used within 24 hours

Pumping Tips:
Keep photos and even videos of your baby on hand. Seeing them actually stimulates flow.
Take a moment to relax and release any stress you may be feeling. Mood impacts yield.
I keep my contigo water bottle filled and handy, because the thirst when pumping is real.
Keep healthy snacks on hand to boost your calories as a breastfeeding Mama.
Bring a light sweater in case the pumping room is chilly.
Keep an extra box of storage bags at work. Nothing worse than realizing you’ve run out!
Test your milk for high lipase before starting a stash. I’ll talk more about this in a future post. It was something I learned late in the pumping game.

Whew, Chilay .

Sounds hectic? At first, it was. Now, it’s just my daily routine and I don’t even think about it! So hang in there, Mommy! I promise, it gets easier with time!

Leave a comment and let me know what other working mom routines you’re interested in!