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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Does breast milk 'go off' in the breast?

12 replies

makedoandmend · 29/12/2009 18:07

It's been a week and two days since I fed on my right side as I've had an infected nipple due to a bite so needed to let it heal. I was on antibiotics for three days but had a really bad reaction to them so came off.
I've expressed twice in the week and got very very little from it.
My GP went on and on about how bacteria will grow in the breast milk if I didn't express but I just found it so hard.
If i feed my dd tonight from the breast will she get bacteria-ridden milk?
Do i need to express first?

Sorry - probably a very stupid question but my GP was very insistant

OP posts:
shallishanti · 29/12/2009 18:11

Not an expert tho' have bf 4.
Your GP sounds completely mad to me have never heard of such a thing.
But, were you not very engorged if you simply stopped feeding from one side?
are you feeling better now if you are planning to feed from that side?

Original poster
makedoandmend · 29/12/2009 18:36

I think bf four is what you could call expertise

I didn't become engorged - just slightly lop-sided
I think I'm feeding so little now (about 10-15 mins a day all in all) that it's not really making much of a difference to me.

Am now feeling fine (the reaction to the drugs included a mouth full of ulcers which was great on Christmas Day as you can imagine) and the nipple seems to have cleared up which is why the doctor told me to wait 24 hours to see if I needed a new lot of antibiotics (I'm pretty sure I don't)

GP being mad is not outside the realms of possibilities. He's certainly pompous...

OP posts:
anothercoldbrusselssprout · 29/12/2009 19:17

No, course it doesn't!

winnybella · 29/12/2009 19:21

WTF?
I have never heard of breast milk harboring bacteria.
GP is a loon.

singsong · 29/12/2009 19:21

Milk in the breast wouldn?t ?go off? because of constant exchange/forming of new milk. Sometimes when there is infection in the breast pus can be formed and would not be nice to feed if this was the case, but from what you have said your infection is now clear and you are not seeing pus coming from your nipple so should be fine.

Original poster
makedoandmend · 29/12/2009 20:47

Thanks everyone. I'll continue to ignore GP

OP posts:
lou031205 · 29/12/2009 21:02

I think he probably meant that you'd get mastitis, which is a result of engorgement.

CantSleepWontSleep · 29/12/2009 22:30

He's a nutter! Feed away. Might take a few feeds to build up your supply in that breast after the break of course, so don't panic if your dd doesn't seem satisfied with just that one at first.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 29/12/2009 22:33

Think GP is having a blinking giraffe!!

That is possibly the best load of old cobblers I have heard from a 'medical professional' so far!!

HohohoBumperlicious · 29/12/2009 22:41

Rubbish, I think it just gets 'reabsorbed', though I have no further explanation as to what that really means. Much like unused spem I imagine (not sure why I made that parallel, but anyway...)

BertieBotts · 29/12/2009 23:29

How could it get bacteria in it? It's not in contact with the air or anything!

I don't think unused sperm gets reabsorbed... I think that's when you get wet dreams (as an adult I mean)

NotQuiteCockney · 30/12/2009 07:11

Yes, unused sperm get reabsorbed. And no, milk doesn't 'go off' in the breast. Loony GP. Ignore.

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