Help! The fatty part of my breast milk isn't mixing after I've swirled it several times. It's been in the fridge since…

Warm it up--that looks normal to me. It will smell bad if it has spoiled. If it is still separating after you warm it, im not sure...im not an expert tho and there may be better advice.

It's probably something you ate that day that has made it extra fatty. Just warm it then shake it a lot with the lid on. Then it should be fine.

Never shake breastmilk, only gently swirl. Shaking it can destroy much of what is "good" about it. Just warm it up and it should mix back in.

^ she said she swirled it..

I have to warm mine up and then shake it. If i try when it's cold it doesn't mix as well. I would try that like others said ?

From kellymom.com since it's used a lot on here "To play it safe, use the smallest amount of force needed to mix the layers, keeping in mind that the layers will mix better as the milk warms. If you do shake the milk, it might not be a problem at all–and even if it turns out that shaking makes a difference it will still be the best nutrition for your child.”

@kdechairo you weren't wrong when you said to shake it! From another website I found this: Dr Quinn found that it is thought to take about 3000 Newtons of force to denature a beta-folded protein, and determined that a human forearm (the baseline used was swinging a hammer) is only likely to generate about 1.139 Newtons–which is nowhere near enough to cause damage to the milk. Further, she noted that there are other aspects of protein structure that can be protective, and that some proteins exposed to tremendous amounts of shear stress (which might be created by the force of the milk moving against the inside of the bottle) can still remain stable.

Quinn also addressed claims that shaking damages cells. She concluded that this, too, is unlikely, since “Breast milk cells are likely exposed to high shear force at multiple points in their normal life course – from milk ejection to swallowing to digestion.” If anyone here has shot milk across a room, you’ll know what she’s talkin’ ’bout. Quinn concluded that the supposed dangers of shaking milk is probably just a myth.

If my milk has this in it even after swirling and warming I still give it to baby. My baby still drinks it well and doesn't act different

I agree with Pp. Even if it's still a little separated it won't hurt baby and is fine to use ?

When in doubt taste it. But more than likely of it were bad baby won't drink it. That looks normal to me.

And isn't new research GREAT! 2 years ago when I had my first kid, shaking breastmilk was a HUGE no no. New research comes out and we learn hey, maybe it isn't awful. Thank goodness for science.

Breast milk should be a 3-3-3

3 hrs outside 3 daysin the fridgy 3 months in the freezer after that dispose it!!!! It loses all the nutrients and it will be no good I usually would leave it 222 instead of 333

I have only heard of the 5-5-5 rule, not the 3-3-3 rule. Hmmmm I wonder which is best or could it depends on baby and how they like there milk?!?! Or is it new studies that show the 3-3-3 is better now?