Dear Wise Ones:
  I was called this morning by a healthy mother of 3. She has nursed two
babies and is now nursing a third baby, who is 3 weeks old and already
obviously gaining weight.This mother is concerned because her milk smells like
vomit.
  She first noticed that when her baby spat up, it didn't smell like the sweet
smell of her other two breastfed babies. This baby's stool doesn't have that
gentle odor she expects. She thought it was something with the baby, but the
baby is fine. One day, she noticed that the smell was coming from her breast
pads, and traced the smell to her milk. She is very concerned.
        There is nothing else unusual about her milk, her breasts or her baby. She is
trying to guess why her milk smells so bad. She had gall bladder surgery and
her liver was nicked long before she became pregnant with this third child.
She had a cesarean section with this baby. She has stopped eating peanut
butter, which has had no effect on the smell of her milk. She has changed her
vitamins, thinking that would make a difference. It didn't. She has  had a
round of blood work, thinking that there was something wrong with her. All has
been negative thus far.
    I suggested that she continue breastfeeding because her baby is thriving
and loves to breastfeed; and, that she pump out as much milk as she can at one
sitting with a hospital grade electric pump, thinking that stripping the
breast would clear whatever it was. I referred her to a physician who
specializes in lactating mammograms. I have told her I will post to the list
with this. Help! Any other ideas? Has anyone else encountered such an unusual
smell? Warmly, Nikki Lee