5 Helpful and Creative Breast Milk Uses You’ve Likely Never Seen Before
Having the opportunity to breastfeed your baby is an incredible blessing. Not only does it allow you to nourish your little one, but it also creates a powerful and irreplaceable bond.
Yet the benefits of breastfeeding go beyond simply feeding your child. In fact, there are plenty of other uses for breast milk that you may never have considered. Many people use breast milk for home remedies, for instance, while others find creative ways to use up their freezer stockpile once their baby moves on to solid foods.
If you’ve ever wondered what breast milk can be used for other than feeding your baby, check out some innovative breast milk uses below.
1. Make Soap to Relieve Baby Skin Conditions
For those of you seeking uses for breast milk other than feeding, you can try treating some of the skin conditions that may surface as your baby continues to grow. Diaper rash, baby acne, eczema, and cradle cap are among the most widespread conditions that your baby might develop, and breast milk can be used to treat all of them.
Because breast milk is full of natural antibacterial properties, it can provide effective relief for irritated skin. For example, researchers have found that in some cases, breast milk can be comparable to hydrocortisone ointment in helping with diaper rash. The anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties of breast milk also make it useful for healing acne, dry skin, and cradle cap—all natural, hormonal conditions that respond well to this natural remedy.
To relieve any of these common conditions, you can simply rub your baby’s skin with breast milk, or you can make breast milk soap to soothe your little one’s sensitive skin at bath time. This simple recipe from lifestyle blog Morgan Manages Mommyhood uses a soap base, 1 cup of room-temperature breast milk, and optional scents and colors to create a gentle homemade breast milk soap.
2. Use It to Soothe Yourself
Expressed breast milk isn’t just good for relieving your baby’s discomfort—it can also be helpful for you as well! Those same healing properties of breast milk can help you work through your own skin conditions like eczema, as well as relieving cracked, sore nipples. Rub expressed milk directly on your nipples to soothe this sensitive area and bring your skin back to its soft, supple state.
It’s possible that breast milk may even help improve the appearance of stretch marks. While there isn’t any professional research to confirm that the healing properties of breast milk can specifically reduce stretch marks, some mothers have reported noticing a significant difference after applying breast milk directly to the affected area.
3. Clear Your Baby’s Stuffy Nose
Listening to your baby struggle with a stuffy nose can be difficult as a parent, especially when it feels like there’s no way to ease the discomfort. However, breast milk can actually provide the same kind of relief as saline spray, which is a common, over-the-counter treatment for dryness and congestion in babies and kids as well as adults.
“Breast milk is already buffered, just like saline, so it won’t burn if you put it up the nose,” notes Jennifer Ritchie, IBCLC, a lactation consultant sharing her expertise with The Bump. “It works just as well as saline to break up mucus, so it’s commonly recommended by pediatricians.”
For this reason, breast milk makes a great option for mothers who are wary of saline spray and the initial impact it may have on their children. Using breast milk to treat congestion can be less intimidating and more soothing for both you and your baby.
4. Create Breast Milk Popsicles for Teething Pain
Want to get creative with your breast milk after your baby has transitioned to solid foods? Breast milk popsicles offer a fantastic way to continue giving your baby the wholesome nutrients of human milk while relieving the pain of teething. This recipe by Medela combines four ounces of breast milk with a pear and an avocado to create a healthy, comforting snack for your little one.
All you have to do is combine the three ingredients in a blender until it reaches a smooth consistency. Add the mixture to a popsicle mold, then freeze it for a few hours until it becomes solid. The end result is a tasty treat that’s equally delicious, nutritious, and soothing for your teething baby.
5. Turn Breast Milk Into Jewelry
If you’re looking for a more lasting way to commemorate your breastfeeding journey, breast milk jewelry is the perfect choice. Custom rings, bracelets, necklaces, and other accessories are created with stones made from breast milk, allowing you to carry the bond you have with your child wherever you go. Wearing it embodies the achievement of breastfeeding in the form of a unique and beautiful piece of jewelry that complements any style.
At KeepsakeMom, we handcraft breast milk jewelry to help mothers represent and honor the incredible journey of motherhood. Each piece is a powerful combination of beauty and meaning, giving mothers a way to commemorate their personal experience with breastfeeding, and to celebrate this milestone in a truly one-of-a-kind way.
Our breast milk jewelry can also serve as a touching memento for those who are healing or grieving a loss. For mothers who get only a limited amount of time with their babies, whether during pregnancy or after birth, breast milk jewelry can be a symbolic reminder of their eternal love and the unbreakable bond that was formed during their time together.
Turning your breast milk into a gorgeous piece of jewelry is one of many ways you can put your liquid gold to use, and we at KeepsakeMom would be happy to help. We invite you to explore our wide variety of breast milk jewelry, and browse our gorgeous rings, beads, necklaces, earrings, and more to find the perfect keepsake for you and your child. Struggling to choose a design? Check out our FAQs to see answers to common questions about customizing your breast milk jewelry. Looking to make your jewelry yourself? Check out our DIY Breastmilk Jewelry Kit!
