There's good reason breastmilk is often referred to as liquid gold: It has the perfect balance of nutrition for your baby and is chock full of antibodies, anti-viral agents, and other disease-fighting substances that scientists are discovering more about every day.
Just look at any online mom group and you'll find a mama who is a champion for the healing powers of breastmilk, suggesting its use to heal a mom's sore nipples, and clear up conjunctivitis, ear infections, eczema, baby acne, as well as a garden variety of childhood rashes.
But some moms seem to be taking it all a step further, and finding ways to get crafty with their breastmilk. Yes, it may sound totally off-the-wall, but it turns out these moms are actually finding ways to turn their breastmilk into some pretty awesome stuff. Check out these creative, ingenious ideas. We're not suggesting you start an Etsy page of your own, but no judgment if these ideas spark your interest.
Popsicles
Sometimes teething babies will actually refuse the breast when they're uncomfortable. Enter breastfeeding popsicles. Here's how they work: Find a popsicle mold, freeze pumped breastmilk, and serve it up to a fussy baby. Not only does the baby get fed, but their aching gums may start to feel a little better. If they were fussy at the breast, they might be happier to nurse again soon after. Some moms freeze their milk in those popular "mesh baby-feeding bags" and some even make baby "ring pops" using bottle nipples.
Jewelry
The end of breastfeeding can be bittersweet for moms, so what better way to commemorate the breastfeeding experience than by turning breastmilk into gorgeous jewelry? A small amount of expressed milk is all it takes to get the job done. Jewelry choices include pendants, charms, and rings. Most moms have their jewelry fashioned by a professional breastmilk jewelry maker, but there are also DIY breastmilk jewelry tutorials online, and jewelry making kits you can purchase.
Ice Cream
Breastmilk ice cream may not be something that the general public feels comfortable trying, but if your baby is no longer exclusively breastfeeding yet refusing a bottle, breastmilk ice cream can be a delicious godsend. Moms simply blend some breastmilk with ice (you can use breastmilk to make the ice if you want to go the extra mile). The more adventurous moms out there have been known to add some baby-friendly fruits like bananas to give the ice cream some extra flavor and a nutritional boost. Older babies who have no allergies may enjoy some nuts, yogurt, or even a touch of chocolate or sugar to make the ice cream truly decadent.
Soap
Not everyone will want to bathe with it, but if breastmilk is actually as healing as some think, this is a genius idea. All it takes are some cute and pretty soap molds to start. Breastmilk soap makers then add coconut oil, essential oils, glycerin, and honey to the mix. But it doesn't have to be too complicated, either. Check out this breastmilk soap recipe that calls for only four ingredients (besides breastmilk, of course). Breastmilk soap is especially useful for babies whose skin is sensitive to commercially produced soaps.
Cheese
A couple of years ago, Manhattan chef Daniel Angerer made headlines when he turned his wife's breastmilk into cheese and served it to customers. But some moms make breastmilk cheese without plans to sell it to the general public. They just substitute breastmilk in any basic cheese recipe. Check out Angerer's infamous recipe, which he posted on his blog. It's actually easy to follow, with only a few simple ingredients.
Lotion
Sure, some moms say "just squirt some breastmilk on it" anytime a cut or rash appears on a baby's skin. But let's face it: Sometimes it's not that easy to splash breastmilk all over a baby. It can get messy, and doesn't always stay on for long periods of time. That's where breastmilk lotion comes in. It can be an effective way to apply breastmilk to the skin. Breastfeeding Mama Talk has an awesome recipe that can be whipped up quickly in the microwave.
Milk bath
When experimental moms have a surplus of pumped milk, or pumped milk that has expired, they add it to the kids' bath. Lindsey from Mother Rising, simply added some of her extra pumped milk to the bath, bathed her kids, and followed up with some lotion to seal in the healing powers of the milk. Lindsey reports that the dry skin that had plagued one of her kids cleared up completely after a few of these milk baths.
Not all of us are up for chowing down on a hunk of breastmilk cheese, or wearing our milk around your neck for all to see. But who would have thought there would be so many uses for breastmilk? So let's hear it for women's bodies and the amazing things they can do.
