9 Amazing Alternative Uses for Breast Milk
9 Other Ways Breast Milk Can be Used to Help your Baby
Most people know that breast milk is an amazing food source for babies, but did you know that there are many alternative uses for breast milk? Breast milk is packed with antibodies that can help remedy common issues like ear infections, diaper rash, baby acne, and more. If you have expired breast milk or a freezer stash full of extra milk, check out these alternative uses for breast milk.
Give Baby a Breast Milk Bath
Breast milk baths have become very popular in the world of newborn photography, but they do a whole lot more than just make for a pretty picture. Milk baths are great for babies and people of all ages. Breast milk baths hydrate the skin, clear up rashes, and reduces itching. To make a breast milk bath, simply add expressed milk to warm bath water and let your baby soak. I typically use 6 – 9 ounces of expired breast milk when making a milk bath for my little one.
Make Lotion out of Breast Milk
Making lotion out of breast milk is easier than it sounds and it’s packed with benefits for your skin and your baby’s! Here’s a simple breast milk lotion recipe:
Ingredients:
- 3 ounces of breast milk
- 3 ounces of coconut oil
- 1 Tbs of Beeswax
- 3 drops of vitamin E oil
- 3 drops of lavender oil
Instructions:
Melt the coconut oil and beeswax. Slowly pour in the breast milk and wisk until it become thick. Wisk in the Vitamin E oil and lavender oil. Store in an air tight container in the fridge.
Treat Eczema
Breast milk’s healing properties can be used to treat eczema as well. The best ways to treat eczema with breast milk are to give your baby a milk or take a cotton ball soaked in breast milk and apply it to the affected areas.
Heal Diaper Rash
The chances of your baby developing a diaper rash within their first year of life are very likely. Their brand new skin can have a hard time adjusting to diapers and the outside world. Breast milk is a natural and effective way to treat diaper rash in babies. When Elliott has an especially bad diaper rash, I soak a water wipe in breast milk and gently wipe the rash.
Relieve Ear Infection Pain
If you suspect that your baby is suffering from an ear infection, you can try to start treating the infection with a few drops of breast milk. Simply take a small syringe of freshly expressed breast milk and put a few drops in your baby’s ear. It is still recommended that you see your pediatrician and treat the ear infection with any prescribed medications.
Clear Up Baby Acne with Breast Milk
Baby acne is very common in newborns and is thought to be caused by either maternal or infant hormones. Almost 20% of babies will develop baby acne in their first few months of life. While most cases will go away on their own, you can try using breast milk to help clear up your baby’s acne. Giving your baby a milk bath or applying breast milk to your baby’s face with a water wipe are easy ways to clear up baby acne.
Use Breast Milk to Clear Cradle Cap
Breast milk can also be used to clear cradle cap. Cradle cap looks like flaky patches of skin on the top of your baby’s head and usually develops in the first few weeks of life. It, too, can clear up on it’s own, but a soothing milk bath or direct application of breast milk can help speed up the process.
Use Breast Milk to Treat Sore Nipples
One of the best pieces of advice I got after having Elliott was to use colostrum to help heal my sore nipples. He had trouble latching properly right after birth, and within 24 hours, I was suffering from sore nipples. After each nursing session, I would express a small bit of colostrum, rub it on my nipples, and let it air dry. After fixing our latch and using that early form of breast milk to heal my sore nipples, I was breastfeeding pain free within just a few days.
Make a Breast Milk Popsicle for your Teething Baby
If you’re a breastfeeding mom, you probably already know that teething babies love to nurse. While your little one may find extra comfort at the breast, you can also try making breast milk popsicles to help with teething pain. The easiest way I’ve found to make these teething treats is to freeze breast milk in an ice cube try and then put a frozen cube in a Munchkin fruit feeder. This was the perfect treat for warm summer days when Elliott was just a few months old.
Breast milk is amazing and powerful. It’s the perfect food babies, and it can also help treat many other common conditions that mothers and their little ones encounter during the first year. If you try any of these alternative uses for breast milk, I’d love to hear about your experience. Follow me on Instagram or comment below to let me know how it worked.
Related:
9 Amazing Uses for Breast Milk
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