It is well known now that breast milk is a true super food for babies. It offers a wide array of health serving benefits, along with easily absorbed nutrients with which to grow, and comes in a very easily digested form. It is well recognized that breast-fed infants are healthier than their formula fed peers, in that they have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. They also have fewer hospitalizations and trips to the doctor. This is likely because breast milk is rich with antibodies that help babies fight off the viruses and bacteria that they and their mothers encounter. Breastfeeding reduces your baby's risk of both allergies and asthma, and it has also been suggested to lower the risk of diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers as well, but more research is needed to confirm these findings. The eye-contact, skin-to-skin touching and physical closeness that comes along with breastfeeding, also help you bond with your baby. Some studies link breastfeeding with higher IQ scores later in childhood, too.
But we all know that breastfeeding has a lot of great benefits for moms, as well. You burn 20 calories for each ounce of milk you make. Which means for an 8 pound baby who needs approximately 20oz of milk per 24 hours, you will be burning 400 calories in that 24 hours only making milk for your baby! Not only does it help you with post-partum weigh loss, but it also speeds up the involution of your uterus by releasing the hormone oxytocin, which also helps to reduce uterine bleeding after birth. Breastfeeding lowers your risk for ovarian and breast cancer, and may also reduce your risk for osteoporosis. You also save time and money by not having to sterilize and wash bottle supplies, measure formula, or warm bottles.
We know very well that breast milk is a great food for babies, but did you know that there are over 50 other ways that you can use your breast milk, that range from fighting infections to skin care? Well, there are! Many of these are anecdotal, and do not have scientific studies backing them, so feel free to try the ones that interest you, and leave the ones that don't, to find out for yourself.
Medicinal
Ear infections- You can cure an ear infection by putting a few drops of breast milk into the ear canal every few hours. This usually works to clear up the infection within a day or two, and is a lot more ideal than a round of antibiotics. [reference]Conjunctivitis / Pink-eye- Although there are no studies to back this up, many breastfeeding mothers claim that a few drops of breast milk in the eye can help with conjunctivitis or pink-eye, because of the antibiotic properties of it.
Clogged tear ducts- There is also a lot of anecdotal evidence that breast milk can help unclog and heal clogged tear ducts, too.
Nasal congestion / neti pot- Squirting breast milk into your child's nose can help clear up congestion due to its antimicrobial properties. Breast milk can also be used in a neti pot to flush out your sinuses.
Sleep aid for babies / children- The naturally occurring nucleotides found in breast milk reach their highest concentrations at night, and actually help breastfed children sleep.
Sedative for mom- The hormones Relaxin and Oxytocin are released while you breastfeed. They decrease blood pressure, as well as promote relaxation, and are so powerful they can even make breastfeeding mothers fall asleep on the job. [ Reference - The Breastfeeding Book, (C) 2000, M. Sears, R.N., and Wm. Sears, M.D. ]
Sore throat- Gargle breast milk when you have a sore throat to help it heal faster and to reduce the pain.
Cancer treatment- Scientists have found that “[a] substance found in breast milk can kill cancer cells.” Some patients have been drinking breast milk to treat their cancer with successful results.
Coughs, colds, and flu- Stay hydrated and boost your immunity with environmentally appropriate antibodies to help get over coughs, colds and the flu faster and easier.
Fever- When your child has a fever, breast milk is an excellent way to provide hydration, as well as environmentally appropriate antibodies.
Cold sores and fever blisters- Pat a cold sore or fever blister with a breast milk saturated cotton ball to promote healing and provide pain relief.
Warts- Put a breast milk soaked cotton ball on the wart for a few minutes twice a day, and continue for several days until the wart dries up.
Red or puffy eyes- Saturate cotton balls with cold breast milk, and place on your eyes instead of cucumbers.
Chicken Pox- Heal chicken pox sores, and relieve itching, by using breast milk.
Skin Care
Prevention or cure of diaper rash- This is tried and true in my household. When your baby gets a diaper rash, clean the area, dab breast milk on the rash, allow it to air dry, and re-diaper them. It will clear it up very quickly. If your baby is prone to diaper rashes, you can also put it on every diaper change for prevention.Baby acne and eczema- We also use breast milk in our house for eczema, it clears it right up. Just apply it like you would for diaper rash. For curing baby acne, just massage breast milk into your baby's skin on affected areas.
Cradle Cap- To get rid of cradle cap, massage breast milk into your baby's scalp.
Poison ivy, poison oak, or sumac- Dab affected areas with a cotton ball that is saturated with breast milk to relieve the itching.
Burns- A burn treated with breast milk and smashed up blueberries will heal faster, according to Mothering, and will also help to relieve pain.
Sunburn- Pat breast milk gently onto a sunburn and allow to air dry to promote healing and pain relief.
Heal cracked or raw nipples- This is the only 'nipple cream' I ever use. Just express some extra breast milk, rub gently onto your nipples, and allow to air dry. This will help with pain relief and will promote healing of the damaged tissues.
Skin rashes and contact dermatitis- You can promote healing and seek relief from the pain and itchiness of skin rashes or contact dermatitis with breast milk, due to its antiseptic and antimicrobial properties.
Adult acne treatment- I actually use breast milk on my own skin, and it has been very effective at helping clear up my adult acne. Simply wet down your skin, massage in breast milk, then rinse, pat dry, and apply your favourite moisturizer.
Soap- Breast milk is an ideal ingredient for skin care products, due to it containing amino acids, vitamin A and essential proteins. It is also rich in lactic acid, which cleanses and softens skin. Here is a recipe to make your own breast milk soap, or you can buy some here.
Lotion- For the same reasons listed above, breast milk makes a great ingredient for lotion. Here is a great recipe for oatmeal and honey breast milk lotion.
Lip balm- If you do no have lip balm on hand, breast milk can also offer relief from dry, chapped lips.
Preventative
Prevents childhood illnesses- Since babies have immature immune systems, the antibodies that are present in breast milk are very helpful for preventing childhood illnesses like ear infections, ear infections, upper and lower respiratory ailments, allergies, intestinal disorders, colds, viruses, staph, strep and e coli infections, diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, many childhood cancers, meningitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, salmonella, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS),” asthma, and more. [reference]Prevent adult illnesses- Having been breastfed in infancy can also offer lifetime protection against Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, some lymphomas, insulin dependent diabetes, breast and ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, and others, as suggested by research. [reference]
Prevent illness in the breastfeeding mother- Breastfeeding reduces the nursing mother’s risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer, protects mothers against anemia, and can stabilize the progress of endometriosis. [reference for further citations]
Strengthen immune system- Since the antibodies in breast milk are environment specific, breast milk can be an excellent way to boost the immune system of anyone, but can be especially helpful for immune-compromised people, chemotherapy patients, or organ transplant patients.
Birth control- Lactational amenorrhea is the postnatal infertility caused by exclusive breastfeeding. For this reason, breastfeeding can help with child spacing. This is also the reason breastfeeding women have a reduced risk for women's cancers.
First Aid
Pain Relief- When your child gets hurt, nurse away! Not only will the closeness to you bring them comfort, your breast milk contains endorphins so will actually provide them with pain relief.Cuts and scrapes- Breast milk has natural antiseptic qualities, so will act to sooth and heal cuts and scrapes.
Insect bites and stings- Breast milk is also great for reducing itch and promoting healing after an insect bite or sting, due to its natural antiseptic and antibiotic properties.
Infected wounds-Breast milk is naturally antiseptic, so apply it to an infected wound to take advantage of that property.
Wound cleansing- If you are unable to find another cleansing agent, you can use breast milk to clean a wound while giving first aid.
Practical Uses
Contact solution- If you need to moisten or clean your contact lenses while out and about, or if you ran out of contact solution, you can use breast milk.Make-up remover- Breast milk on a cotton ball or cosmetic pad will remove make-up easily, and as an added bonus will soften your skin.
Deodorant- Some women say that they have used breast milk as deodorant on occasion with success.
Sexual lubricant- If you are in need of a lubricant, you can express some breast milk and use it as you would any other.
For Consumption
Drink it- Breast milk can be used as a more species-appropriate alternative to cows milk, and offers a wide range of benefits for any age of person drinking it.Coffee creamer- It's sweet, and it's milk, so why not use it in your coffee instead of creamer? It is far more natural and has way fewer additives.
Ice cream- Since breast milk is naturally sweet, it stands to reason that it would make excellent ice cream.
Sherbet- For a healthy frozen treat for your little one, you can consider making a breast milk sherbet for them.
Cupcakes- If you are looking for a healthy kick to your cupcakes, why not try adding it to your cupcake batter?
Cheese- If you have a lot of spare breast milk, and aren't sure how you can use it, try making some cheese with it.
Yogurt- Again, if you have a lot of extra breast milk and are unsure of what to do with it, you can make a yogurt for your baby.
Cottage cheese- You could even dare to try and make your own breast milk cottage cheese.
Butter- I can hardly believe just how easy it is to make this breast milk butter.
Baby food- If you need to add some liquid to your baby food to get the right consistency, you can use breast milk instead of water for some added nutrition!
Popsicles or mesh feeder cubes- If you are looking for something cold to help with the pain of teething or a sore throat, you can freeze your breast milk in ice cube trays for mesh feeders, or in a Popsicle mold for older children. Please note that freezing breast milk kills some of the live cells and antibodies.
In place of milk for almost any recipe- If a recipe calls for milk, you can substitute it out for breast milk.
Bread starter- Make your own breast milk bread starter using this recipe.
