Did you pump so much milk that you now have a freezer full of breast milk and don’t know what to do with it? I often read about moms tossing out hundreds and thousands of ounces of breast milk. Stop right there! Don’t toss out all that hard work. Put that milk to use! Here are 10 things you can do with frozen breast milk.
10 Things To Do With Frozen Breast Milk
Whether you add it to a recipe or use it to ease common ailments, check out these 10 things you can do with your leftover frozen breast milk:
1. Feed Your Baby When You’re Out and About
When you know you have extra breast milk and you won’t get engorged from pushing out a nursing session, take a bottle and some previously frozen breast milk with you and feed your baby. You can also do this if you simply need milk to bribe your infant while you’re out. Then, once you get home, you can pump and freeze some fresh milk to use several months down the road.
2. Use It in Ice Cream or a Smoothie
Breast milk doesn’t have to be consumed as a liquid. You can make ice cream from breast milk or toss it into the blender with some fruits and vegetables for a delicious smoothie to feed your infant or even an older child! You usually have to pour a liquid into the blender to make it work properly as it blends fruits and vegetables. So, instead of using water or whole milk, defrost some breast milk and pour it in for a healthier option for your child.
3. Make Some Breast Milk Popsicles
Not only are these healthy, but they often provide relief to a teething baby. Whether you’ve mixed in some fruits or vegetables or kept it plain, chewing on a breast milk popsicle is much more rewarding than chewing on a frozen silicone or gel toy. You can even put breast milk ice cubes in a mesh fresh food feeder or a silicone feeder to help give your teething baby some relief.
4. Defrost Some Breast Milk To Use With Baby Cereal
Why use water when you have a stash of milk?! Baby cereal is known to provide iron and help babies put on weight.3 And while mixing in some breast milk is beneficial to all infants, it can be an excellent idea for those who won’t breastfeed but will eat the milk in foods like cereal.
5. Donate Your Extra Breast Milk
Did you know some organizations will accept your frozen breast milk for donation? No, it does not always need to be fresh. You can donate frozen milk instead of throwing it away. However, do be aware that the AAP does cite potential safety risks with the informal sharing of breast milk.8 Contact local organizations such as La Leche League or your local hospital for more information on how you can donate breast milk and help families in need.
6. Make a Milk Bath
Breast milk does not always need to be used as food. As a source of vitamins, proteins, and fats, breast milk can be used in a milk bath.4,5 Giving your child a milk bath can be healthy and make for a fun photoshoot!
7. Use It To Treat Eczema
Does your child have eczema? If so, breast milk can help treat it.1,2 The fats and proteins in milk can leave your baby’s skin soft. Aside from using breast milk in a milk bath, you can use it to make lotion, soap, or chapstick to soften your baby’s skin and help treat their eczema.
8. Put It in Baby’s Eyes
Breast milk can also clear up your baby’s gooey, red eyes.6 Make sure it’s the right temperature and use it as eye drops. I’ve seen my infant’s eye go from swollen and red to perfectly normal in under 24 hours, so I’m telling you from experience! It’s harmless to your baby’s eyes and gets the gunk right out. It’s also much easier to wipe off your baby’s eyes than using water and a washcloth and having to rub your baby’s eyes.
9. Use It for Stuffy Noses
What if your child is congested, but you can’t understand all the ingredients used in saline drops? Just put a couple of drops of breastmilk to clear that congestion right out.7 It’s a much gentler liquid than saline and doesn’t come with a list of ingredients.
10. Reap the Benefits Yourself
Breast milk isn’t just for babies! You can use breast milk on your own skin or eyes, or even use it on an older child, to get the same benefits.
Did any of these ideas surprise you? Whether you consume, donate, or repurpose your frozen breast milk, we hope our list inspired you to use it in a new way. Don’t let that liquid gold go to waste, mamas!
