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ALTERNATIVE USES FOR BREAST MILK: You can make your own soap using the milk - here's a recipe for it from the Dr Oz TV show. -
Run out of contact lens solution? The milk can be used as a substitute for cleaning lenses. -
Expressed milk can be applied to cracked, sore nipples to help soothe them. -
Likewise, applying a small amount of milk to chapped lips can help replenish moisture. -
A baby's stuffy nose can be cleaned out with breast milk instead of the usual saline solution: just squirt a few drops of milk into their nose, leave it for a few minutes, then use a bulb syringe to suction it all out. -
Some mums swear by using breast milk in the place of deodorant. -
Sunburnt skin can be soothed by gingerly applying breast milk to the area. -
Some believe that breast milk could help ease the symptoms of Crohn's disease. Organ donation recipients can also benefit from the milk's immunologic powers. -
Get baking with some milk! Breast milk can be used to make a range of food products. Click through the links to check out recipes for bread ... -
... ice cream ... -
... and breast milk butter .... -
.... and cheese (such as this breast milk cottage cheese recipe) ... -
... yoghurt ... -
and cupcakes. -
As reported in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2004, a natural compound nicknamed HAMLET can be used to treat - and eventually get rid of - warts. HAMLET is found in breast milk, and some mums have found success with applying milk to the warts a few times a day. -
A baby suffering from nappy rash can be treated with some breast milk applied to the area. -
Okay, the breast milk itself can't be used as contraception, but the practice of breastfeeding can help delay the return of the woman's menstrual cycle, meaning she can't get pregnant. It's called the lactational amenorrhea method. -
As breast milk is sterile and has antibacterial, antiseptic and healing properties, it can be used to help heal cuts, grazes and scratches. -
It's said that breast milk can be a good sexual lubricant - as one article states, "Females can first hand express the milk into a sterile cup in order to do this". -
It can also be used as a gargle or drink to soothe sore throats. -
Tired and red eyes can be soothed by breast milk on a cotton wool pad. -
The great properties of breast milk mean it can be patted onto rashes to help reduce redness and itching ... -
... and can also help soothe the itching of chicken pox. -
Some mums swear that breast milk can get rid of cradle cap. Just gently massage a small amount onto the scalp while breastfeeding; there's no need to wash it off. It's said to clear the scalp up after a few days of regular treatment. -
Etsy sellers can create breast milk jewellery: you send them the milk, they make it into a bead that can then be worn on a bracelet ... -
... or on a necklace ... -
... in a variety of styles ... -
... or even preserved inside a locket. -
Squirting a few drops of the milk into an eye can help get rid of conjunctivitis - great for treating toddler siblings, who are often affected by the condition. -
Milk can be donated to organisations such as Mothers' Milk Bank, which provides screened and pasteurised donor milk for families in which the mum is unable to supply her own milk.
It's not just the milk your baby drinks that can boost her health – mothers the world over have used breast milk as a cure-all for afflictions including rashes, itchy bites, sunburn, snotty noses and grazes.
And it's not only babies who are bathing in the benefits of this liquid gold. It seems people of all ages and cultures are finding surprising ways to boost their health with magic mothers' milk, from body builders in the United States to the wealthy elderly in China.
Bodybuilders are using breast milk to put on more muscle, arguing that it has special properties that make it superior to just about any other food. A cup of breast milk contains about 170 calories a cup (20 more than whole milk), 10 grams of fat, 16 carbs, and 2 grams of protein (5 less than whole milk), as well as vitamins and minerals and several growth hormones. While breast milk is designed to support the rapid growth of babies, the jury is still out on whether this has similar effects on grown men – other than reports from the body builders themselves.
And according to reports from Guangzhou's Southern Metropolis Daily and the BBC, breast milk is the new luxury snack for the nouveau riche in China. Proponents push breast milk's high nutritional value, with adult wet nurses being paid between $2000 to $4000 per month. In parts of China, there is the belief that human breast milk contains the most nutritional value for people that are ill.
The antibodies in breast milk – IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and IgE, which are secretory IgA molecules – combat diseases without causing inflammation. This is why breastfed babies are often protected from various illnesses such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal disease and even asthma symptoms.
And studies into the antibacterial agents of milk reveal that compounds called 'human alpha-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells' – also known as HAMLET – have been linked to killing 40 types of cancer cells in tests. According to researchers at the University of Buffalo, HAMLET can help treat people with those nasty superbugs that cause pneumonia, MRSA, and staph infection
Here are five ways to use breast milk at home ...
Healing sore nipples
If you have sore nipples, you could be better off ditching the creams and potions and rubbing some fresh breast milk on your nipples. Studies show that breast milk is more effective than lanolin at healing damaged nipples.
Simply rub breast milk onto your nipples and let it dry after you feed your baby. It will soothe soreness and kill any bacteria that could lead to mastitis if bugs enter cracks in the skin.
Conjunctivitis
The amazing antibacterial properties in breast milk work a treat for babies' sticky eyes or older kids who get an infection – you can simply squirt fresh breast milk in your child's eyes or use an eye dropper .
Do check with your doctor any time your child's eyes look buggy, especially if a bit of boob isn't clearing them up quickly.
Facial cleanser
Breast milk can be a cheap facial cleanser – simply squirt some onto a cotton ball and use it to remove makeup, or apply breast milk to your skin and wipe off with tissues or a clean towel.
It could also be an effective remedy for teenage acne (an added bonus if you have teenagers and a baby, but good luck convincing your teenager to try this!): according to a report in the Telegraph, scientists from the University of California found the lauric acid in human breast milk targets skin bacteria that causes acne – and, because it is a natural substance, there are no side effects. To use breast milk as an acne solution, rinse your face with water, then apply breast milk all over the infected area and let it air-dry.
Ear infections
Please check with your doctor if your baby seems to have a sore ear (red ear, pulling at his ear and waking, screaming in pain), but if ear ache strikes at 3am this could be handy to try. Some say the antibacterial properties in breast milk make it a natural remedy to treat an ear infection in infants and even adults. Try three to four drops of breast milk into the baby's ear – the drops should be administered at the entrance of the ear canal, not directly into it.
Breast milk jewellery
If you would like a precious memento of your breastfeeding days, you can have a wee bit of your mama milk specially preserved and made into beautiful keepsake jewellery. You can get your jewellery professionally created or try this at home with a do-it-yourself kit.
Pinky McKay is an Internationally Certified Lactation Consultant and best selling baby care author. She is also the creator of Boobie Bikkies, all natural and organic health food cookies to boost energy and support a healthy breastmilk supply. Download her FREE ebook Making More Mummy Milk, Naturally.