What To Do With Leftover Breast Milk So It Won’t Go To Waste
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Ask any breastfeeding mom who has dedicated countless hours to nursing or pumping for her baby and she will tell you the same — we don’t waste breast milk! It’s the unspoken “rule”. Why? Well for one, it’s a pretty darn challenging task. And for another, breast milk has some pretty amazing properties that make it excellent for more than just “breastfeeding”. So, before you toss out any leftover milk, read through our tips on what to do with left over breast milk first.
When I had my first baby, excess breast milk was not something I had the pleasure of experiencing. I was barely keeping up with my baby’s needs, sometimes offering baby formula to make up the difference. To say it was a struggle doesn’t fully capture just exactly how challenging our breastfeeding journey was, but when I had my second baby, everything was different.
I had an excess supply from the day he was born. I’d pump a minimum of 4-6oz at a time on top of nursing him, I was shocked! So, I began saving my breast milk so that my husband could offer a bottle during night feeds, to sometimes use in a milk bath, and honestly, just because it felt nice to not be scrambling to keep up.
No matter which of these stories you relate to most, if you find yourself with a deep freezer full of that liquid gold or a small storage container filled with your last few drops, I have some great ideas to help you cherish them instead of tossing them.
Reasons Some Moms Have Leftover Breast Milk:
Before jumping into all the other ways to use extra breast milk you might be wondering, why do some moms have so much left over milk?
Here’s a few reasons why some moms end up with lots of extra breast milk:
- Oversupply: Some moms naturally produce more milk than their little one needs. This surplus can accumulate over time, leading to leftover breast milk even after weaning.
- Pumping Excess: Moms who exclusively pump or pump in addition to breastfeeding may find they have more milk stored than their baby can consume. This can happen due to regular pumping schedules or simply producing more milk than expected.
- Extended Breastfeeding: Some moms continue breastfeeding beyond the typical age of weaning, and if they eventually decide to stop, they may have leftover milk stored from their extended breastfeeding journey.
- Bottle Refusal: Some moms will begin exclusively pumping, but then their baby refuses to take a bottle. This can leave them with extra milk.
- Weaning Gradually: Some babies are weaned earlier than expected, leaving you with excess pumped milk stored in the freezer. If you’re weaning due to lactation struggles, be sure to get a couple different opinions from some lactation consultants to help you try to salvage the journey or wean effectively so you don’t end up with any clogged milk ducts.
- Milk Intolerance: Some babies can develop an intolerance to specific foods in your milk that’s already been frozen or stored away, meaning you can’t use it to feed them (but don’t worry, we have some creative ways to use milk that can’t be fed to baby).
- Excess lipase : If you find out you have excess lipase AFTER building up a freezer stash, chances are, you’ll be stuck holding onto that milk for a while.
As you can see, there’s quite a few reasons moms could end up with extra breast milk. Regardless of the reason, there’s always something you can do with it if you don’t plan to use it for feeding baby.
What To Do with Extra Breast Milk Without Wasting It?
In this section, we’ll explore different ways to repurpose and share your extra breast milk, ensuring that every ounce is celebrated and utilized to its fullest potential.
1) Become a Breast Milk Donor & Make a Breast Milk Donation
My first baby ended up in the NICU for a few days and was unable to breastfeed right away. I rigorously used my breast pump for him every 1-2 hours, but my body wasn’t responding well to the pump stimulation. With minimal support to latch him to my breast, we decided to start offering him baby formula so he could start getting the nutrients he needed until I was able to express colostrum and get some milk in. That “slow start” to our breastfeeding journey impacted my entire experience.
As i mentioned earlier in this article, I had quite the opposite experience with my second baby. After experiencing such an oversupply of milk, I decided I wanted to try to give back and do something meaningful with it — that’s where I learned about breast milk donations!
Fortunately, a local Milk Bank had just opened their doors to accepting donors and I didn’t hesitate to contact them and get the ball rolling. I was thrilled to make my first donation after going through their detailed screening process (which I promise, is for a great reason explained below) and I was able to eventually drop off over 200 oz of milk to help out other babies in need.
If becoming a breast milk donor is something you’d like to consider (which I highly encourage you to do), you can read all about the process thanks to the generous UC MIlk Bank who provided the donation information below:
What are the Benefits of Donor Milk?
Each ounce of breastmilk donated feeds fragile newborns and improves their health outcomes. Indeed, a premature baby who receives only human milk has a 95% lower chance of suffering from Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), an intestinal catastrophe that can lead to infant death.
Epidemiologic studies have shown that infant death rates due to NEC are higher for black babies than for white babies. Donor milk can greatly improve the health outcomes for premature infants and significantly decrease the risk of NEC. The UC Milk Bank is committed to improving accessibility to donor milk for those infants in the greatest need in our community.
Who Uses Donor Milk?
Hospitals that care for premature and ill newborns and infants are the largest users of donor milk. Research has shown that premature infants fed mother’s own milk or pasteurized donor milk have better outcomes than those fed cow’s milk formulas.
Children with digestive problems, growth problems, or immune defects may also benefit from the gift of mothers’ milk. Families who are unable to breastfeed their babies due to adoption, surrogacy, maternal illness, or mothers who don’t make enough milk for their baby’s needs may also give their infants donor milk.
How is Donor Milk Processed?
A frozen milk donation is kept in a freezer until donor is approved. Once approved, milk is thawed in a refrigerator and undergoes a nutritional analysis (fat, protein, and carbohydrates).
Depending on the nutritional information of each donor, milk from 5 mothers is pooled together to create the desired nutrition levels. Then, a sample of the pooled milk is analyzed. The nutrition analysis determines if milk is allocated to tiny babies, term babies, or outpatients
Bottles are then filled and capped and milk is heat pasteurized for 30 minutes using the Holder Method of pasteurization. Labels with bar codes and calorie/protein content are applied to the bottles and then frozen.
One bottle of each batch is cultured to ensure sterility. If the culture is negative for bacteria, milk is approved for distribution, and milk is then delivered to NICUs and families in need of donor milk.
Why Not Just Milk Share or Give Milk to a Friend?
At a time when many women are sharing milk with friends and family, it is good to know the facts. Mothers’ milk is a live biologic fluid, like blood. It has millions of live cells, stem cells, bacteria, and viruses.
These factors are for the protection of the infant most of the time, but there are some viruses that cause serious illness, like HIV, and can be transmitted in mothers’ milk. This is why HIV+ mothers in North America do not breastfeed.
There are other viruses, like CMV (cytomegalovirus) that have lived in humans for millennia. Most of us first get exposed to CMV in our mother’s milk, but because the mother passes baby antibodies to the CMV, the baby becomes colonized and rarely gets sick.
Giving milk from one mother to another’s baby can complicate the normal process if the baby has no protective antibody. Lastly, milk bought over the internet or from strangers may be contaminated, may contain other types of milk (like formula), or be shipped improperly, putting the baby at risk of infection.
Because of these concerns, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that mothers not share milk, and that families who wish to purchase breastmilk do so from an accredited milk bank.
How Does Someone Become a Breast Milk Donor?
Donors MUST be pre-approved to donate breastmilk. Most of the UC Milk approval process is online at [email protected]
Once approved donors schedule an appointment for milk drop off and blood draw. Contact UC Health Milk Bank at 858-249-MILK (6455) or [email protected]
2) Use Breast Milk for Diaper Rash
Since breast milk contains properties known to soothe the skin, it’s no surprise some moms have great success using it to treat diaper rashes!
In fact, this study done in 2017 states, “Breast milk can be an effective, safe and convenient remedy (against diaper dermatitis)“. If your little one is more prone to diaper rashes and buying creams is eating up your bank account, you might consider giving it a try!
There are a few “breast milk diaper rash cream” recipes online, but I would dampen a cloth with breast milk & dab it onto your little ones’ skin so long as your doctor approves it.
3) Use Your Breast Milk to Soothe Sore Nipples
As much as your breast milk can help soothe baby’s skin, it’s also GREAT for soothing irritated breastfeeding mom nipples!
Simply rub in a little breast milk onto them before and after a pump session or nursing session.
I like rubbing on a little bit of my earth mama nipple butter first and then rubbing on some breast milk and I swear I’ve never experienced the dry or cracking issues since implementing this little hack!
4) Make A Breast Milk Bath
Breast milk baths (also just termed “milk bath”) have grown a lot more popularity in recent days. One of those reasons is its incredible properties that benefit the skin. A breast milk bath can be a gentle and soothing experience for your little one (and even you), offering numerous benefits for irritated and delicate skin. For instance, breast milk contains a fatty acid called “lauric acid“. Lauric acid helps the skin stay moisturized, reduces inflammation, and also contains anti-bacterial & anti-aging properties.
Here’s how you can create a safe and nurturing breast milk bath for your infant:
- Fill the baby bathtub or sink with warm water for your baby.
- Add 1/2 cup of expressed breast milk (or just enough so it has a light cloudy appearance) to the bathwater, gently swirling it to mix.
- Carefully place your baby into the breast milk-infused bath.
- Use your hands or a soft washcloth to gently cleanse and massage your baby’s skin with the breast milk-infused water.
- Enjoy this special bonding time with your little one as they relax and soak in the nourishing benefits of the breast milk bath.
Here’s how you can create a safe and nurturing breast milk bath for yourself:
- Fill your bathtub with warm water to your desired level.
- Start by pouring in 1 cup of expressed breast milk until you achieve a lightly cloudy water mixture.
- Add 5-10 drops of lavender essential oil to the milk and water mixture, adjusting the amount to suit your preference for aroma and relaxation.
- Sprinkle a handful of dried lavender flowers into the bath (or any other preferred herbal mixtures) for an extra touch of relaxation.
- Relax and enjoy this calming bath.
5) Breast Milk Jewelry
Transforming your precious breast milk into stunning keepsake jewelry is a beautiful way to celebrate the unique bond between you and your little one. I did this after both of my breastfeeding journeys because even though they were both so different (and one was downright difficult), it’s a chapter in motherhood I never want to forget captured in a simple piece of jewelry.
Sadly, the breast milk jewelry maker I used recently closed her shop, but she made such beautiful pieces. I have since then gone through and found 2 different shops that make beautiful and heartfelt breast milk jewelry I know you’ll love:
6) Create Breast Milk Popsicles for Teething Babies
Making breast milk popsicles for teething babies can be a lifesaver during those challenging moments when your little one is experiencing discomfort from teething. In fact, we have an entire article about how to make breast milk popsicles for a teething baby to get relief.
Basically, teething can be a trying time for both babies and parents, as their tiny teeth start to make their way through their gums, causing discomfort and a lot of fussiness. Thankfully, breast milk popsicles are a great way to offer a natural and gentle solution to help alleviate your baby’s teething discomforts while providing them with a delicious and nutritious treat.
7) Create Breast Milk Soap
Crafting your own breast milk soap can be a really fun project, offering a creative way to harness the nourishing properties of your liquid gold for both you and anyone else who uses your soap. Rich in natural fats, proteins, and antibodies, breast milk is renowned for its moisturizing and healing properties, making it an ideal ingredient for gentle and nourishing soap.
To create your own breast milk soap, you’ll need a few basic supplies:
- breast milk,
- a high-quality soap base (such as melt-and-pour soap base or cold process soap ingredients),
- essential oils or fragrances (optional),
- and any additional additives such as herbs, flowers, or exfoliants for added texture and scent.
Start by expressing fresh breast milk or using previously pumped milk from your freezer stash. Next, choose your preferred method for making soap. If you’re new to soap making or prefer a simpler approach, melt-and-pour soap bases are an excellent option. Simply melt the soap base according to the manufacturer’s instructions, add your breast milk, essential oils, and any desired additives, then pour the mixture into molds to set.
If you’re feeling brave and want to try your hand at cold process soap making, you can create your own custom soap recipe using lye, oils, and of course, breast milk. This method allows for greater control over the ingredients and can result in beautifully crafted bars of soap tailored to your preferences.
I have a really good mama friend who makes her own breast milk soap bars and sells them at a local farmer’s market, she sells out every time! You can also find a variety of beautiful breast milk soaps and lotions online at Etsy to give yourself some ideas.
Other ways to use leftover breast milk:
Besides the ways we already discussed, here’s a list of an additional 6 ways you can use extra breast milk so that it doesn’t go to waste:
- Save your milk to use if your baby ever develops eczema or any skin irritations.
- Give yourself a breast milk facial (plus, it’s great for getting rid of acne!).
- Use it to help relieve sunburns.
- Cook up some baby meals using your breast milk.
- Grab a toothbrush and use your breast milk to get rid of that cradle cap.
- Use your breast milk as chapstick (it really does help!).
Now that you have all these ideas on how you can use your leftover breast milk so it doesn’t go to waste, which one will you try out?
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