What Do I Do With Extra Breast Milk - ReLacto

If you specifically looked for or clicked on this post knowingly, congratulations! You are one of the lucky mommies who have a surplus of breast milk, which, believe us, is extremely difficult to come by!

Of course, with the blood, sweat, and tears required to produce and pump that precious milk day after day, it’s understandable that you’d want to find ways to keep them from going to waste. So, here are some ideas on what you can do with all that extra breast milk!

1. Get Crafty with It

We know that this may sound totally off-the-wall, but hear us out!

Over the years, a handful of crafty mommies have devised a number of ingenious ways to turn their excess or expired breast milk into some pretty awesome stuff, and these “breast milk crafts” are actually more common and popular than you might think!

These things are so popular that there are many websites and stores that sell them online! Of course, there are even more DIY guides and tutorials online, so if you want to try your hand at either of the crafts below, a quick online search is all you need to do to get started:

Jewelleries
Bath soaps
Lotions
Moisturizers

Unleash your inner artists, mommies!

2. Store It

This is a no-brainer, but let’s go over it regardless.

Now, we know that this is probably every breastfeeding mother’s go-to technique for dealing with excess breast milk. However, as you may already know, storing breast milk can be tricky, if not downright confusing. So, if you do decide to store it, here are some important things to keep in mind!

a. Storage on your kitchen counter:

Place in the coolest part of the counter
Away from direct sunlight
Ideal temperature: 16°C – 25°C
Ideal duration: Up to 4 hours

b. Storage in your refrigerator:

Place in the centre or as far back as possible
Do not store in the compartments on the refrigerator door
Ideal temperature: 4°C or colder
Ideal duration: Up to 3 days

c. Storage in your freezer:

Store in BPA-free breast milk storage bags or sealed containers
Label the bags with expressed dates
Place at the back of the freezer
Ideal temperature: -18°C or colder
Ideal duration: Up to 6 months

Frozen Milk - ReLacto — Frozen Milk – ReLacto

3. Donate It

Donating your breast milk is another option, whether you have an oversupply of breast milk or simply want to do some good! Though, if you do decide to donate, you should be aware that it may not be without its challenges.

Most breast milk banks have strict criteria and guidelines when it comes to breast milk donation to ensure that the donated breast milk is safe for other infants to consume. And, sometimes, even if you meet the criteria and follow the guidelines to the letter, you’d still be unable to donate your milk for other reasons.

Also, a quick online search will tell you that there aren’t many breast milk banks or drives in Singapore, with the exception of the following:

Temasek Foundation Community Milk Bank Programme (KK Human Milk Bank)
Milk Drive (The Food Bank Singapore)

So, yes, while donating may not be the easiest option, we do believe it is the most rewarding, and thus, an option that you should consider giving a shot.

4. Make a Bath Out of It

Breast milk baths are said to be very beneficial for a baby’s skin due to the high presence of fatty acid components in breast milk, which can help prevent itchy and dry skin by locking in moisture. But that’s not all! A relaxing breast milk bath can also help with the treatment of the following conditions in your baby:

Mild eczema
Baby acne
Diaper rash
Cuts and insect bites

So, if you want to give it a go, all you need to do first is fill your baby’s bathtub with an adequate amount of lukewarm water. Then, add just enough breast milk to make the bathwater milky (a good rule of thumb is around 150 – 300ml of breast milk) and gently soak your baby in it.

Mommy Tip: It’s perfectly fine to use frozen or expired breast milk to prepare a breast milk bath for your baby as long as it still smells good.

Takeaway

See, mommies? There are plenty of ways to put that extra “liquid gold” you worked so hard to produce for your little one to good use rather than letting them go down the drain in vain!

We hope you have fun trying one or more of the fun, creative, and helpful ways we discussed above and that you have a wonderful breastfeeding journey ahead!

ReLacto: Best Meals for Lactation

We know that obtaining nutritious meals, let alone the best meals for lactation, can be a difficult task, especially as a new mother with a slew of new responsibilities, which is why we’re here to help!

Keeping every breastfeeding mother’s needs in mind, ReLacto offers a complete and diverse nutritious and lactogenic menu – specially curated by our award-winning chef and in-house dietitian.

All the dishes in our lactation meal plan are packed with nutrients as well as some of Asia’s best lactation-boosting ingredients like ginger, garlic, fennel, fenugreek, green papaya, and moringa oleifera.

Save yourself the trouble of gathering the right ingredients and preparing daily meals, and simply let us assist you with your breastfeeding journey! Click here for more information about us and our lactation food Singapore service.

Author

ReLacto

We are a team behind the leading lactation meal provider and we believe proper nutrition during breastfeeding is not just something to be experienced, but also worth learning about. On top of preparing nutritious meals for mothers, we’re passionate about researching and sharing useful information on nutrition for lactation and recovery, and occasionally tips on baby weaning through our blogs.

View all posts