What To Do With Leftover Breast Milk? (Things You Can Do)

I was recently scrolling through Facebook and I found a post from a bodybuilder looking to purchase breast milk. Curious I clicked the “See more” button and I saw that this local bodybuilder that owns the gym I used to go to is looking to purchase breastmilk because of its many benefits.

This got me thinking, should I mix my protein shake with breastmilk? Okay, that idea was quickly dismissed because I don’t produce nearly enough milk to keep up with my smoothie obsession, but it did get me thinking about what to do with leftover breast milk.

Why do I always have leftover breast milk?

There are a few reasons you may have leftover breast milk lying around. The simplest one may be that your baby is full and doesn’t want to consume anymore. This can be the case especially if you started introducing solid foods into your baby’s diet.

You may also have too much lipase, which is an enzyme that breaks down breast milk. This causes the breastmilk to taste bad and have a sour smell, and although you can feed it to your baby, it may refuse it. This condition is easily treatable and not very common.

It can also be as simple as your baby having an aversion or an intolerance to a certain food you ate. Either way, you can find yourself in a situation where you are wondering what to do with leftover breast milk.

Re-using leftover breastmilk

Just like with any food, if you didn’t eat it all, you can put it away for another time. While storing breastmilk may have a few more guidelines than storing a leftover sandwich, it’s basically the same thing.

Storing breastmilk

There are a few general rules that you should follow when storing breastmilk in order to make sure it won’t go bad. You can leave breastmilk out on the counter for a few hours, I don’t recommend you go past 4.

It will always be best if you immediately put your milk in the fridge after pumping. You can leave it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

If you want your milk to last longer it is best to freeze it, and that way you can keep it for around 6 mounts. Once thawed, use it up within a day and never refreeze it.

Cooking with breastmilk

You can try to incorporate breast milk into your baby’s introduction to solid foods. Try mixing a bit of breastmilk with a mashed banana or pumpkin for a sweet snack.  You can also put some in your baby’s smoothies or smoothie bowls.

If you are a baker, you can use your leftover breastmilk to make soft muffins for your baby or even for yourself. Breastmilk has a lot of benefits both for babies and adults.

You can also make baby popsicles by freezing breastmilk into popsicle molds. This will assist your baby when teething and the cold milk will help ease and temporarily numb the unpleasant feeling in their mouth. Just make sure that you don’t refreeze your popsicle if it’s completely melted.

At home ointments

Breastmilk can also be for eternal use. It has antibacterial properties and it can be used to treat a wide range of skin conditions.

Diaper rash

You can apply a small amount of breastmilk to the area where the skin is irritated to help soothe it.

Cradle cap

You can use breastmilk to help with dry skin like the case with the cradle cap. Just spray a little amount on the affected areas a let it dry naturally.

Eyebrows

Some parents put breastmilk above their kid’s eyes to aid in stimulating eyebrow growth. So if you are eager to see how your kid will look with eyebrows you can give it a try. If nothing else, it will nourish and moisturize the skin.

Eczema

Breastmilk is also known to help with eczema which is very common in newborns. You can try putting a little breastmilk on the irritated areas to see if will it help your baby.

Body lotion

Breastmilk has nourishing and moisturizing properties so you can make your own body cream from it. Mix some breastmilk with shea butter and apply it to your skin to have it feel soft and smooth.

Soap

If you make your own soap a home, try putting some breastmilk in it for extra moisture.

Baby bath

You can add breastmilk to your baby’s bath. This will leave its skin feeling silky smooth and soft. You can also try putting some in your own bath and see for yourself.

Facial

The next time you have a spa day. Take some of your leftover breast milk and smear it on your face. Leave it like that for 10 minutes and rinse it off. You will be surprised to see how soft your face feels after.

Bites, rashes, and sunburns

Breastmilk can be used for almost any kind of skin damage, so if your skin is burned, scarped, or bitten, put a little breastmilk on the sore spot to help soothe it. Breastmilk has anti-inflammatory properties that will make any kind of swelling go down and the moisture from it will help the skin repair faster.

Donating breast milk

If you are lucky enough to have breastmilk to feed your baby, or even luckier to have leftovers, you can help a baby in need.

Some women can’t breastfeed, some babies don’t have a mother to breastfeed them, and there are all kinds of situations where your breastmilk can help out a hungry baby.

Do research online and find the closest milk bank to you. If you don’t have one in your area look on Facebook mom groups for any posts regarding breastmilk or call your local homeless shelter or Red Cross to check if they have any babies in need.

Conclusion

Next time you pump out extra baby food and you find yourself wondering what to do with leftover breastmilk, go back to this article and get creative.

My personal favorite use for leftover breastmilk is taking milk baths and making my own body lotions. My skin has never felt softer and I often find myself having to stop in my tracks so I don’t overdo it with the moisturizing.

You can use your breastmilk leftover however you want; it has many benefits so always think twice before throwing it away.