Breastmilk is the original superfood. But how do you add this liquid gold into your babe's foods without turning their meal into a soup? Freeze drying your breastmilk turns it from liquid to powder, so you can add, mix, sprinkle or toss it into any food without making a big ol' mess.
Here are 5 cool ways to use your freeze dried breastmilk.
1. When Starting Solids
For the first 6 months of life, your babe has only known your breastmilk (or maybe some formula too). Their sensitive little digestive systems are being introduced to something completely new and foreign. This can be very stressful for both baby and mama.
Adding your freeze dried breastmilk to their purees or sprinkling it on their BLW foods will supply probiotics and enzymes to help your babe's digestion. The antioxidants, vitamins and minerals will also help fight inflammation if a sensitivity were to occur.
2. Make Any Meal Healthier
Let's be honest, we're not perfect mamas, we don't all make homemade baby food, serve kale chips and hummus for snacks and only buy organic. There are times that you just want something quick, easy and that your kid will just eat already.
3. Immune Booster
As a parent, one of the toughest situations to handle is when your babe is sick and won't eat.
Breastmilk contains immune boosting properties antibodies, probiotics, vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants. These properties are known to protect against respiratory diseases, middle ear infections and gastro-intestinal diseases. Freeze drying saves these precious nutrients from being destroyed. Traditional freezer-storage depletes nutrients from your breastmilk within weeks.
Adding your freeze dried breastmilk to any of your little's comfort food or drink helps to protect and get them better, faster.
4. Help heal and Repair Skin
Breastmilk applied to the skin are great treatments for both mom and babe, including diaper rash/dermatitis, cracked nipples, atopic eczema and umbilical cord separation.
Your freeze dried breastmilk can be made into a paste apply easier and save your breastmilk from spilling all over. Simply mix your freeze-dried breastmilk powder with sterile water to the consistency you want and apply directly to the area.
5. Bath bombs, balms, soaps and lotions
Babies have very sensitive and porous skin that can react to even the mildest off-the-shelf products. Breastmilk baths are a great remedy to help with dermatitis, eczema, itchy, dry or inflamed skin.
Use your freeze dried breastmilk in homemade bath bombs, soaps, lotions and balms. These products will nourish, protect and heal the skin with every application or bath for years to come.
Homemade products contain healthy bacteria from the home and mother's hands that protects her babe (similar to skin-skin contact). When possible, make your baby's products at home that are natural and safe-for-baby.
*Bonus* boogers-be-gone
My son Sage, was always stuffy in the evenings during winter, since we live in a very dry climate. Breastmilk up the nose worked way better than the bulb syringes or suckers and only took a few seconds.
If you've ever tried using those booger-sucker-outers, you know how awkward, frustrating and annoying they are. Want something quick and easy? Use your freeze dried breastmilk mixed in sterile water to lubricate and soothe the nasal passage. Breastmilk up the nose works to soften mucous so it slides out.
