Using breast milk in baby care | Practical guide

You often hear that using breast milk in baby care can be miraculous. The problem is, you don't know how to do it in practice. MPL offers you a practical guide to find all this information.

As a breastfeeding mother , breast milk is undoubtedly your best ally for your baby's care . Natural and rich in beneficial properties, it stands out as THE most suitable solution for their various ailments . Their delicate skin and developing body require incredibly gentle treatments. However, it can be complicated to know how to actually use breast milk in baby care . My Milky Interlude wanted to create a practical and effective guide for new parents wondering how to include milk in their medicine cabinet. Are you wondering how to put milk in your baby's eye ? How to apply a compress ? Perhaps even how to treat an ear infection ? We'll tell you everything!

Using breast milk in baby care: a prelude to quick and effective actions

You've probably already heard that breast milk can always be used as a first-line treatment . If not, Ma parenthèse lactée can confirm it! Your precious milk is undoubtedly the most suitable element for your little one's still-developing body. Your body designed it exclusively for them.

Besides being highly valued for its taste and nutritional components, your milk production is:

• Soothing;

• Moisturizing;

• Antiseptic;

• Anti-inflammatory;

• Healing;

• Calming.

Yes, it's a magical potion that you'd be foolish not to try. However, modern medicine remains skeptical about its use. So, your pediatrician might give you a rather wide-eyed look if you mention this natural remedy .

According to the special issue " Human Milk and Lactation " of the journal Nutrients , reprinted in Les Dossiers de l'Allaitement , breast milk is proving its worth in developing countries. Mothers there do not always have access to healthcare and must find low-cost solutions. Their milk production then becomes a valuable resource.

Are you ready? Let's go for a quick practical overview of using breast milk in baby care .

Ear infection: How do I put breast milk in my baby's ear?

Middle ear infections are common between the ages of 4 months and 4 years. They usually follow a cold and are caused by a virus or bacteria. These viruses travel up through the nose and lodge in the Eustachian tubes.

Inflammation occurs, and fluid is secreted behind the eardrum. The eardrum gradually feels compressed, bulges, and becomes painful. An ear infection must be treated because, if the pressure becomes too great, the eardrum can rupture.

Given the risk, we always advise you to consult a doctor to ensure there is no perforation. If there is, you must avoid all products in the ear, including your ear drops . If everything is fine in that regard, you can use breast milk for ear care and thus rely on your miracle cure .

At that point, proceed as follows :

1. Empty a pipette of saline solution.

2. Express your milk into a container so that it reaches body temperature.

3. Place the tip of the pipette in the container and squeeze it to fill it with your milk .

4. Settle your child in a quiet place, lay them on their side or ask them to tilt their head.

5. Pour a few drops into the ear .

6. Massage it in so that it can penetrate well.

7. Do this twice a day, morning and evening.

An ear infection usually clears up in two or three days. If it doesn't last longer, see your doctor again to check on your progress.

Injuries of all kinds: How to make a breast milk compress?

Like little adventurers, our babies get hurt all the time. Falls, scratches, or scrapes—their skin is never spared. To avoid slathering them with countless creams, you could opt for a 100% natural and economical treatment and use breast milk in your baby's care .

Using breast milk compresses , you can treat these everyday ailments:

1. Express, pump or defrost your milk in a container.

2. Take a sterile compress , dip it in the jar and soak it.

3. Place the milk-soaked compress on your child's wound.

4. Keep it in place with a properly secured bandage or dressing.

5. Leave on for one to two hours and remove carefully.

6. Repeat as needed for the injury.

The antiseptic and healing properties of your milk production should take effect.

If it is only a small scratch or very superficial wound, you do not have to use a breast milk compress .

At this point:

1. Express your milk onto the area or apply it by hand.

2. Clean with a sterile cotton ball to remove dirt (soil, grass, dust, etc.).

3. Add a little more white gold for the sheer pleasure of it.

4. Allow to air dry for better healing .

Umbilical cord: How to clean it with breast milk?

During the first few days of your baby's life, part of the umbilical cord will still be attached. It is therefore your responsibility to regularly care for it so that it can dry, fall off, and heal. Basic guidelines emphasize keeping the area dry after cleaning it.

Recommended by the WHO, several studies have been conducted on cleaning the umbilical cord with breast milk . The results were conclusive. It fell off and healed more quickly than when left dry or cleaned with alcohol or saline solution.

To care for the umbilical cord with your milk, proceed as follows:

1. At each diaper change, manually express your milk towards the umbilical cord.

2. Pat and dry the area with a sterile compress.

3. Add a little more of your white gold.

4. Allow to dry, leaving the cord outside the diaper so that its edge does not press against the navel.

5. Get your little one dressed again.

By performing these treatments, her cord should quickly fall off, leaving behind a very pretty navel.

Conjunctivitis: How do I put breast milk in my child's eye?

Conjunctivitis is a common and usually benign eye infection in newborns. It typically clears up within two days. Breast milk has been used to treat it since ancient times. Indeed, the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and Byzantines already practiced this type of treatment.

Several studies have therefore been set up to observe the impact of milk on this ophthalmological condition.

Breast milk , particularly colostrum , has been proven to be as effective against conjunctivitis as antibiotics like erythromycin. It also has the added benefit of being free, readily available, and, most importantly, free of side effects. So what are you waiting for to start using breast milk in your baby's care ?

If your child develops conjunctivitis, don't panic, and put the following in place:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Express or pump your milk into a container.

3. Empty a pipette of saline solution.

4. Dip it into the container and squeeze it to fill it with your white gold .

5. Speak calmly to your baby, avoid sudden movements and reassure him/her.

6. Lay him down or ask him to tilt his head back.

7. Pour one or two drops of your breast milk into the infected eye.

8. Wash your hands a second time given the contagious nature of conjunctivitis.

9. Repeat once or twice a day.

Cold or blocked nose: How to put breast milk in an infant's nose?

Breast milk in baby nose, a real remedy for colds and blocked noses.

Children commonly catch colds, especially when they grow up in group settings. Therefore, treating a cold or rhinitis is frequent. But how can you effectively clean their nose?

Here, we prefer to combine saline solution and breast milk . This way, her nasal passages are first cleaned before being moisturized and treated.

Let's get started with the practical part:

1. Inject a pipette or syringe of saline solution into each nostril to clear his nose (nasal secretions, etc.).

2. Bring freshly expressed breast milk .

3. Fill the pipette with milk by dipping it in and squeezing the edges.

4. Insert a few drops of your white gold into her nostrils.

This technique will soothe and calm your little one. The moisturizing power of your breast milk will prevent their nostrils from drying out and avoid irritation. Its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties will take care of the rest.

Eczema, atopic dermatitis and diaper rash: How to soothe baby's skin with breast milk?

The delicate skin of our infants can cause us all sorts of problems. Not yet equipped for life outside the womb, it struggles to defend itself against external aggressions: cold, pollution, friction against clothing, creams and products of all kinds.

It's possible your baby may develop atopic dermatitis , often called eczema . Rest assured, it's not serious and usually disappears after a few weeks, months, or years. In this case, your little one has dry skin that becomes inflamed upon contact with certain substances. Their epidermis simply isn't able to act as a barrier.

As a result, red, dry patches appear and itch terribly!

Using breast milk in baby care can help soothe and repair their skin . To do this:

1. Don't give him a bath every day, it's unnecessary and harsh on his skin.

2. During diaper changes, morning and evening, have some milk previously expressed or manually expressed on hand.

3. Dip your hand into the container and apply your white gold as if you were massaging your pet with a cream.

4. You can also express your milk directly towards the dry patches and then gently massage it into her skin.

5. On bath days, pour a few millilitres of your milk production into the water .

6. Do not rub it to dry it, instead pat its skin with a towel.

For diaper rash , proceed in the same way and put a little milk on her red bottom at each diaper change.

Cradle cap: How to get rid of it with breast milk?

Cradle cap is that unsightly crust that appears on your child's scalp and eyebrows. It's quite common and simply a matter of sebum regulation that usually disappears on its own over a few weeks. If you'd like to help it disappear, here's what to do:

1. Press/draw your white gold beforehand into a container or make a soap with breast milk .

2. Pour your milk production onto her hair at bath time or apply the soap as a shampoo.

3. Leave it on for a few minutes.

4. Gently brush her hair with a comb or a soft-bristled brush.

It's essential that the scabs soften and come off on their own. Never try to pull them off; this could hurt your child. If the scabs don't come off, try again at the next bath. Always be gentle; there's no rush.

Very important precaution: can I use thawed breast milk for baby care?

The answer is yes, under two conditions!

First, when you thaw your breast milk to use in your baby's care , make sure it's at room temperature before using it. This is important for their comfort. Imagine being treated with something ice-cold—how awful!

Secondly, be sure to check the expiration date of your breast milk . If it has passed the date, prioritize external use and use your expired breast milk in your baby's bath. We can also suggest making a pretty bath product with it. A breast milk jewel to have an eternal memory of your breastfeeding.

So, that concludes my exploration of the topic and I hope I've provided you with a helpful practical guide to using breast milk in baby care . It's incredible how beneficial your precious milk is, both for nourishing your child and for treating their everyday ailments. And let's not forget that it can also benefit the rest of the family .

Share your stories with us! Have you ever used your breast milk for any of these reasons? We'd love to hear them!