I was reading up on some breast milk recipes a few weeks ago. I've assumed for a while we would drink whatever excess breast milk I had, because, come on, it's free! And not drink it like straight up but add it to smoothies, bake with it, etc. It seems very eco-friendly with no transportation or packaging, etc. I never really thought twice about it, until I was with my sister Lauren a few weekends ago and she is physically ill at the idea of drinking her own breast milk (there are some women I will never understand who are physically ill at the idea of breastfeeding their babies... but I've thought breastfeeding was like, the coolest thing ever, since I was about 10, so ya know). I don't think it's gross! I think drinking the mammary secretions from the swollen udders of an antibiotic filled bovine is way, way more gross than drinking my own. Well, honestly, I'm convinced humans don't really need milk anyways because it's for BABY mammals and not adults, but the incredibly savvy dairy lobbyists have convinced us otherwise. Anyways... thoughts on this?
And I leave you with these (from here):
Perfect for a summer's day?
CARIBBEAN MILK COOLER
2 cups breastmilk
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut extract
2 tablespoons sugar
Ice cubes
Mint sprigs (optional)
Directions: In a blender container, combine all ingredients except ice cubes and
mint and blend on high speed until frothy. Pour into four tall glasses filled with ice cubes. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.
Variation: For a thicker drink, freeze pineapple juice in an ice cube tray. Blend these pineapple cubes with all other ingredients except mint. Omit regular ice cubes. Serve in a chilled glass.
Makes 4 servings.
Or what about a main course meal?
ITALIAN MACARONI
1/2 cup uncooked macaroni
1 cup water
1/4 - 1/3 cup peeled and cut up eggplant (zucchini may be substituted)
1/2 medium skinned and cut up fresh tomato
1/3 cup milk breastmilk
1 tablespoon grated cheese
Dash of dried parsley
Dash of oregano (optional)
Dash of salt
Cook macaroni, tomato, eggplant (or zucchini), and seasonings in water for 12 – 15 minutes. Add breastmilk and grated cheese. Stir well until cheese is melted.
Makes 2 – 3 servings.
Come on, you can even make soap with it! How cool is that?
* 2 cups vegetable oil (such as olive, coco, canola, cocoa butter, etc.)
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/4 cup lye (solid NaOH)
* 1 cup breastmilk
Heat oil to 115°F. In a glass measuring cup, add lye to water. (Not water to lye). When the solution reaches 115°F, add to oil. Stir until the mix is silky; then add milk. Color will change; it is normal. Stir until you get instant pudding consistency (this is what we call "trace"), approximately 60 to 45 minutes. Pour in moulds. You can use almost anything, like muffin tin or cookies tray. Take care to not use metallic material. Let sit 2 or 3 days, until you can unmould soaps easily. You have to let your soap "cure" 4 to 5 weeks, until it becomes neutral. You'll get approximately 12 2-oz soaps.
Reading those recipes made me ill. I don't mind breastfeeding my kids (I was really disappointed when my boobs turned out to be complete failures) but drinking it myself? Bleh. I'd just freeze the extra and use it as needed.
ReplyDeleteI think drinking cow's milk is icky, and I can't digest it well anyway so I avoid it,but I have drank my own, although I wouldn't go as far as putting it in recipes. When you have put as much effort into collecting it as I did there was no way I would've just thrown it out.
ReplyDeleteBest use for breastmilk other than to feed baby: diaper rash, eye goopies, ear infections. It's great stuff.
Good point about the collection of the breast milk itself. If breastfeeding is difficult, I'll first use it for the baby feeding. But if I'm anything like my mom and sister I'll be a milk-producing machine.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that I think that milk is for the sole purpose of nourishing your children. I would not use it for anything but that. It does bring a realization that dairy itself should be for the young, and at this prompting I might consider being vegan. That being said, I used extra to make rice cereal or oatmeal when she was 6-12 months. It's for the babies and young ones, come on!
ReplyDeletep.s. I did think of culturing milk for her (like yogurt) when she was younger, but the milk you make already has live enzymes and bacteria to keep them healthy so I passed on that one.
ReplyDeleteHmm... interesting. Does drinking breast milk make you un-vegan?
ReplyDeleteI don't have an issue with drinking your own breast milk. I tried my milk when I was nursing and there was nothing gross about it, and my husband enjoyed it, but in a much more intimate way. However, I agree with some of the previous comments. I found it difficult to pump extra milk above and beyond what Mason usually ate and that made my milk very precious. I think that if you have extra milk there are plenty of mothers out there that could use the help. Towards the end of the time that I was nursing, I donated my whole freezer full of frozen breast milk to a mother in need. She had recently adopted a baby that had been labeled "failure to thrive." Breast milk was the only way the baby was going to survive. Little did I know that my milk supply was on the outs, but I'm glad to know that my milk went to a good cause.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any problem with it, but my roommate and a random girl who was here in my apartment both thought it was definitely gross.
ReplyDeleteum, I totally just threw up in my mouth reading this post!!! But hey, to each their own right?
ReplyDeleteIf you have it, you might as well use it. However, I'm with you that I wouldn't drink it straight up--only masked in other foods.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm beginning to think how many people I could subtly annoy by offering them food made with breastmilk. There was a guy in a class I took last semester who was very vocal about how breastfeeding (especially in public) was gross. I'm sure he would REALLY appreciate a cookie or something.
Make sure you ask Caitlin EXACTLY what's in her baked goods before you try them.
ReplyDeleteI just told Christopher that I hid frozen breast milk in Megan and Gavin's fruit smoothies and he was quite horrified. Ah, well. It didn't boost their immune systems, anyway, so I doubt I'd try it again.
"You can use almost anything, like muffin tin or cookies tray. Take care to not use metallic material."
ReplyDeleteIsn't tin metal?
i could never drink it too gross for me...for babies only :) I had a ton and since i was only pumping i think i had even more since i pumped on my schedule...i was able to give some away to a friend who was unable to produce milk....and then stop pumping earlier and keep giving Jackie breast milk
ReplyDeleteI think I'd rather give it a Breast milk Bank than use it in my own food. There are lots of babies who are in the NICU or whose mom's can't breast feed for whatever reason who could use breast milk (like the adopted story above). Also pumping was never fun for me. I hated it - breast feeding a baby was so much better for me than being hooked up to a machine, so I never really pumped unless I had too.
ReplyDeleteI think using extra breast milk in recipes like this is a great idea. I used pump while I am at work, much more then my little one would take. We had plenty of milk here. The problem is whenever I thought of using it in something I would think this is just too weird or gross. But I really don't think it is gross at all to use breast milk. I mean, I drink milk from a cow and that is really disgusting. Stupid social conditioning.
ReplyDelete