Top Five Lesser-Known Uses for Breast Milk

While many of the health benefits (for both child and mother) of breast-feeding are largely well known, there are some that are only now becoming more well-documented by so-called civilized cultures. As a breast-feeding parent, and a bit of a worry wart about medicine and its possible toxicities for small children, I have tried many of the rumored uses for breast milk, all to great success. Keep in mind that I am not a doctor, but the following uses for breast milk I can vouch for personally:

1. Cure for a stuffy nose
Got a stuffy nose? Breast milk can help. Just make sure the "patient" is lying down, put a couple of drops of breast milk up the nose, wait 10 minutes or so, then suck out the suddenly runny mucous. This sounds simple enough, but can be tricky with a sick and fussy baby. I've found that sneaking a couple of drops into my daughter's nose while she's eating works the best (she even thinks it's funny now). Breast milk will function the same way for your baby (or even you) as do the saline nasal drops you buy in the pharmacy.

2. Cure for chapped lips/nipples
One of the biggest problems breast-feeding mothers encounter initially is a (highly understandable) soreness around the nipples, including a chapping of the skin. Expressing a couple of drops of high-fat breast milk and rubbing it into the effected area will calm the skin and reduce pain. The same applies to lips (for you and your baby).

3. Cure for pink eye (conjunctivitis)
Breast milk famously contains antibodies, but also has antibacterial properties. These properties make it an extremely effective treatment for pink eye. Simply express a couple of drops onto the effected eye, three times a day, for a couple of days. The infection should clear, and the pain should lessen virtually immediately.

4. Cure for acne
Breast milk's antibacterial qualities can also help cure pimples. While this doesn't apply to babies so much, it's sure handy for the parents (especially Moms, who need every chance they can get to feel pretty post-baby).

5. Cure for ear infections
This one I haven't actually tried, since my daughter's ear infections are always symptomless until the eardrum ruptures (a story for another day), but the antibacterial qualities of breast milk are supposed to work wonders on mild ear infections. Expressing a couple of drops down the canal is reported to work the same way the prescription antibiotic topical drops do to both help with the pain and the infection. Again, doing this while nursing may be the easiest way to go.