A creative mum has revealed how she turns her surplus breast milk into ice cream for her family – and even her husband is trying it out.
Since the birth of her second son, Leah Vidaurre of Parma Heights, Ohio, has been struggling with the problem of producing too much breast milk and not knowing what to do with it.
The 36-year-old mother produces 1.8 liters, or about 7.5 cups, daily, but her son drinks only half that amount.
She decided to put the extra time to good use by making fruit snacks to give to her family.
“I think I created an oversupply by pumping every three hours as soon as my son was born,” she said.
Leah Vidaurre, 36, of Parma Heights, Ohio, has gotten creative when it comes to reusing the breast milk her baby son doesn’t finish in a day.
She produces about 7.5 cups of breast milk per day, but her baby only drinks about half that amount
“By doing this, I was signaling to my body that I needed more milk, so I started producing more,” she further speculated.
About the ice creams she said: ‘I won’t stop making them until my kids stop eating them!’
Leah spoke in detail about her situation: after giving birth to her second son, she started producing more breast milk.
Because she didn’t want the leftover milk to go to waste, she decided to try different ways to use it, such as adding it to smoothies and even making milk soap.
After much experimentation, she discovered that fruit-flavored ice cream tasted the best.
And now she gives it to her children – and even her husband – to ensure no breast milk goes to waste.
Two cups of milk makes four ice creams, she said.
The mother sees it as a creative way to ensure her children get all the extra benefits of breast milk, such as vitamins and calcium, while also getting something sweet.
Not wanting the extra breast milk – which she calls “liquid gold” – to go to waste, Leah began experimenting with other uses for it
One of the best ways she can use the extra breast milk is to mix it with fruit and freeze it, making fruit popsicles.
The mother sees ice cream as a creative way to ensure her children get all the added benefits of breast milk, while also giving them a sweet treat
‘If you have a surplus like me, it’s fun to experiment with other ways to [my breast milk]’, said Leah
Online, most people have been supportive of Leah’s creativity, but she noted that some have also made mocking comments, such as baby noises and immature jokes.
“I think the comments are made by very immature people who have no idea what it’s like to raise or have children,” she said.
‘Breast milk is called liquid gold for a reason. It has so many benefits. If you have a surplus like me, it’s fun to experiment with other ways to use it.
My husband tried it and he says the milk is sweet.
‘And I tasted my breast milk, I was very curious about how it tasted.
‘I’ve made a lot of things with milk.
‘Sometimes I add milk to smoothies for my toddler and make purees for my baby when I start introducing solids.’
Leah said she also tried making butter from her milk but it didn’t work out. She had better luck with soap though.
“I also use it in milk baths when my kids have diaper rash,” she added.