Breast milk, breast milk, breast milk. The cure of so many things. Breast milk baths are great for babies (and adults) who have skin issues, such as dry itchy skin and eczema. Breast milk baths are also great for curing diaper rash, baby acne, soothing sun burns, taking the itch out of insect bites, and more.
Oaklynn battles with eczema flare ups from time to time along with a dry itchy scalp that she is constantly scratching at, to the point where she is leaving scabs. I knew I needed to do something to help soothe her dry skin and this is when my breast milk freezer stash came to the rescue.
This breast milk bath recipe contains breast milk and oatmeal. Oats help reduce itching and inflammation and can be used to calm eczema and heal psoriasis as well. Oatmeal provided the extra nourishment that Oaklynn needed, although you can skip adding oatmeal if you want to keep things simple.
Although, if your kids have recurring skin problems I highly recommend adding oatmeal because of all of the skin benefits it provides. Plus it really does not take that much extra time to set up the bath. And you will be happy you did when your child's skin comes out healed and moisturized.
Why A Breast Milk Bath
- Moisturizes Dry Skin
- Heals Diaper Rash
- Soothes Burns/Sun Burns
- Soothes Red Irritated Skin Such As Eczema
- Takes The Itch Out Of Insect Bites
- Helps Heal Minor Scratches And Cuts
How To Make A Breast Milk Bath
1.Get Breast Milk Ready
You can either use freshly expressed breast milk or milk from your freezer stash. I use my freezer stash milk and use the bags that have the oldest date on them. If using frozen milk, you can either use a bottle warmer to thaw or thaw by running warm water over the bag. Do not microwave! And keep in mind that you cannot refreeze thawed breast milk, so only thaw what you need.
2. Make Oatmeal Powder
You can totally skip this step if you prefer, and just give your little one a breast milk bath. Although, if your baby has any issues such as diaper rash, eczema, dry itchy skin, cradle cap, sun burns. etc. oatmeal powder can be very soothing and moisturizing to their skin.
I made the oatmeal powder by grinding the oats in a blender. You can use any type of oat, quick or rolled. You can also use Quaker Oats as long as they don't contain any added flavors. Or you can make it really easy and buy already made oatmeal powder, known as colloidal oatmeal.
3. Make Oat Milk
Once you have prepared the oats into a powder, the next step is to steep make oatmeal milk. I highly highly recommend NOT adding the oatmeal powder directly to the tub. As the oatmeal powder will stick to the tub and it is a pain to clean up afterwards.
To make oatmeal milk, mix ¼ cup of oatmeal to ½ cup warm water. Stir the mixture in order to prevent any lumps. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Strain and set aside.
4. Prepare the Oatmeal Milk Bath
Fill the bath or baby bath tub with warm water. The amount of breast milk will depend on the amount of water being used. Slowly add breast milk, adding enough to make the water cloudy. There is no right or wrong measurement, so you can add as much as you would like. I still have Oaklynn in a baby bath and add about 10 oz of breast milk. Once the breast milk is added you can now add the strained oatmeal milk to the bath.
5. Bath Time Fun
Let your baby have fun! Soak as much of the skin as possible. Have them lay back if they will or use a cup or washcloth to dump/rub on body. Skip using the regular shampoo as we want the skin to be able to absorb and retain all of the moisturizing and healing properties of the breast milk.
6. Moisturize
Once out of the bath gently pat your baby dry. Apply coconut oil or any other non toxic baby lotion in order to lock in the moisture. Do not skip this step!
Some Additional Tips:
- NEVER pump and dump. Instead use that milk for milk baths.
- If you don't want to strain the oatmeal milk, you can add oatmeal powder to a cotton muslin cloth and drop it into the bath.
After giving Oaklynn a breast milk bath once a week for a few weeks her eczema was completely gone. She was not leaving scabs on her scalp from scratching it, although her scalp was still a little dry, but no scabs so a definite plus! And her skin was so much smoother and healthier!
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