Got Milk??

So I've always been a supporter of breastfeeding. I was a breastfed baby, as were my brother and sister. I grew up on a farm and saw animal babies nursing from their mothers every spring. It was just how you fed a baby. The babies that had to be bottle fed for one reason or another just didn't ever seem to thrive as well as those who had their mothers milk.

However, I didn't become as passionate as I am today until midway through my pregnancy. I spent pretty much my entire pregnancy in bed for one reason or another, and what do you do when your stuck in bed and have no tv?? Well browse the internet of course! I came across a protest group on FB turned mothering support group called Hey Facebook Breastfeeding is not obscene! and it not only filled my need for hours of reading, but it also gave me an invaluable resource of other like minded mothers. When I say like minded I mean other mothers who are passionate about giving their babies the most natural healthy start at life as possible. Mothers who believe in baby wearing, and cosleeping, cloth diapers and breastfeeding to 2 years and beyond. Mothers who don't try to get their babies on schedules, instead opting to feed on demand and learn from their babies what they need and when.

When I first started reading the posts on the site, there was inevitably a post or two at any given time about some sort of health ailment, be it mother or baby. Eczema, diaper rash, ear infections, runny noses, the list goes on. Advice was sought and inevitably someone would suggest putting breastmilk on it. It was straight out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding where the Dad chases any ailing family member around and tells them to "Put some Windex on it," never mind the ailment.

Now I stated before I have always been a big fan of Breastfeeding, but to be honest, this was a little "crunchy" even for me. Seriously folks, Ointment, Butt cream, Ear drops, Sudafed, MODERN MEDICINE HELLLOOOO??? I would sort of roll my eyes and move on.

Fast forward a few months and I am eating my words.. Crunchity Crunch Crunch...

A few days ago I woke up and my left eye was nearly swollen shut as both my top and bottom tear ducts had blocked and become infected. My eye was puffy, red, extremely painful and it itched like nothing I had ever experienced. On top of that, since both ducts were blocked, my eye was INCREDIBLY dry and every blink felt like sandpaper. As much as I would have loved to stay in bed with an ice pack on my eye and feel sorry for myself, as a newly working Momma, I had to drag myself to work.

About two hours into my shift I was in agony. I wanted to dig my eye out with a spoon! Anything just to make it stop itching and hurting. I took my pump break and was sitting there trying to figure out how to scratch my eye to relieve the itch without touching it and causing further pain, unsuccessfully I might add. I was fervently wishing for eyedrops when the voices of all those Moms in HFBINO popped in my head. "Put some breastmilk on it."

I sort of laughed to myself for a few seconds and then out of desperation figured, What the hell, it can't kill me right?? (Right???????) I was already pumping so I just stole a few drops from the baby, (Sorry kiddo, Mommy was desperate!!) and rubbed it around my eye, and then dripped a few more directly into my eye. I then waited for my eye to explode, or fall out or make cottage cheese, something weird had to happen right??

The relief was almost instantaneous! It was as if my eye had a slippery protective film on it. I was amazed. I repeated this a few more times during my shift and then went home to hubby. Before I went to sleep that morning (I work nights) I asked him to help me pour some expressed breast milk into my eye. Lord love him, he didn't miss a beat, just went and got a teaspoon, watched me fill it, and then dribbled it into my eye like it was something he had seen done a million times before.

Two days later and my eye is completely healed. Two days of breastmilk and my eye was as good as new. It would have otherwise taken a week and a half of prescription eye drops to do the exact same thing but with the added fun of a trip to the Coupat Holim (clinic), waiting in line with a baby for the doctor, repeat line waiting at a Pharmacy, and then the trip home, all in my beloved Israeli heat. Whee.

I am a complete convert. I always knew breastmilk is the perfect food for babies, always fresh, perfectly balanced for babies needs at that moment in time. A woman's body is amazing, producing such a perfect food, and NOW?? Not only do I know I am feeding my baby food made just for him, customized to maximize those adorable fat rolls (which thanks to breastmilk are less likely to become the fat rolls of childhood obesity) and put just the right twinkle in his Elvin eyes (which thanks to breastmilk are less likely to need glasses), I have also found my "Windex."

I'm now gonna be that Jewish Mama, following my kids around the house with a spray bottle of breastmilk, ready for anything from pimples, to pink eye, to poopy butt rash (hey I needed another "P" for alliteration). I can see it now, all the tubes in our medicine cabinet replaced by natures cure. Calamine lotion for Bug bites? Nope! Breastmilk. Waterproof eye makeup remover? Guess what? Breastmilk. Sudafed for the Sniffles? Breastmilk. Vitamins? Breastmilk. Ky Jelly?? You got it... Breastmilk:)

To read more amazing uses for breastmilk check out:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/114773/breast_milk_and_its_many_uses.html?cat=5