What Is Breast Milk Jewellery and How Is it Made?

Whether or not you determine to breastfeed your child or go for formulation, this early stage of their lives is one which goes by rapidly. That mentioned, there’s a approach you possibly can keep in mind this particular time in each of your lives other than pictures or reminiscences—enter: breast milk jewellery. 

This contemporary-day sort of knickknack, much like umbilical twine jewellery, offers dad and mom and caregivers a wearable and trendy memento that they’ll both safe away safely or put on on particular events. Regardless, it’s actually value studying extra about in case you’re in search of a particular memento that’ll final a lifetime. 

To be taught extra about breast milk jewellery, we spoke with a lactation advisor and jewellery skilled in regards to the strategy of the way to make breast milk jewellery, why one could wish to have a chunk, and the place you will get it.

What Is Breast Milk Jewellery?

In response to Demi Lucas, a world board licensed lactation advisor (IBCLC) with The Lactation Community, breast milk jewellery is a kind of memento breastfeeding dad and mom generally select to put money into throughout or in celebration on the finish of their breastfeeding journey. 

It’s much like some other sort of knickknack you could personal, nonetheless, the one distinction is that it comprises breast milk preserves to function a reminder of this particular chapter.

How Is Breast Milk Jewellery Made?

There are a number of methods wherein breast milk jewellery is usually made. Sarah Castillo, artist and proprietor of Keepsakes by Grace, says the most typical and tried and true technique is the heating technique. 

“You warmth the [breast] milk in a pan and blend in a particular powder which causes a chemical response to happen and turns the milk right into a paste,” says Castillo. “The paste is then unfold onto parchment paper, dried, crushed right into a nice powder, and blended with epoxy or UV resin which might be styled in quite a lot of methods.”

How To Make Your Personal Breast Milk Jewellery

It’s doable to make breast milk jewellery at residence with the suitable equipment. “One would observe the identical steps because the skilled manufacturing course of however in their very own residence to create the jewellery,” says Lucas. “DIY kits are additionally out there in the marketplace.” 

Some fashionable DIY breast milk jewellery kits embody these from Milk + Honey, Love Catcher, Souvenir Mother, and Milky Treasures. These kits often value wherever from $60 to $150 and plenty of retailers promote the powder individually if that’s all you want. 

In the end, it’s doable to learn to make breast milk jewellery. Nevertheless, you’re in all probability higher off discovering a small enterprise that makes a speciality of the method to take the trouble and stress out of it.

Well-liked kinds to create

The most well-liked forms of breast milk jewellery embody rings, necklaces and earrings. Whether or not you determine to make your personal jewellery at residence or have an expert do it, you possibly can typically select the kind of jewellery you need.

Some firms even will maintain onto the preserved breast milk for future orders so that you don’t must undergo the method of sending it once more in case you determine to order extra items.

Caring for breast milk jewellery

After spending a number of hundred {dollars} on breast milk jewellery, you’ll wish to make sure to take correct care of it. 

“Keep away from publicity to water, excessive warmth, or extended publicity to the solar,” says Castillo. “Your memento isn’t going to disintegrate on you, however it’s going to simply lose its shine in case you don’t take the correct care.” 

Different finest practices embody avoiding publicity to chlorine, saltwater and scorching water and carrying it solely on particular events, in accordance with Lucas.