Teething is a natural part of baby’s development, but those tiny teeth may cause discomfort while seeping out their gums. So while you try to seek ways on how to make teething a lot easier for your little one, you might be interested in knowing how to make breast milk popsicles for teething.
What are breast milk popsicles?
Breastmilk popsicles, also known as momsicles, are frozen breast milk that are made using popsicle molds. Breastmilk popsicle molds are a bit smaller and especially made for a baby’s little hands.
Why are breast milk pops good for teething babies?
Breastmilk popsicles can be a good natural relief for teething discomfort due to a variety of reasons:
Breast milk is ideal across ages.
Teething usually comes at around 6 months of age, but many babies begin manifesting the symptoms of teething earlier. So while your baby craves for something to chew on, experts recommend that you wait for your baby to turn at least 6 months before introducing solid foods in his diet. This is when breast milk popsicles come in handy. Breast milk is easily digested by babies, so it is perfect for soothing those itchy and sore gums, no matter what their age is.
Breast milk popsicles are nutritious.
There are lots of teething aids available at present, but making popsicles out of breast milk is a genius idea. Why?
Breast milk is full of essential nutrients that your baby needs for his growth and development. It contains less sugar compared to buying other pre-made popsicles in the store. Excessive sugar from artificially sweetened popsicles can ruin your baby’s health and isn’t good for those erupting teeth.
Hence, breast milk pops can be soothing while offering a nutritious treat for your little one. That’s hitting two birds at the same time!
It’s an effective way to soothe baby’s gums.
Teething is coupled with itchiness and soreness in the gums that will turn your baby’s mood upside down. This will make you find immediate solutions just to help keep your baby settled throughout the day. But instead of immediately resorting to teething gels or analgesics to offer temporary relief, why not try using coldness to numb your baby’s sore gums for a while? This is exactly how the cooling effect of breast milk pops work. While your baby chews on the icy cold breast milk, it will temporarily numb and soothe the sore area so that your little one will be more comfortable for a while.
How to make breast milk popsicles
Making breast milk popsicles is easy. You’ll simply need the following:
- Baby-sized popsicle molds
- Your breast milk
- A freezer
You’ll find plenty of popsicle molds that are specifically made for babies. These molds are a bit smaller and have larger pieces that babies can easily grasp.
To make your breast milk popsicle, first, make sure that the molds are thoroughly clean. Fill them with your expressed breast milk, secure the cover, and then place it inside the freezer.
Your breast milk popsicles will usually be ready in a couple of hours and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just make sure that you protect it from the contamination from other frozen products and place it at the back of the freezer to keep it away from thawing.
If your baby is 6 months and older, you may also try infusing fruits or veggies in your momsicles to add more texture and flavor. Just make sure that the pieces are not large enough to become a choking hazard. One trick to avoid this problem is to mix the fruits or vegetables with your milk on a blender before pouring it in the popsicle molds. This way, you’ll be pretty sure that everything is well-blended and safe once you turn over that cute little popsicle to your baby.
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When can baby have breastmilk popsicles?
For pure breast milk popsicles 3 month old babies who have already learned how to grasp objects in their hands may be given with strict supervision. Breast milk pops that are infused with other ingredients can be slowly introduced beginning 6 months of age.
What if I don’t have a popsicle mold at home?
If you don’t have a baby-sized popsicle mold at home and you don’t want to purchase one, you may consider some other ideas to use breast milk for soothing your teething baby. Here are some frozen breast milk ideas to try out:
Breast milk ice cubes
To make breast milk cubes, simply pour your expressed breast milk in a clean ice cube tray. Cover the tray and freeze.
After a couple of hours, your breast milk cubes will be ready. You can place a cube inside a baby mesh feeder and give it to your baby. Your teething baby is sure to love chewing on the cold breast milk cubes while the mesh is keeping the large chunks away from choking your little one.
Breast milk shake
If your teething baby is craving for new flavors and texture, making a breast milk shake can be a good idea.
To make a shake, simply get your breast milk cubes out of the freezer, toss them inside the blender with your baby’s favorite fruits and mix them. You may then use an infant feeding spoon or a straw to offer it to your baby.
Safety considerations for handling and storing breast milk popsicles
Just like when you’re pumping and storing your breast milk, you need to prepare the popsicles with care to make sure that your baby only takes the best out of these breast milk popsicles. Here are a few reminders on handling and storing breast milk popsicles for your little one:
Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing the popsicles.
Your hands are frequently touching other surfaces in your home that may be contaminated with bacteria. Use soap and water in washing your hands before preparing your breast milk pops.
Store breast milk under ideal freezing temperature.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that breast milk must be frozen in 0°F (-18°C) or colder. Frozen breast milk stored at this temperature will last for around 6 months.
Do not refreeze thawed breast milk.
Thawed breast milk is recommended to be consumed within 24 hours when refrigerated, or within 1 to 2 hours when placed at room temperature. Previously frozen, thawed breast milk must never be refrozen. So once you thaw frozen breast milk cubes or popsicles, make sure that it will be consumed immediately.
Be extra careful in improvising popsicle molds.
Do-it-yourself popsicle molds involving the use of pacifier and another container have gone popular these days. However, some mothers who already tried improvising have noticed that it takes more time for the breast milk to stick to the pacifier. Moreover, the frozen breast milk has a greater tendency to slip off while your baby is chewing, making it a choking hazard. Improvising is okay, but your baby’s safety needs to come first.
Conclusion
Breast milk popsicles are a fun and nutritious way to soothe your baby’s gums while teething. Just make sure that you prepare and store them safely for your baby to enjoy every bite.
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