...to think about getting a piece of breastmilk jewellery?!

[Celebelly]

I can't work out if I think it's a bit gross or lovely!

Basically, from what I gather, you send off a little of your milk and it gets made into a kind of powder/resin and you can have it set as a ring or pendant, etc. Visually it looks quite nice, from what I've seen, and given breastfeeding has been a difficult but ultimately v rewarding journey for us, I kind of like the idea of something to commemorate it when we're done (which hopefully is a while off yet).

But am I mad? Has anyone had breastmilk jewellery made? Do I need to give my head a wobble?

Weird but it’s your breastmilk and your money.

What is it they say about a fool and their money?

I think the closest I'd get to this is hoping it might be to my DD what a crucifix is to a vampire and keep her the fuck away from my tits.

I fed her for just under 6 months. Very lucky to have been able to but I hated it.

Dissenter here.

DH and I had a really amazing meal to celebrate our engagement.

It never occurred to me to have a bit of my poo recorded for posterity. I fed all our kids for blooming ages. I'd rather wear a bit of poo produced from that meal than a bit of plastic that someone pretends is made from your breastmilk.

Come on, she buys in a pretty pearl, you send her some milk, she bins the milk and sends you a pearl saying "go, mamma bear" or other nonsense.

I'd pay good money to have a poo pearl. Would be a conversation piece.

YABU
It’s gross and also a bit self congratulatory.
To me it implies that you think you are somehow a better parent because you bf which is obviously bollocks.

Even though my two are 17 and 20 would it be too late to get one made from Aptamil? That stuff saved my sanity after all and they still sell it.

Sounds like the kind of thing that when my mum does, my sister and I will be fighting over...

“You have it”
“I’m not fucking having it, you have it”
“No you’re the eldest, you’ve got to have it”

Chucks breastmilk jewellery in bin, eeeeewww

*dies

Poo pearls sound like a gap in the market!

I'm off to bed now as DD will be up in a few hours for some of my sacred breastmilk, so I haven't scarpered. I will check back in tomorrow morning (at 3am probably)

placenta prints

I'm sorry, what now?

Erm no @vivariumvivariumsvivaria the pearl is actually a hollow sphere that is filled with the milk mixed with crystal resin, the beads are the same, the ring settings are the same, etc.

Are you feeling ok? Your post was a bit bizarre 😳

0r @LemonAddict they would give it to the local charity shop for some unsuspecting buyer to wear.

I can't think of many things more disgusting but each to their own! I also cannot stand breastmilk generally though, find it really icky so having it in jewelry is not going to be for me.

Before you think I'm a weird anti-breastfeeder, I'm not. I fed DS until gone 2, am currently feeding DC2 and doing direct donation for another baby!

• It’s gross and also a bit self congratulatory. To me it implies that you think you are somehow a better parent because you bf which is obviously bollocks.*

Just before I go though...

It is self-congratulatory, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing? We had a shit time with it to start, I wasn't sure we would ever get there, so yes, I am proud that I persevered and I consider it a personal achievement.

I also think taking that implication from it is more a reflection of how someone feels about themselves. One person's success or pride in something doesn't correlate to failure for another person. There's plenty of stuff people take pride in that is stuff I would never be able to do, but I don't begrudge them feeling proud of their own achievements. I don't think it makes me a better parent, but surely people are allowed to be proud of what they've done without it being a slur on other people?

I (very very briefly) considered getting the Breast milk earrings- they look very like pearls.

I took a step back and thought about whether my time bfing ds was something that I actually needed a physical memento of. I have photos, I have the memories of feeding him and seeing his sleepy smile after every feed.

Two months down the line I’m glad I didn’t bother. I’m trying to cut down on the crap I bring into the house, and I can imagine coming across Breast milk jewellery at the back of some drawer and wondering what in the fuck was I thinking.

I can't think of many things more disgusting

Check out the placenta prints....

I like it. I may get one one day. DS is almost 3 but I've still got some BM in the deep freeze. i still have his cord stump with the clip attached in a little sealed pot, and the plasters off from when he had his first jabs

Your milk nourished your DC. Isn’t that the best commemoration of breast feeding?

I stumbled across an envelope full of DS1's milk teeth a few years ago. I had a word with myself about even saving them and put them in the bin. Maybe I should have had a bracelet made? Then handed it down to DS.
Poor DS2 didn't get his milk teeth saved at all.

There's plenty of stuff people take pride in that is stuff I would never be able to do, but I don't begrudge them feeling proud of their own achievements. I don't think it makes me a better parent, but surely people are allowed to be proud of what they've done without it being a slur on other people?

Of course they are OP. Typically and unfortunately your perfectly nice thread is a target for people with an axe to grind about breastfeeding. You have every reason to be proud of overcoming challenges YOU faced when doing what YOU thought was the best thing for YOUR family. No reason for anyone to try and rain crap on the idea.

If it’ll mean something to you then definitely go for it.

Had never heard of it before but the thought makes me shudder. To each their own though!

I don’t think anyone is grinding an axe.

It’s just fucking weird.

If you want it, you totally should. I personally wouldn't. Knowing I fed my son was enough for me 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think it's a lovely idea (and I'm one of the least sentimental people on earth). I thought about a BM ring a while ago then forgot. Now I've just stopped feeding ds after nearly 4 years, and I don't think I'll be able to express enough to get one done.

I find the fetishisation of breastfeeding and breastmilk really bizarre, and breastmilk “jewellery” really exemplifies that.

Feeding your kid isn’t amazing or worthy of commemoration, it’s ordinary.