Second Blog Giveaway – DIY Breastmilk Keepsake Kit

If you have been active in the circle of mummies on facebook groups, you may have come across the recent fashion of making keepsakes from your very own breastmilk. It has been a trend for new age mothers to send their precious breast milk to faraway lands to make such jewelry – ranging from pendants, earrings, rings, beads and charms. And it costs quite a sum to make one of those.

Some mothers in Singapore with entrepreneur spirit in them have also embarked on taking up such breast milk jewelry business, in the hope of cashing in on the bubble while it lasts. Such businesses usually started small with positive (paid or unpaid) reviews until someone in the industry got greedy and took on more orders than they can cope or manage. You can click to read negative reviews here and here on Keepsake By Ryo. There were more complaints on the facebook group. That is rather so unfortunate.

Can you really be sure that such businesses craft an item using your own breast milk and not someone’s else? No one really knows. There have been instances of mix-up and wrong deliveries. Would you be content wearing someone’s else breast milk keepsake for the rest of your life, thinking that it has been made of your very own breast milk? If you know the process of making breast milk resin, you would be aware of the high potential for a mix-up. I have been experimenting making breast milk resin on my own and there were so many steps involved and the fluid starts to drip everywhere – it gets really frustrating.

So I think the best way of making such keepsakes is to do-it-yourself. I am a great fan of DIY.

If you have been into the research of making breast milk resin, you would have come across that breast milk resin will yellow or brown with time. To prevent this process of yellowing or turning brown, the maker has to process the milk. There are many ways to do this – and this includes filtering the fats or drying up the milk to powder. Boiling alone is not able to kill all the bacteria in the milk, neither is the addition of vinegar. In essence, the breast milk is no longer whole milk. It is chemically altered and preserved. All the vitamins are removed. So are your antibodies and what not. Do you still want such keepsakes?

I am not saying the method that I am going to present to you is the best method. Absolutely no. But it is the simplest method and the fastest you can get it done in the comfort of your own home. I have come across the original kits from taobao, and modified it to add in English instructions, together with 925 silver findings. Profit-making is never my intention. I do this in the name of good fun.

So here is how I did it.

Everything you need for this experiment lies here

You will need the following

• A stove – I am using a portable induction stove. You can use a normal gas stove
• A mask
• A pair of gloves
• A small measuring cup
• A syringe to draw the milk
• Two milk pans of different sizes – I got these from Daiso
• A cover cake case to cover your specimens before they dry – from Daiso as well
• Stabiliser to add to the milk
• Breast milk – can be fresh or frozen

Heating up the stabiliser

Heat up the stabiliser in a hot water bath until it turns into liquid.

Withdrawing the breast milk

I am quite adapt with the use of needles and syringes. But this is definitely one of the few times I am using it to draw breast milk.

Just mix everything in the pot

Mix the stabiliser and the milk until everything is dissolved. And there you go, you are ready for creating your breast milk pearls. During the procedure, it is best to don a face mask and wear latex gloves. There is very little smell during the melting process. You can wash the residue easily using dishwashing liquid. If you were to ask me what the stabiliser is, I think it resembles the melt and pour soap base. You need something to saponificate the fats, and I suppose this is one of the ways.

The glass globes waiting to be filled with your very own breast milk

I added in glitter powder, gold flakes, baby’s first curl and some dried placenta flakes in some of these glass globes.

The breast milk is solidified after about 1-2 hours.

The result is spectacular – at least I think they are…

Check out photos of my creation.

Breast milk pearl with a beautiful crown named Camelia

Breast milk pearl with a flower called Faith

Breast milk pearl with a princess bezel called Donna

Breast milk pearl like a pod sitting on a lily

Breast milk pearls which look like Dew of Dahlia

Breast milk pearl for the bookworm. It’s a book mark called Bailey

Breast milk pearl with gold flakes named Giselle

Breast milk half sphere with my baby’s curl and placenta flakes named Hope

Breast milk shaped in a light bulb called Laia

Breast milk pearl with glitter within called Genie

Please note that the first 5 photos with white background belongs to the premium range with 925 silver findings. Princess Donna is a self adjustable ring which fits most sizes.

The next 5 photos with green background belongs to the deluxe range with metal alloy.

If you can’t wait for the end of the blog giveaway and wanted to order one right now, you can check out this carousell page here. The dimensions of each piece is found in the listing.

I will be hosting my second blog giveaway

Three winners will be picked and they will get to select any one of the above design.  The DIY kit will be mailed to them.

To enter this giveaway 

1. LIKE my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/drdonnachow.com

2. LIKE AND SHARE the facebook post below

3. Under the comments section, you need to TAG 4 OR MORE FRIENDS who will be interested in this giveaway

4. Add in the NAME OF THE DESIGN that you wanted to get if you win eg I’d love Queen Camelia

This giveaway will end on 17 JULY 2016 SUNDAY 12 NOON

THREE LUCKY WINNERS will be randomly selected by an online picker and announced on my facebook page after the giveaway ends.

Rules of this giveaway

+ One entry per facebook account

+ Only open to participants staying in Singapore

+ Normal postage of the DIY breast milk kit will be mailed to your preferred address. Estimated arrival in early August.