Side-hustling mothers are earning big bucks selling their breast milk

New York Post

20 hours ago

Keira Williams is milking motherhood for all it's worth.
The money-making mama is among the rising number of postnatal parents vending their natural nectar by the ounce — allowing them to pocket a tidy profit of as much as $1,000 a day.
And while the bounty of their bosoms is often destined for other moms in need, there's another surprising, thirsty subgroup of buyers — willing to pay the kind of big bucks that allow Williams and others to splash out on pricey vacations and lavish weddings they otherwise might not be able to afford.
12 Keira Williams is in the army of side-hustling new mothers selling excess breast milk online — and earning an impressive income.
Courtesy Keira Williams
The source of all that cash? Bodybuilders, looking looking to bulk up by gulping down the nutritious liquid gold as a pre-workout shot — and they'll pay dearly to get their hands on the stuff.
'I've made $800 in just one day selling my breast milk on Facebook,' Williams, 31, a mom of one, gushed to The Post.
The enterprising mammary monetizer, who lives in Atlanta, began hawking her oversupply as a lucrative side hustle in mid-May, using Facebook groups to make connections — and says she has since sold over 3,500 ounces of the life-sustaining liquid.
The money has already come in handy in a myriad of ways, though Williams said the main reason she's hawking her womanly wares is to defray the cost of her dream nuptials next year.
12 Williams told The Post that some of her spoils will be allocated toward the expenses for her big day next summer.
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The going rate for other mothers is a reasonable 50 cents per ounce, the neonatal intensive care unit nurse revealed.
For bodybuilders, however, the cost shoots up by a whopping 400% — to $2 per ounce.
12 New mommies like Williams promote their liquid treasures to mothers and workout buffs in Facebook groups dedicated to milk sales.
Facebook
The payday comes at a cost, Williams confessed — saying that she's extremely leery of selling to adult males, fearful that some of her wannabe clients might actually be 'creeps' with kooky kinks for lactating ladies.
Most social media inquiries from bodybuilders seeking milk are as benign as, 'I'm a male looking for a regular fresh supply of breast milk.'
However, others come with a thinly-veiled hint of inappropriateness, like, 'Seeking open-minded mom to help me with [breast milk] long term … willing to travel for the right person.'
12 As an overproducer of milk, Williams says she's grateful that her supply can help others.
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It's a virtual minefield through which entrepreneurial moms must carefully tiptoe.
But be it the babies-only bargain or the potential pervert premium, the boob juice business is a total cash cow.
Long hailed as a 'super-food' of sorts, breast milk, chock-full of nutrients — such as vitamins A, B-6, B12 and D, as well as calcium, copper, folate, iron and zinc — has remained in high demand among gym rats and health nuts over the past few years.
12 Mothers who advertise their breast milk to bodybuilders are often cautious of virtual creeps seeking online.
carles – stock.adobe.com
The trend appeared to pick up amid the throes of the pandemic, when researchers began begging new moms for samples of their auto-refilling ambrosia — convinced the antibodies found in breast milk would be key in curing COVID-19.
Newfound attention on the topic had everyone from gains-obsessed muscle men to folks fighting cancer scrambling to get their hands on the hot commodity, paying top dollar on Craigslist and Reddit.
Some lucky guys proudly get to guzzle the good stuff gratis, courtesy of their breastfeeding wives — while less fortunate fellas seek out sources like Williams, who can sometimes rake in tens of thousands of dollars, peddling to muscle-heads in the making.
12 Moms says they've received a number of requests from men seeking milk on the internet.
Martina – stock.adobe.com
The jaw-dropping yields notwithstanding, experts warn, 'No scientific study has evidenced that direct adult consumption of human milk for medicinal properties offers anything more than a placebo effect,' per data from Queen Mary University of London.
'The benefits of breast milk are being found in the lab,' the authors explained, 'not in drinking a bottle ordered online from an expressing mom.'
But Nicole Howard says breast milk bought online is definitely benefiting her cradle-sized clients. It's also added close to $10,000 to her bank account.
12 Nicole Howard earns enough money to cover a few household expenses, and fund her own business.
Courtesy Nicole Howard
'It feels like a full-time job because I'm always pumping,' Howard, 28, a married mom of two, from Utah, told The Post. 'I've sold over 7,000 ounces in the past 10 months.'
The West Coaster, whose breast milk comes with NICU certification — verifying its good quality — spends more than half of each day eating, pumping, freezing, storing, advertising and selling her excess supply to a cross-country customer base, spanning from California to New York City.
Her clientele is mostly comprised of adoptive parents of newborns, moms who aren't able to produce enough milk on their own, or families with finicky babies that won't or can't tolerate their mother's flow.
12 The mom of two says she studies the breast milk market to determine where her overflow will make the most impact.
@marissajeanaelephoto
'I sell it at $1 per ounce on Facebook, $1.50 to people out of state, and 75 cents an ounce to clients who purchase 500 ounces or more in bulk,' said Howard.
Both ladies told The Post they've also donated bags of their endowment to local breast-milk banks.
But, when it comes to paying patrons, Howard isn't shy about charging a pretty penny, owing to the purity of her stellar stock.
@nicolemonfer28
Sell you wonder?… yes, the price of bags is adding up and people who I donated to, after offering to get bags they just simple don't or just forget. I have felt so much discouraged from donating lately as I have had a couple people not even say thank you and another one who asked me to change my diet because her baby was getting gassy even though she later told me she was mixing up the breastmilk with formula and that is likely to make babies gassy. If you have ever breastfed or pump you know how much work, energy and time it takes to do so. If you have questions of concerns, leave them in the comments. #breastmilkstorage #breastmilk #breastmilktok #pumpingmom #pumping #pumpingtok #sahm #sahmoftiktok ♬ original sound – Nicole H
'I don't drink, smoke, do recreational drugs,' boasted the stay-at-home mom and part-time bartender. 'I don't drink coffee, eat fast food nor dairy, and I'm not [COVID-19] vaccinated, which is very important to most of the moms.'
To maintain her ample supply (as well as her strength), Howard, weighing a slight 107 pounds, routinely eats two servings at breakfast, one lunch, several snacks throughout the day, and a well-balanced dinner.
'It feels so good to feed babies in need,' gushed Howard, 'and to support myself and my household with money I'm making from my own body.'
'I eat a lot of protein and drink tons of water,' said the hardworking, breadwinning brunette. She's used a portion of her milk stash to cover bills, treat her tots and launch a mobile bartending business.
Ruby Du, another seller from Utah, and married mom of three echoed similar sentiments, tells The Post that her cups have been running over with dough since she began slanging her supply 18 months ago.
12 Utahn Ruby Du sells her overabundance through a breast milk company, which carefully tests and qualifies each batch she offers.
Courtesy Ruby Du
12 Du pumps once a day, making enough milk for her baby, as well as her customers.
Courtesy Ruby Du
12 The married mom enjoys giving back while earning bucks because each of her three children, who were all born prematurely, also benefited from donor milk immediately after birth.
Courtesy Ruby Du
'I used some of the money to by myself a new workout watch, and buy gifts for my kids and husband,' said Du, 31, who collects over $300 per month from her sales. 'We also donate portions of the funds to parents on IVF journeys.'
'It feels good to give back.'
Megan Lemmons, a milk-selling mom of three from Los Angeles, agrees. And as a selective side hustler, she decided to side-step the Facebook groups and bodybuilder communities altogether.
12 LA mom Megan Lemmons sells her milk to an organization that pays $1.00 per ounce per ever 400 to 500 ounces.
Courtesy Megan Lemmons
Instead, she sold her surplus sauce to Tiny Treasures Milk Bank, squeezing out 400 to 500 ounces per shipment, and raking in approximately $3,500 for her liquid loot.
Using a portion of her spoils, the blonde recently treated herself to a well-deserved getaway to California's Santa Catalina Island.
'I produced so much milk, and I didn't know what to do with it,' said Lemmons, 35. 'My freezer was so packed with milk that we were running out of space for food. Selling it was an answer to prayer.'
And while she admits that having to pump three or more times a day can be a bit of pain, the mini-mogul tells The Post she wouldn't trade bosomy work for the world.
'It's the most empowering, beautiful thing I've ever done in my entire life,' said Lemmon. 'I'm proud of my milk money.'