Everyone seems to have a homespun “cure” for sickness: a hot toddy, spoonful of honey, orange juice, chicken soup, etc.
What is Kourtney Kardashian’s treatment of choice? Breast milk.
That’s right. Breast milk.
The reality TV star shared an image of herself in an Instagram story Wednesday night that included the text: “I just pounded a glass of breast milk because I feel sick … goodnight!”
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The 44-year-old “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star gave birth to her child with husband Travis Barker in November 2023 after a difficult pregnancy, even undergoing urgent fetal surgery in September. Kardashian and Barker named their baby Rocky Thirteen, which combines the name of a guitarist and “the greatest number of all time.”
Kardashian shares three older children — Mason, Penelope and Reign — with ex-boyfriend Scott Disick. The former couple broke up in 2015.
As a mother, Kardashian occasionally makes surprising, or even controversial, choices. She shared that she continued to co-sleep with her 10-year-old daughter and let 8-year-old Reign dye his hair platinum blonde.
But the choice to “pound” breast milk when sick is a curious one. Could it actually work?
Dr. Christine Greves, an OB/GYN at the Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital For Women and Babies says, “Never ever do I want to shame anyone for doing what they think is best for their body. As far as people drinking breast milk, this is something we don’t have studies on, so I can’t say whether it’s good or it’s bad.”
Greves points out a 2015 study notes the risks associated with drinking breast milk purchased online. Since Kardashian has posted an image with a breast pump, we can assume she “pounded” her own breast milk. But even drinking your own breast milk has not proven to be valuable.
The study concluded that no “direct adult consumption of human milk for medicinal properties offers anything more than a placebo effect.”
Greves offered some good alternative advice: “If you’re feeling run down, whether you’re lactating or not, you may want to try over-the-counter immune assistance. Make sure you try to get rest, stay well hydrated and isolate yourself from people that could get sick.”
This article first appeared on TODAY.com. Read more from TODAY:
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