A 29-year-old woman has made a life-changing decision to leave her profession and embark on a unique career creating jewellery from breast milk, ashes and hair.
When Rachel Heinze, from Lakeland, Florida, began a personal journey of breastfeeding, she wasn't to know it would later become a thriving business, with Rachel earning $30,000 in her first full year of operation.
Rachel's journey into the world of jewelry making began after she struggled with breastfeeding her premature son, Lucas, who was born six weeks early in October 2020.
Determined to commemorate her "exhausting" breastfeeding experience, Rachel was inspired by advertisements she saw on Facebook promoting breast milk jewelry.
She decided to create a ring from her leftover milk and quickly fell in love with the process.
As Rachel honed her skills, she realised she could turn her newfound hobby into a full-fledged career.
In November 2021, she launched her business, offering clients the opportunity to transform their breast milk into precious pieces of jewellery.
Rachel's craftsmanship extends beyond breast milk, as she can incorporate locks of hair and even ashes into her designs. Each item is sold for up to $200.
Reflecting on her initial reaction to breast milk jewellery, Rachel confessed, "When I first saw breastfeeding jewellery before I had kids, I thought it was weird.
"But having that journey myself, I can definitely see why people want to carry that little part of the journey with them." Her personal experience propelled her passion to create unique pieces that would resonate with others.
Rachel's scientific background as a neuroscientist proved beneficial in the preservation process of breast milk.
She developed a method to turn the milk into powder, ensuring its longevity in the jewellery.
The preservation process takes approximately 30 minutes, followed by a drying period of two to three days before the powder can be used. Crafting each piece requires an additional three to four days.
The success of Rachel's business exceeded her expectations, she said: "I didn't know it would be such a big thing—I just thought it would be a little here and there to make a sale."
After a video showcasing her work gained attention on social media, breast milk donations from around the world poured in, leading Rachel to realise the immense potential of her venture.
While managing her business and caring for her two children, Lucas and Michael, Rachel works on her jewellery during the evenings, sometimes staying up until 10pm to complete orders.
Despite the challenges of balancing work and family life, she finds it incredibly rewarding.
She said: "I think every stay-at-home mom can vouch for how difficult it is to both work and look after your kids. But it is so worth it to me."
Rachel loves reading the positive reviews and loves supporting other women going through their breastfeeding journey.
She said: “80 per cent of my responses online are positive. I always get cute little letters or reviews from customers. I get super excited about those.
“With my memorial jewellery, every single story is so touching. My very first piece was for a mother who lost her little girl. She passed away at a week old.
"Her mother sent me a lock of her hair, some breast milk and some of her ashes.
"I remember I made it at night, and it cut to my heart so much that I had to grab my sleeping baby to just hold him.”
Rachel still has to deal with trolls who think her jewellery is "gross".
She said: “There are always the people out there that think it is gross. They ask me to preserve totally indecent things just to kind of troll with me
"You learn to shrug this off because normally they are men who don’t understand breastfeeding and that’s totally fine.
“It has surprised me. I am very grateful and blessed with the amount of success I’ve had.”
