Many people have seen the benefits of engaging in a colon cleansing program to improve health and well-being. Nursing mothers need to take extra care in choosing a colon cleansing program. Restrictive diets and strict fasts are not safe while your body is working to make milk for your baby, and when it comes to herbs and medications, risk to the baby must be a primary consideration.
What to Avoid
New mothers sometimes experience constipation. If you are already taking care of yourself by getting plenty of rest, eating healthy food and drinking clear water, you may want to try a colon cleansing kit or program to help your bowels along and to possibly lose some impacted waste weight.
While not every substance you ingest winds up in your milk, many do, so you should use caution. Many cleansing products contain the harsh stimulant laxatives senna and cascara sagrada. While the American Academy of Pediatrics states these seem to have no effect on the nursing baby, according to kellymom.com other breastfeeding specialists advise against these herbs because they might cause diarrhea in the breastfeeding child. It is also best to err on the side of caution with herbs like horsetail and milk thistle, which are used in some colon cleansing products and actively work on the liver and kidneys.
What to Try
The safest and most effective means of cleansing and detoxifying your system is to change your diet. Avoid white sugar, highly processed foods, and drinks and foods with artificial sweeteners. To cleanse your colon, build your diet around vegetables and fruits--at least 75 percent of the foods you eat should be plant-based--lean animal protein, dairy foods and high-fiber whole grains. Drink at least 64 oz. of filtered or distilled water every day. While you are breastfeeding you should not fast; however, you can drink vegetable soups or juices as one meal each day to give your digestive tract a rest. Do not go hungry.
The soluble and insoluble fiber in fruits, vegetables and grains absorb the water you drink and bulk up in your intestine. Bulk prompts your digestive system to get to work on elimination. Insoluble fiber scours your intestinal walls to clean out any mucous buildup. These actions combine to help your body absorb more nutrients from the food you eat.
If you are really having a hard time eliminating and have gone a few days without having a bowel movement, you can use a magnesium-based laxative. A study published June 1, 2002 in the "Lancet" by D. Altman et al. concluded that intravenous use of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) to treat pre-eclampsia is effective and does no harm to the mother or baby. This being the case, ingestion of magnesium at recommended dosages for laxative purposes should pose little risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics lists magnesium sulfate as a low-risk laxative for nursing mothers. Magnesium oxide and magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) have not been reviewed by the AAP.
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