Our modern day world is filled with toxins.
It’s no secret that we are all exposed to a multitude of toxins on a daily basis. Even if we do our very best to live a non-toxic life, just going out in public or entering environments outside of our own home may expose us to unwanted toxins. From going to the grocery store and walking down the cleaning aisle, to the heavy cologne on a passerby, to the pesticides in our food, to the spraying in the sky (also known as chemtrails)….
Not to mention, if you’ve ever had any of the following in your body: vaccines, birth control, antidepressants/mood stabilizers, dental amalgam fillings (the metal kind). All of these contribute to toxic overload in the body and throw the natural microbiome of our bodies out of whack.
Of course, we can never be perfectly non-toxic and it doesn’t serve us to live in fear or obsess over trying to perfect the non-toxic lifestyle. This, however, is the precise reason why as childbearing women, we should prioritize supporting our body’s innate detoxing capabilities. Additionally, we can often benefit from a more intentional cleansing our of body to give it a good chance at being able to do what it is already good at doing (detoxing), even more efficiently.
How toxic overload effects your childbearing:
If you read my blog “Flawed Logic in a Common Myth: Detox While Breastfeeding,” then you will have a base understanding of how not detoxing the body can actually cause harm, while intentionally detoxing the body (even while breastfeeding) can be beneficial.
Because the world we live in is filled with so many more toxins than say, 100 years ago, it is imperative that we intentionally live a more non-toxic, conscious lifestyle to support our body in it’s natural detox functions. Furthermore, we must intentionally support detox pathways of the body and heal our gut lining/microbiome. In many cases, targeted detox protocols are also warranted.
When the body becomes overloaded with toxins, these toxins will effect our pregnancy, our baby growing in the womb, and – if detox support is severely neglected, yes, toxins will likely enter your breastmilk as well. Yes, you read that correctly: it is my firm belief that avoiding detoxing while breastfeeding is actually what causes toxins to enter the breastmilk, NOT detoxing (properly) while breastfeeding!
As breastfeeding mothers, we must prioritize supporting our detox pathways, and sometimes do more targeted detox protocols to rid our body of toxins and protect our breastfeeding babe. When done properly, detox while breastfeeding will usually improve your baby’s health.
Here are three main reasons why you may feel inclined to detox while breastfeeding:
1. To prepare your body for pregnancy.
This is a huge reason why some women may be interested in detoxing while breastfeeding. If you have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for many years, you likely have not intentionally detoxed your body over that period of time. If you are interested in conceiving again and you’ve become aware that you haven’t detoxed in quite some time, you may be wondering if this is something you can do while you are still breastfeeding.
Before getting pregnant, many women invest significant time and energy into preparing their physical body for pregnancy in the hopes of having a smoother, healthier pregnancy.
When you prepare your body by detoxing prior to getting pregnant, you will encounter less issues during your pregnancy like morning sickness or dormant/underlying health imbalances showing up such as yeast infections, UTIs, fatigue, brain fog, skin rashes, cold, and even sugar cravings!
Take for example, morning sickness – let’s critically think about what is happening in this situation – particularly in the extreme cases known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Usually when one vomits, it is because the body is trying to get rid of something toxic. So then, with hyperemesis gravidarum, wouldn’t it also make sense that the pregnant woman’s body is attempting to expel toxins via vomit, in an effort to protect the gestating baby? This is a theory, but I would encourage you to consider this as a possibility! I experienced no morning sickness during my pregnancy, which I attribute to having intentionally detoxed prior to getting pregnant.
Finally and most importantly, your baby in your womb will thank you for providing it a clean environment to gestate in and for protecting it’s microbiome!
2. Your pregnancy or postpartum season revealed an underlying health imbalance.
During pregnancy, your body is working extra hard to create a new life. It is under more stress than it is during your non-pregnant day-to-day life. Your body is growing and nourishing a whole other human within your womb, and will prioritize nourishing the gestating baby over you. This is why if you do have any underlying or dormant health imbalances, they will likely be revealed to you during your pregnancy.
For example, you may experience persistent mild/moderate yeast infections, herpes outbreaks, one or more UTIs, mysterious skin rashes, or other health imbalances during your pregnancy (or postpartum season).
3. Your baby has revealed a dormant or underlying health imbalance to you.
Your baby’s microbiome is imprinted from your own microbiome while growing in your womb. I am not just speaking of the gut microbiome! Your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual microbiome are all imprinted on your baby in your womb. For this reason, your baby may be born with symptoms reflecting your own health imbalance back to you.
As previously mentioned, I did a lot of intentional cleansing prior to getting pregnant. Before becoming pregnant, for many years I struggled with recurring vaginal yeast infections. After parasite cleansing with my naturopath, I no longer experienced them. I truly believed I had gotten rid of the yeast issues.
However, I believe the root cause – candida overgrowth – was simply dormant. I indulged in sugar from time to time throughout my pregnancy, and I was also vegan at the time – drinking lots of banana-based (one of the highest sugar fruit!) protein smoothies to meet the protein requirements of pregnancy (and often times with peanut butter, which can also trigger candida/mold issues).
When my daughter was born, she had cradle cap that lasted for many months. She had very infrequent bowel movements from when she was a newborn and later on, constipation. She began developing persistent and painful diaper rashes when she was just a few months old, and once she began eating solids, she began developing itchy skin rashes with fungal appearance. My midwife had mentioned to me that the cradle cap and diaper rashes could be caused by yeast, but it wasn’t until she developed the skin rashes that I recognized as having a fungal appearance, that I connected all of the dots and realized she had candida overgrowth.
I applied my holistic health knowledge, did tons of research, used my discernment – and through detoxing while breastfeeding, we were able to get both our health back into balance.
Mom & Baby are symbiotic.
Ever heard of the motherbaby dyad?
Mom & baby are intrinsically intertwined and although in separate bodies after birth – are still very much connected, biologically, emotionally, and spiritually. Mother and baby remain in a symbiotic, or interdependent, relationship for quite some time – definitely as long as mom is breastfeeding – and I believe, far beyond that time.
It is my firm belief that when done properly (and with guidance), detox while breastfeeding provides mom and baby with a beautiful opportunity to safely, gently detox together.
