Postpartum Detox For Breastfeeding Mothers

I hear it all the time from postpartum moms, “I want to feel better and lose the baby weight, but is it safe to detox while breastfeeding? Well, Postpartum detox for breastfeeding mothers is very safe.

Yes, it can be done – BUT, not all types of detoxification methods are recommended while lactating and breastfeeding. Juice cleanses or some other drastic measure, sorry, I’m not going to encourage a restrictive regimen like that.

Your body is designed to detox but of course, our world is full of toxins and pollutants. So, it makes sense that doing a more healthful cleanse would be a good idea, but it doesn’t involve starving yourself. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

A detox or cleanse is a great way to boost your liver and kidney function–the body’s natural detoxifying agents.

As a mama of three, I understand some of the struggles so many of you have when it comes to losing the extra baby weight so my recommendation is to go as natural as you can with your intake of foods. Remember, baby gets what you get, so make it nutritious and healthy.

Note that it’s important to consult with a doctor if you plan on taking any detox products or diet plans.

What detox does to the body:

Reduces 

• bloating
• improves sleep
• clears skin
• boosts energy
• eliminates brain fog
• weight loss (especially in the belly)
• boosts metabolism
• improves mood
• eliminates cravings

Safe detox while breastfeeding

Safe detox for nursing moms is not only important, but it can be tricky. I’m going to break down some simple steps to safely and effectively detox while breastfeeding, without draining your energy but first let’s discuss the different types of natural detox method and its effect on nursing mothers.

 Postpartum Colon Cleanse While Breastfeeding

One of the staples of detoxing is colon cleansing. Which makes sense because the colon is where the body stores and eliminates most of its wastes and toxins.

Colon detoxification usually involves the use of laxatives or high-fibre juices, which trigger bowel movements and may provide the immediate perception of cleansing and weight loss. You may even notice that a few kilos have been dropped the next time you step on the scale.

However, it’s important to note that prolonged use of colon cleansers like laxatives are detrimental to your health and it can disrupt the normal rhythm of your bowel movements which can worsen the feeling of heaviness and toxin build-up or cause diarrhoea.

While detoxing, it is important to eat and drink enough to prevent severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

There natural ways to do colon cleansing at home. Let’s discuss some ways to do that in our next topic.

7 Ways to safely detox while breastfeeding

 Water flush for breastfeeding moms

Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated is a great way to regulate digestion. People who support a water flush for colon cleansing recommend drinking six to eight glasses of lukewarm water per day.

Also, try eating plenty of foods high in water content. This includes fruits and vegetables like cucumber, berries, lettuce, and celery.

In fact, there are lots of foods that help cleanse the colon naturally through diet.

Saltwater Flush While Breastfeeding

 Saltwater flush is used to cleanse your colon, treat chronic constipation, and help detox your body. It also helps with weight loss by improving digestion and shed excess water weight.

A saltwater flush involves drinking a mixture of warm water and non-iodized salt. Drinking salt and warm water has a laxative effect. It usually causes urgent bowel movements within 30 minutes to an hour, although it may take longer.

Saltwater flush is typically done first thing in the morning, upon waking. It may also be performed in the evening, a few hours after your last meal. It doesn’t matter what time of day you do the flush as long as it’s done on an empty stomach.

How to do a saltwater flush

The unofficial standard procedure for a saltwater flush is to:

• Dissolve two teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt (such as Pink Himalayan sea salt) in one quart (four cups) of warm water.
• Add lemon juice to improve the taste, if desired.
• Drink the mixture as quickly as possible on an empty stomach.

Sugar Control Detox While Breastfeeding for weight loss

While diabetes might be the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions sugar control, limiting carbohydrates such as refined sugar is important for all healthy diets—even more so if you’re trying to lose weight.

By decreasing the amount of sugar and carbs you consume, either through intermittent fasting or ketogenic diets, your body will be forced to burn its stored fat to utilize as an alternative source of energy.

For lactating women, this may be a slippery slope to tread because breast milk production requires a bit more carbohydrate intake to cover both the mother and infant’s energy requirements. Enough fat is also required to produce quality milk.

I discussed how you can safely go on a ketogenic diet while breastfeeding in this here.

Take High-fiber diet for detoxification

Fibre is an essential macronutrient often overlooked in the diet and It’s found in whole, healthy plant foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and more.

Plants contain cellulose and fibres that help “bulk” up the excess matter in the colon. They also regulate constipation and overactive bowels, while boosting helpful bacteria as a prebiotic.

Make sure to eat plenty of high-fibre foods, which help a healthy colon and they can be great for gut bacteria, too.

Taking herbal teas while lactating

Trying some herbal teas may assist digestive health via the colon.

Laxative herbs like psyllium, aloe vera, marshmallow root, and slippery elm may help with constipation. Make sure to talk to your doctor and follow directions closely before using these herbs. Also, use them sparingly; otherwise, they can be harmful.

Other herbs like ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper contain antimicrobial phytochemicals. These are thought to suppress bad bacteria. For this reason, they’re included in lots of cleanses.

Aju Mbaise is a herb non-laxative tea in Nigeria that has proven to help new mothers lose weight and it has its other numerous benefits too.

Try a cup of one of these herbal teas up to three times a day. Only drink tea once per day for laxative herbal teas.

Juices and smoothies

Juices and smoothies are popular colon cleansers, even so, intake of juices and smoothies are good for you. Juice blends contain some fibre and nutrients that benefit digestion and they also hold water to help hydrate and keep up regularity.

Since pulp and skins are removed when juicing, juices contain less fibre. Fibre is great for the colon, and smoothies hold a lot more fibre. So, I recommend smoothies over juices for colon and overall health.

You don’t need to fast and drink only juices and smoothies to get any benefit. Just try including more in your diet, such as with a daily juice or smoothie.

Probiotics

Adding probiotics to the diet is another way to cleanse the colon. This also boosts overall health in many other ways.

You can get more probiotics by taking probiotic supplements. Also, eat lots of probiotic-rich keto foods, like:

• Sauerkraut: Sauerkraut is made with fermented cabbage. …
• Kombucha: Kombucha is a sweet, fizzy drink which is made with yeast and fermented tea. …

Greek Yogurt: 

• Gotten from milk
• Pickle: Pickle is made by fermenting cucumbers

Probiotics introduce good bacteria to the gut with the help of fibre and resistant starches. These curb inflammation and promote regularity — two elements of digestive health related to the colon.

Apple cider vinegar is also considered probiotic and is included in colon cleanses. The enzymes and acids that apple cider vinegar contains are known to suppress bad bacteria.

Tip For postpartum detox cleanse

Do a gentle, real food detox 

Detoxing enhances metabolism by supporting the liver–the body’s most important detox organ that helps metabolize toxins and fat. When your liver is firing on all cylinders, your body burns fat more efficiently.

Adding insult to injury, pesticides and preservatives found in processed foods can (and do) inhibit your body’s natural ability to lose weight. Clean, unprocessed foods do the opposite, support weight loss, and most importantly, nourish you and your growing babe.

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

When you’re single-handedly nourishing another human, a good portion of the fluids you take in goes right back out via your liquid gold.

Staying hydrated while breastfeeding is not only critical to maintain or boost your milk supply, but also to keep your energy up, and allowing your kidneys and bowels to do their #1 job to eliminate waste (also known as toxins) from your body.

2. Rest

One of my favourite bits of advice from well-intentioned family and friends during the first few months was to “sleep when the baby sleeps.” Riiight….easier said than done, buuut, this advice is solid.

Nap when (and if) you can, and make it a point to at least try and get a decent amount of shuteye at night, even though it’s guaranteed to be interrupted.

Any sleep is better than no sleep, right? And the bonus, since you are not (supposed to be) eating during those six to eight hours of night sleeping, your digestive system gets a break and your elimination has a chance to catch up, improving those processes during your waking hours.

Flat Tummy Detox Water

Lemon juice is one of the healthiest drinks for a breastfeeding mom. If you are in your nursing phase, drinking lemon water during this time can help stimulate your body and help you feel rejuvenated.

Having lemon water while breastfeeding can refresh you and boost your energy levels. Drinking lemon juice can also improve the blood circulation in your body, thus improving the quality of milk and keeping your baby happy and content.

How to prepare flat tummy detox water

The ingredients in this water help you to naturally get rid of belly fat. If you keep drinking this, in combination with some cardiovascular exercise, you’ll be well on your way to a flatter stomach.

Ingredients

6 c filtered water

1 tbsp. ginger, grated

1 cucumber, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

1/3 c mint leaves

Instructions

Mix all of the ingredients in a pitcher and store it in the fridge overnight, so that the flavours can infuse. Drink it all the next day. It will help flush fat from your body.

Postpartum Detox Drink

Starting your day with one of these green babies is surely going to make your body happy. How do I know this? Because I’m no stranger to the overeating or over carb-ing which cause me to feel horrible! I start fresh in the morning with this smoothie and I’m feeling much better knowing I took care of myself.

To be honest, I was a green smoothie HATER, I really was! But I have turned over a new leaf, pun intended! Lol, so, you can too, it’s good for you!

Here are some of my favourite smoothie recipe! Enjoy!

CLEANSE & DETOX SMOOTHIE: DAIRY, SUGAR & GLUTEN FREE

The cucumber and celery make this super refreshing, I promise

1 cup spinach

1 stalk celery

1/2 cucumber

1/2 cup almond milk unsweetened

1 tablespoon flax seed

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cup ice

2 droppers liquid lemon stevia or plain

Instructions

Blend all ingredients in your high powdered blender until smooth.

Taste and adjust sweetener if needed.

Makes 24-ounce s( a glass)

Green Protein Coconut Smoothie: Dairy Free

Ingredients

1 can coconut milk

2 cups fresh spinach

1 cup of frozen strawberries

1/2 cup 100% pasteurized egg whites

Optional: 2-3 droppers vanilla liquid stevia

Instructions

Combine all ingredients into a high powdered blender and mix until smooth. Makes 24 ounces.

Naturally Sweetened Green Protein Smoothie

Ingredients

1 avocado

2 cups fresh kale

1 cup plain Greek yoghurt non-fat

1 cup pasteurized egg whites

1 cup ice

3 droppers liquid vanilla stevia

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Adjust sweetener if needed.

Lemon Ginger Detox Drink

Have you tried this before? It’s so refreshing hun!

12 ounces water at room temperature

1/2 lemon juiced

1/2 inch knob of ginger root grated

Instructions

Add the lemon juice to the glass of water. Finely grate the ginger by using a zester, add to the glass of water. This drink is a perfect way to start your day!

Nowadays, there are tons of different detox diets out there, all promising to unleash the sexy, lean beast that’s currently spending her days in spit-up covered yoga pants (yep, I’ve been there).

Worse, aggressive cleansing can cause your body to mobilize toxins too quickly, dumping them precisely where you don’t want them to go – your breast milk. You want to detox slowly and gently. Few are designed specifically for you, my fellow, multi-tasking (and possibly nursing) mamas.

Hope you found this article helpful? I’d love to hear from you! Don’t forget to drop a comment in the comment section. I love to read them!