breastfeeding and wanting to go raw

[MomOfTwo]

Hi. I am breastfeeding my nearly 4 month old son and have decided I'd like to go raw to get healthier. I had planned to wait until I was finished breastfeeding but I plan to breastfeed until DS is ready to quit, which could be years. I suspect that going to a raw diet will affect my milk's content and supply and I'm just wondering what is the best way to go about getting to a raw diet with the least impact to my son. Are there any books you recommend that touch on the topic of going raw while nursing?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

[fruitcake]

What I did was go VERY slowly and gave my body lots of time to adjust that way I wouldn't do any major detoxing and dump a bunch of toxins in my milk. Don't know if that's the right answer or not, but it's what I did and the baby didn't have any problems with it. In fact he seemed to want to nurse more once I started eating more fruit. Guess the milk tasted better.
I don't know how you're eating right now, but try going in baby steps like giving up red meat, then white bread, then pork, then sugar... You get the idea. Give yourself time to adjust to each phase.
Good luck!

[garden granny]

You really should go very slow - just add more fruits and vegs to your diet and slowly cut out meat - you don't want to detox while your nursing your baby. Maybe take 6 months to transition.

[RebeccaI]

What is your diet like now? that is a big consideration. Also consider that what is good for you is not going to be BAD for your baby. As a mother of soon to be 6, I have found a ton of the freedom of living raw is trusting your body - I believe our bodies are wise beyond what we give them credit for. A lactating body knows not to release tons of toxins into the system - it's part of our design! ;)

There is something to be said for transitioning slowly but consider your diet and make the best changes you can. There is no reason to have a nightly serving of meat and potatoes because you are "transitioning slowly".

Just my two cents~

Blessings to you and your little one too! :D

[Rawkinlocs]

What is your diet like now? that is a big consideration. Also consider that what is good for you is not going to be BAD for your baby. As a mother of soon to be 6, I have found a ton of the freedom of living raw is trusting your body - I believe our bodies are wise beyond what we give them credit for. A lactating body knows not to release tons of toxins into the system - it's part of our design! ;)

There is something to be said for transitioning slowly but consider your diet and make the best changes you can. There is no reason to have a nightly serving of meat and potatoes because you are "transitioning slowly".

Just my two cents~

Blessings to you and your little one too! :D

Amen to that! I nursed my children on a cooked (junky) diet and they suffered for it! Your milk is going to be MOST affected by what you eat as opposed to what you cut out. I ate candy and drank soda pop and it was evident in their skin.

If a woman is nursing and drinking or smoking and then realizes that it's affecting her baby via the breastmilk, would it be suggested to transition off of the alcohol and cigarettes or to please just stop doing that?

I've heard varying opinions on this and one thing that stuck with me is when I read that breasts are not normal channels of elimination that the body uses to get rid of toxins. Just be sure that you are having regular, frequent bowel movements and drinking plenty of water to keep the toxins moving out of you in the normal way. The only time the body uses unusual avenues to detox through is when the NORMAL channels of elimination are backed up, overtaxed and just overflooded. Otherwise, you will more than likely expel of toxins via the bms and urination and maybe your skin since that is our largest organ - but not everyone detoxes thorugh their skin.

So, all in all, eat what's healthy for you and baby.

[AvyB]

What rawkinlocs said!

I am currently nursing my 11 month old daughter, she gets at LEAST 95% of her nutrition from my milk still and I went raw (fruits, veggies, seeds, and nuts only) almost 2 weeks ago. No problems! Baby is fine and I feel GREAT! Good luck to you!

[MomOfTwo]

Thank you all for the great responses and advice.

My diet on most days is decent, but there are days when it leaves a lot to be desired. I do eat a lot of fruits and veggies now, but the veggies are typically cooked. I eat meat too, which I think I'm going to cut our first, starting today. I won't miss it one bit.

My bigger challenge will be finding a grocery store where I live that sells food I want to eat. I live in Augusta, GA and it's a very small town with not a lot of options. The commissary on our base has an organic produce section and it's about two feet wide. LOL

I expect I'll be hanging around here a lot, as I'm going to need a support system during my transition and possibly beyond. My DH isn't likely to go raw. He's deploying soon though, so soon I won't have to bring any of the processed foods or meats that he likes in to the house. My 14 year old daughter will eat whatever I serve her. I'd love to see her transition to raw as well, so we'll see.

[Ginger]

Second time I went all raw I was nursing my 3 month old daughter, I can assure you it is totally safe to eat only healthy real food while nursing! Anything that is not a fresh whole food is not optimal & risky. I always had an abundance of breastmilk except when I went back to SAD for a year when she was 3. SAD made my milk dry up. My daughter & I were both devastated & it was not a plesent or mutually desired end to nursing. :(