I want to Juice while I'm nursing

[Kodi'sMommy]

I have a 3 month old and I am breastfeeding but I want to juice. If I put Bee Pollen, Wheat Grass, Flax oil, Grape seed extract, Acidophilus, and fresh veges in it and juice all that up. Would that be Healthy for me to do all that? Plus taking my prenatal and calcuium pills w/ vitamin D. It gots
1. Calcium
2. protein
3. fats
4. veges
5. all sorts of vitamins

Just looking for advice cuz I heard juicing isn't good while breastfeeding and I don't see anything out there saying why it isn't good.

Thanks!!!

[Tiffany]

Hi KM,

I had read all over the internet that there was too much detox to juice while nursing. However, on a visit to a friend of my husband's who is a long time raw foodist I was lamenting that I wanted to juice. His wife told me she did a juice fast while she was nursing. She said her "milk had never been better" while she was juicing. She nursed for about 3 or 4 years each child. This was a good 20-30 years ago, even before all the great supplements that we can get now, like hemp oil, coco butter, and all that. So, that eased my anxiety and I started doing it.

Oh...she didn't mention how dang HUNGRY you get (nursing). I couldn't keep it up. I may start again. The emotional part can be hard, too. There is alot of demand emotionally (from my one year old anyway) and I was extra sensitive. So, in that case, it is more challenging than pre-baby when you are able to meditate on the beach and do yoga without someone crawling all over you while in downdog.

[Kindermama]

I am trying to juice while nursing (my baby is 2 :D ) and have one 'meal' of a green smoothie during the day and so far, besides increased nursing, everything is going really well!

From Natalie Rose's 'Raw Foods Detox Diet' book'

"Not only will your baby thrive on the milk, but you will attain the best shape of your life. breastfeeding will help make both of you vibrant and healthy- and is quite possibly a mother's best tool in raisly a truly joyful child. "

Amen to that!

"Six months after each of my pregnancies, I did a six-day juice fast and had tons of rich milk for my babies. I also whittled myself into my best shape ever"

She says in here that at first she wasn't making enough milk and all of the LC's told her to eat steak, ice cream, milk, etc. But then she realized that cows dont drink milk to make milk, they eat grass, so she decided to start eating like a cow. Calcium-rich greens = abundant milk supply, so she started consuming 2 Pounds of greens each day and incorporating omega 3's and avocadoes, walnuts and tahini.. and sure enough she was able to stop supplementing and breastfeed fully.

Nursing tips;

5 servings of fresh raw fruit daily (Im sure can be done thru juicing)

Consume LARGE amounts of green vegetable daily. Try to consume at least 1/2 a pound of raw green leafy vegetables. i recommend drinking 20 ounces of freshly extracted green juice with apple for sweetness

Consume essential fatty acids and omega 3's daily. 2 TB of UDO's oil daily

NURSE ON DEMAND as often as possible to ensure a lasting and abundant milk supply. Avoid pumping.

*word of caution- her book does not advocate 100% raw*

You will do fine- just drink TONS of green fruit juices.

[Kodi'sMommy]

Thank You so much!! This has really helped me out alot. I'm more than greatful that I found this site:)

[Aleesha Sattva]

when you say you want to juice... do you want to add juice to your daily diet or do you just want to juice?

cause adding a fresh juice wouldn't harm at all!!!

[Kodi'sMommy]

Just juice

[Aleesha Sattva]

i know i say this in all the fasting/feasting threads where a breastfeeding mom wants to undertake a juice feast/fast... but i feel the need to add a word of caution to you.

unless you have been raw for a long time and already done a whole lot of detoxing... when you juice feast/fast while nursing you are dumping YOUR toxins into your milk which in turn feeds your toxins to your baby!

think about what you are doing before you do this please. your baby doesn't have a choice... but to take in your X-amount of years of toxins into his/her body. *EEK*

if i gave you the choice... would you willingly CHOOSE to take my years of toxins into your body via a drink?

adding a fresh juice daily to your regime is healthier by far for your baby.

[Kindermama]

I would think that juicing in the morning and consuming green smoothies should be okay... but I made the mistake of drinking the Master Cleanse in the morning and sure enough dd2 got a bright red rash on her bottom (probably from the cayenne pepper).. so live and learn... I wont be doing THAT again!

[Tiffany]

Yes, Aleesah, I too have read this information all over the internet. From talking to actual people who have experience, (for instance a friend who cured colitis with a juice fast while nursing -- wow talk about detox and no harm to the baby!) also, speaking to long time raw foodists with experience in the medical field and reading some non-raw information on what actually happens when breast milk is created in the body, I don't think this is as dangerous as we have been lead to believe.

Remember, too, that baby is created from mother's cells, mother's chemistry, mother's food eaten while in vitro. While nursing a juicing mama, baby will actually have the opportunity to get rid of some of that junk for themselves, how wondeful :) Removal of toxins will be approximately as difficult for baby as is for mother. I won't say there will not be a dump of toxins. But, what appears to happen is baby and mother will dump in unison. For instance, I when juicing while nursing, I had some intense mucous excretion. Baby had some minor mucous excretion and was crawling all over laughing and happy. NOt too much of a problem. Awareness is key, as in ANY parenting endeavor.

As far as dumping extra of your own toxins into baby, its not likely to be a problem. It is something like a .01% diffusion of toxins into the breastmilk. Unless we are talking about metals like mercury. Nasty stuff, but its in everyone's breastmilk regardless, you can't really escape heavy metals. Detox, and you'll just create space for more. Then, you'll soak right back up from what's in soil, air, rain.... I once read that one of the #1 human rights issues of the 21st century will be the right of a mother to breastfeed without toxins in her breastmilk. Egads.

[Aleesha Sattva]

for me, as a mom who nursed for almost 10 years (3 kids) i couldn't imagine releasing my toxins into my baby... unless i had some actual evidence that it doesn't harm my baby... i wouldn't take the chance.

to me, it's kinda like a mom keeping her child in a room full of smokers. baby doesn't have any choice but to breathe it in... i've heard it time and time again from smokers that it's not harming the baby.

i tend to disagree.

but thank you for sharing with me tiffany. if there is any evidence of this, i'd love to read it as well! ;)

[Tiffany]

Wow, Aleesah. Did you just compare my action of replacing solid food with an abundance of organic green and fruit liquid food and EFA oils while I am breastfeeding to the act of smoking cigarettes in the same room as my baby?

Anyway, like I said. Most raw evidence that I know of is anecdotal/experiential. The non-raw aka medical evidence comes from sources like the following article:
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/ref/toxinsinbreastmilk/

I would also like to point out the experience of Melissa Gilbert b/c I know you are familiar with her story. She found out she had cancer at the same time she was pregnant, correct me if I am wrong. DId she not then turn to a raw diet? The placenta is a much more direct route into the baby than any breast milk. Look at baby Alex now! Thriving. And created in her womb, cancer detox and all.

I am not advocating that someone start juicing to cure cancer while they breastfeed. But, I would certainly advocate for a raw diet. Wouldn't that be a better choice than to turn to chemo and put the baby on formula? Or put baby on formula and do the raw diet so as not to harm baby with detox? Or raw goat's milk? Or stick with breast and hope the cancer detox is less harmful than all the mercury and PCBs that are in there anyway? What choice would you suggest in that instance?

I have not read the studies myself. Just what has been gleaned from the studies by the authors of articles such as the above. It discusses in detail heavy metals and other chemicals that like I said is pretty much impossible in this day and age to avoid. Also notes that detox from your run of the mill junk food weightloss detox has never proven to be harmful. But, if you have breastfed, you have dumped heavy metals and all manner of harmful substance into your child -- substances that your body rejected because they were so harmful to you as they store up in your fatty cells.

Most of us on this board are doing the right thing to help ourselves and our babes combat this. IMHO, juicing is also a part of that, and is a tool to help mama get to the level of health she needs to be the best mama she can be, if that is what she chooses, and does so with AWARENESS like any good mama would. I am simply going to give any mama around here the benefit of the doubt of being aware enough to do so.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Wow, Aleesah. Did you just compare my action of replacing solid food with an abundance of organic green and fruit liquid food and EFA oils while I am breastfeeding to the act of smoking cigarettes in the same room as my baby?

No I did not. I said that giving your baby toxin filled milk is not a good thing and neither is having them in a room full of smokers. I did not say eating a raw diet is bad... I said you should not juice while you are nursing. Please don't put words in my mouth. I have plenty of my own in there :)



I would also like to point out the experience of Melissa Gilbert b/c I know you are familiar with her story. She found out she had cancer at the same time she was pregnant, correct me if I am wrong. DId she not then turn to a raw diet? The placenta is a much more direct route into the baby than any breast milk. Look at baby Alex now! Thriving. And created in her womb, cancer detox and all.

Melissa became raw in 2004. She became pregnant in 2005. And yes... Alex is a toddler and doing GREAT. He is 100% raw!!! :D

http://www.timelessspirit.com/MAR08/interview.shtml


I am not advocating that someone start juicing to cure cancer while they breastfeed. ........ What choice would you suggest in that instance?

I'm not advocating that either. Nice to see we are on the same page. I have no suggestion by the way as to what a Mom should do in this instance. I'm not sure why you are so angry with my post... I was merely pointing out that juicing is not recommended while breastfeeding. period. I haven't found any information supporting that suggestion - for a SAD eater to juice feast while nursing. That is what I said... that a SAD eater should not juice feast... I even said that a raw foodist would be a different situation... as they would have cleansing out most of their toxins is they were on a raw diet before they got pregnant/nursing. Interestingly Melissa and I were talking about this today and she completely disagrees with a nursing mom juice feasting... Angela Stokes and I discussed it as well... both she and Matt Monarch disagree with a nursing mom juice feasting. I can't imagine that Alissa would advocate for nursing mothers to juice feast either, although I am not sure of her opinion on the subject.


Most of us on this board are doing the right thing to help ourselves and our babes combat this. IMHO, juicing is also a part of that, and is a tool to help mama get to the level of health she needs to be the best mama she can be, if that is what she chooses, and does so with AWARENESS like any good mama would. I am simply going to give any mama around here the benefit of the doubt of being aware enough to do so.

When a new member comes to this board, as the OP of this thread (who had 3 posts in total when she posted here)... and asks if she can do a juice feast while nursing... I do not agree with anyone telling her to go ahead. Period. Assuming everyone out there has the knowledge and awareness to do this is rediculous. Why do they come here and ask if they can? Because they do not know the answer... hence why I posted in the first place. The OP did not have the knowledge. She was banking on our knowledge to lead her in the right direction.

[Tiffany]

Yes, Aleesah sometimes I forget about the fact that many people on the board are new to raw lifestyle as I myself, while not new to raw, am relatively new to the board and don't post all often and really only come to the "kids" forum b/c I have a child and looking for others who are into a similar lifestyle w/ children, yes as everyone asks me I am in Ojai I know Jinjee, I know Matt and gela, etc. I just like a lot of different perspectives, and we are a lot more in the mainstream, we have regular jobs and lives and I struggle with challenges inherent to being in the mainstream while raw, I have found this board good for that.

I would agree that someone new to raw lifestyle should not be juicing. I didn't read thru your post thoroughly. Also, sorry, I was wrong to about Melissa. I believe I read somewhere she found she had cancer and was pregnant in the same blood test and I was amazed that she had the ability to cure herself of cancer while pregnant. So, I am wrong about that.

Also, not angry. I do type alot. Was just amazed at what looked to me that juicing while nursing was compared to smoking. That is why I asked the question -- "Wow, Did you just say?" SO, no you didn't -there you go! I think the statement was confusing, though.

Anyway, like I said in my first post. I am going to undertake a juice cleanse b/c I will be nursing my son for at least two years if not longer. It will probably be about 2 weeks. Will be like a feast. I went raw in 1999, raw for two years, vegan since then. I am now raw. My son is raw. Maybe I'll start a blog, but with a disclaimer for new to raw! Just like any raw food family website should include for 99% of the population of people who would run us all down for being bad mothers and not eating enough calories to make proper breastmilk and starving our children! What a world.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Melissa did find out she was pregnant and had cancer at the same dr appt. And yup, she did cure herself with raw foods. :) Isn't raw a wonderful gift!

I love raw, I totally believe in raw 100%... I totally and completely believe that raw can cure almost anything and if it can't cure it, it certainly can alleviate many of the symptoms occurring from the dis-ease.

But I also know that detox is a big part of that. That is HOW it cures/alleviates dis-ease... and I wouldn't want a baby or child who is nursing to be forced to drink the toxins.

Tiffany, thank you for taking the time to read my entire post :D I find on message boards, such as this that problems arise when people take a sentence out of context and then run with it. When you read the entire thread, it turns into something entirely different :)

(((hugs))) to you on your journey. May it be filled with great health.

[rawfoodmommy#1]

Hi KM,

I had read all over the internet that there was too much detox to juice while nursing. However, on a visit to a friend of my husband's who is a long time raw foodist I was lamenting that I wanted to juice. His wife told me she did a juice fast while she was nursing. She said her "milk had never been better" while she was juicing. She nursed for about 3 or 4 years each child. This was a good 20-30 years ago, even before all the great supplements that we can get now, like hemp oil, coco butter, and all that. So, that eased my anxiety and I started doing it.

Oh...she didn't mention how dang HUNGRY you get (nursing). I couldn't keep it up. I may start again. The emotional part can be hard, too. There is alot of demand emotionally (from my one year old anyway) and I was extra sensitive. So, in that case, it is more challenging than pre-baby when you are able to meditate on the beach and do yoga without someone crawling all over you while in downdog.

Tiffany, do you still keep in contact with this women that did juice fasting while nursing? If yes, than I would like to know how she did it. Maybe you can ask her to e-mail me? I been wanting to juice fast but don't know how to.
thank you

[bsqmurphy]

My son's 15 months & I've done a couple of juice cleanses while breastfeeding him.

I anticipate continuing to nurse him for at least another year and we're trying for #2. I didn't want to wait years to improve my health, so I decided that it was best for me & baby to have a clean body and optimal nutrition now. However, I also wanted to ease into everything for my own transition as well as his.

I found the following to be important:
- I waited until he was 6 months so he had some solid food in addition to breastmilk.
- I eased into it. I ate very clean for two weeks and then increased my juicing gradually.
- I watched myself & him carefully to make sure I had ample milk and that neither of us experienced strong detox symptoms. If I saw any signs of detox in him or it felt a bit strong to me, I included some smoothies, salads, avocado, and/or lightly steamed veggies to ease it. (This only happened once and it didn't take much to mellow out my detox - I never saw any indications of problems for my son.)
- I drank LOTS of juice so I wasn't cutting back on calories or nutrition.
- I did a max of 7 days of pure juicing at a time.
- I made sure to release toxins through other means: dry brushing, colon hydrotherapy, soaking in epsom salts baths, rebounding, massage, drinking LOTS of water in addition to LOTS of juice.

I hope this helps,
Bri.

[RawSinger]

Kodi'sMommy-

Adding some fresh juice to you daily diet would be fine; it would be wonderful, actually! I'm sure your baby would love all those easily accessible nutrients. I mean, you'd drink juice even if you weren't raw, right? And freshly made, raw juice has all its nutrients intact, and hasn't been pasteurized and processed, and had all sorts of crappy sugar and such added to it. Going on a juice feast while nursing, however, would not be a good thing; I strongly agree with Aleesha on that.

Good luck!

[Tiffany]

rawfoodmommy - I think bgmurphy gives an excellent example of how to conduct juicing with awareness while nursing. I haven't read Nathalia Rose's book, but maybe you want to pick that up and see what else she has to say, it sounds like she is had a great experience.

[rawfoodmommy#1]

My son's 15 months & I've done a couple of juice cleanses while breastfeeding him.

I anticipate continuing to nurse him for at least another year and we're trying for #2. I didn't want to wait years to improve my health, so I decided that it was best for me & baby to have a clean body and optimal nutrition now. However, I also wanted to ease into everything for my own transition as well as his.

I found the following to be important:
- I waited until he was 6 months so he had some solid food in addition to breastmilk.
- I eased into it. I ate very clean for two weeks and then increased my juicing gradually.
- I watched myself & him carefully to make sure I had ample milk and that neither of us experienced strong detox symptoms. If I saw any signs of detox in him or it felt a bit strong to me, I included some smoothies, salads, avocado, and/or lightly steamed veggies to ease it. (This only happened once and it didn't take much to mellow out my detox - I never saw any indications of problems for my son.)
- I drank LOTS of juice so I wasn't cutting back on calories or nutrition.
- I did a max of 7 days of pure juicing at a time.
- I made sure to release toxins through other means: dry brushing, colon hydrotherapy, soaking in epsom salts baths, rebounding, massage, drinking LOTS of water in addition to LOTS of juice.

I hope this helps,
Bri.

thank you for very nice info on juice fasting while breastfeeding, i have a question:
what do you mean you ate very clean for two weeks before juicing?

[bsqmurphy]

i have a question:
what do you mean you ate very clean for two weeks before juicing?

"Eating clean" depends on what your normal diet is for you. It's basically whatever step toward juicing makes sense for your diet to ease the cleansing/detox process to make it more gradual.

So, if you're 80% raw, eating clean would be 100% raw. If you're 100% raw, clean might be reducing the seeds/nuts in your diet and eating more fruits/veggies. It might mean gradually increasing your juice - 25% of your diet for a couple of days, 50% for a few more, 75% and so on.

For me , I went through a gradual "eating clean" process of first eliminating the raw dairy products I was consuming, then reducing nuts/seeds so I was eating almost all fruits/veggies for a couple of days before juicing.

I hope this helps.
Bri.

[rawfoodmommy#1]

thank you bsqmurphy, that answered my question

[Ishmishy]

See, what really confuses me is isn't a child being pumped full of toxions from the food that you are consumming anyway. A double cheese burger, hostess twinky and diet coke is dispensing a whole lotta junk to the baby through breast feeding. At least with juicing the child is getting the added benefits of superior nutrition AND the ability to detox from the mother nutrient rich juice. It just doesn't make since to say that a mother shouldn't juice.

[MysticTree]

but theory has it that people on here don't eat that junk food.

I don't know the answer to the BFing and fasting question. Seems not to make sense to put the body under more stress because BFing takes a lot out of a woman's body.

[marisads]

Hi everyone!

I recently watched "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." I am very inspired to do a juice fast, at least 7 days. I know that it will help me with feeling sluggish and to drop some weight. I have around 60 pounds to drop. I've done 3 days of a 7 day raw challenge and felt fantastic. I didn't even think about the fact that I was nursing then. I saw on Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead's page not to do a juice fast while nursing. My daughter is almost 3 and only nurses at naptime and bedtime, and just for a few short minutes, mainly for comfort. I am wondering if it still applies to me in this case? I am really eager to lose some weight and it actually made me think that ANY changes I made to my health would in turn result in a detox and may not be safe? Any help or guidance would be much appreciated!

Marisa :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

Fasting and nursing don't mix. Wait until your little one is weaned... much better for them. Until then, perhaps try adding more raw into your diet!

[Raw Angel Mom]

I didn't read any replies, so my appologies if i repeat with someone else.

Ditch your vitamin supplement, they do no good for you and clug your liver. If you take a supplement perhaps vitamin D3 on winter (try to get from the sun instead) and B12 METHYLCOBALAMIN.

I would eat as much fresh fruits as you can and drink as much green juice you want. I find that e3live had increased my milk production. The more quality of food you eat, the best milk and high quality milk you will produce.

You can make your self an nice rich smoothie in omega 3, 6, vitamin A, C and iron [soaked chia seed, gojji berries and golden berries (1 table spoon each), then add 1/4 cup of hempseed to any fruits smoothies]

You are doing the right thing to do raw food while nursing and a great idea to juice. I wouldn't do fasting but you can certainly add juice. Follow the wisdom of your heart versus other people's fear or your own. Fear is an illusion, your insight guide you to the right place.

All is well

p.s The more fruits you do, the more you will get your lymph working better and prevent the acid to get in your blood and get eliminate instead from your filtration system. Do juice dandelion and parsley it helps your kidneys and will empower your filtration system. Consider, hydro colon therapy (great way to prevent the toxin to be re-absorb in your blood stream). You need to have good kidney and adrenal they are the filter of your lymph.

[EvelynRose]

Melissa became raw in 2004. She became pregnant in 2005. And yes... Alex is a toddler and doing GREAT. He is 100% raw!!!

im confused! Im really interested by the raw food diet and am completely new to it. If Melissa cured herself of cancer with a Raw Food diet then why would she have even gotten cancer to begin with if she became raw a year before being diagnosed with cancer and being pregnant? im sorry if my questions seem maybe dumb. Like i said i am new to this and really want to become for educated and find her story very interesting.

[Raw Angel Mom]

She must had cancer already in her before she started raw FOOD. It takes years to have a tumor. If anything, raw food didn't feed her cancer but provide powerful anti oxidant to the body to help. If you read the China Study, you will see what turn on and off the Cancer and what can help to reverse it.

It isn't because you are doing raw food that the tumor will go away at once. It depends of the condition of your body and your attitude. But by eliminating what feeds it, it is without question a very important step.