Will mother's milk transfer toxins from the mother to the child?

Question

I have a friend who came visiting after my delivery, she told me that any toxins built up in my body e.g. if I suffer from constipation, will be transfered to my child through my milk when I do breast feeding. Is this true??

Answer 1

Things like constipation are not a threat to your baby via breast milk. You would have to be so stopped up that your system was going septic for their to be so many toxins in your body that your liver and kidneys couldnt keep up, and your baby was getting so many that she/he couldnt handle it.

Hormones that your body produces are transfered to your baby through breast milk, and this is often how newborns and small infants get "baby acne". But its not a health threat to the child. Also, foods that you eat are directly transfered to your baby, in the forms of flavor. Eating peanut butter will not give your child an allergy, although eating onions and garlic may give him/her colic from sour milk.

Things you want to worry about are chemical toxins not naturally produced by your body. Medications are the biggest factor. Anything you take your baby will take through the breast milk. Alcohol is also transfered to your milk.

Your body does have defenses and systems to make sure your baby survives anything you're suffering. Like any system it isnt perfect, but it does function better than any other meathod.

Answer 2

Environmental toxins can be transferred, BUT whatever you would get from mother's milk will ALSO be in cow's milk and in soy (which, of course, means it will get into the baby's formula). Additionally, if Mother is getting them and transferring them through her milk, Baby is also getting them first hand through the environment anyway. Just another reason we need to clean up the environment. :)

In addition to some very miniscule amounts of those environmental toxins, antibodies to things like colds and flu are passed through. Breastfeeding may continue despite the mother's constipation and, really, any illness (and it SHOULD continue so the baby gets the antibodies).

In short...the benefits to breasteeding outweigh the minute amount of toxins that could be transferred. If you are on a medication that is contraindicated with breastfeeding, that is another story. You should contact your doctor and ask for a breastfeeding-friendly medication. I'll list a site with an abundance of information in my sources list for you.

Answer 3

If you had medication in your system, that could be passed on. And some foods, like garlic. But constipation is not from toxins, or karma or anything like that. So you can't pass stuff like that through breast milk.

Answer 4

The only thing i heard about toxins is from dieting. I was told not to restrict my calories in order to lose weight while breatfeeding cause toxins will be passed on to the baby.

Answer 5

That sounds fishy to me. I would say that whatever you eat/ drink can be transfered to your milk.. it's in your blood stream. but not constipation... that's alarmist and silly.

Answer 6

Medications, drugs, or alcohol you are taking will be passed along through your milk but that's all.

Answer 7

wow, I never heard of that? ask you ob/gyn. Or contact the La Leche League, they are great for answering questions like those! take Care, congrats!

Answer 8

I was consitpated while nursing my daughter and she is a healthy 34 month old now. Clearly she doesn't know what she's talking about.

Answer 9

toxins are transferred.
but not from constipation.

Answer 10

Anything you ingest will be tranferred.