I received an interesting call from a mom who has an 11month old
breastfed baby. The mom stated she needs to pump and dump her milk while
she's on a cleansing regimen to remove toxins from her body. She has been
seeing a nutritionalist who says she has gallbladder and liver problems.
This assessment is based on  400 questions  answered by mom and symptoms
of irritability, extreme  mood swings, and clay stools, plus mom's baby
having three soft forest green stools a day.  No lab work has been done.
The nutritionalist thinks the mother is passing bile to the baby through
the breastmilk and that's why the baby is having these stools. The
cleansing process is suppose to rid the mother of her problems and
ultimately stop the stool problem with the baby. Additional information I
noted: The mother and baby had diarrhea one month ago which has resolved.
The baby was having 5 stools a week prior to the diarrhea.  The baby
nurses 4-5 times a day now (long nursings), also eats chicken, fruits,
vegetables, and bread/pasta items. No diary items. The baby is normal
weight and appears healthy.
My questions:
Why does this baby have forest green stools?
Is it possible for the mother's bile to be passed onto the baby via
breastmilk?
Would it be harmful for the mother to have this cleansing regimen done?
If the mom has this regimen done, would the breastmilk become toxic to
the baby?

I appreciate any comments or guidance available, so that I can help this
mom.

Deborah Smith, BSN, RN, CPN, IBCLC
Children's Medical Center of Dallas, Texas (staff RN - General
Pediatrics)
Breastfeeding Consultants of Denton County (Private Practice)
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