Colon cleansing products make many promises — from detoxification to weight loss. If you have spent your whole pregnancy seeing colon cleanser commercials and wondering what the hype was about, you might be interested in trying it out once you give birth. If you are breastfeeding your baby, consider his health, as well as yours, when you think about investing in a colon cleanser.

Nutrition

When you are breastfeeding your baby, your body and its health are responsible for your baby’s health. You need to be healthy and nourished to keep your baby as nourished as she can be. Colon cleansing and detoxing methods can potentially upset your nutrient, caloric and hydration intake, which can affect your baby. Your diet should remain consistent, full of various vegetables, fruits, proteins and fats. Attempting to diet, with or without cleansing, can compromise your child’s health, by not giving him the nutrients he needs.

Hydration

As unsettling as it sounds, colon cleansing generally consists of flushing out the bowels through laxative medication, homemade drinks or tubes inserted into the rectum. All these methods basically cause your bowels to flush out, sometimes violently. As your body expels, you risk losing a lot of water. While you are responsible for feeding, and quenching, your baby, you shouldn’t risk dehydration.

Medication

If you have chosen a colon cleanser that consists of a laxative medication, keep in mind that anything you ingest has the potential of entering your child’s body as well. While you have a larger body that can handle certain drugs, at higher levels, your baby’s little body may not be ready. Furthermore, he likely doesn’t need a laxative and elements of the medication may be harmful. You shouldn’t take any medication, including laxatives and colon cleansers, without approval from your doctor.

Discomfort

While you are breastfeeding, you are in a bit of servitude to a little one, who wants to eat every few hours. If you start to colon cleanse, you may have a new master — your bowels. If you are still struggling to find time to eat and clean up, don’t add more to your schedule, by needing to head to the bathroom constantly.

The Experts

If you think a colon cleanser, or other health regimen, might be right for you, talk with your doctor who knows your medical history and the latest studies. He can advise you on whether you should or should not choose a colon cleanser and on whether there is another method that would be better for you.