Breastfeeding and Mercury

[Thing1Thing2]

I BF my first DS for 2.5 years. He was never immunized, but possibly received mercury through my breastmilk. I have two huge fillings, less than 7 years old. I also have other numerous fillings.

My LO has some issues including allergies and gut issues and we may get a ASD diagnosis this coming week.

Fast forward to now. I have a sweet 9 month old with whom I am desperately trying to save our breastfeeding relationship.

He has pretty bad reflux (just like DS1 did). Up all night screaming.. and so on.

Don't flame me now.. he's been on hypoallergenic formula for almost 4 weeks. He seems to do better on it. Of course I am still pumping, trying to do whatever it takes to get him back on the breast. But something inside keeps nagging me about the possibility of my mercury fillings being a cause of my firstborns ASD problems.

I am in communication with a holistic dentist about possibly getting the mercury removed and having inlays put in. I have a cavity underneath that needs to be removed within the coming year. He says if he removes it, I can "pump and dump" for three days and then put him back on the breast. Really?  But I heard somewhere it takes 18 months. When I questioned him about that, he said that he would be suctioning so that no mercury will be released. He also mentioned that he would not put me on anything to "detox" me, since he doesn't want to stir up the pot while I'm BFing. So with suctioning and no detox herbs and 3 days of dumping the milk he should be fine?

I'm getting old and want to have at least 2 more before I turn 40. Part of me thinks that maybe I should get this taken care of now, so that my future kids will have a better chance at being healthy. Please understand, I am not asking for help with the decision whether or not to breastfeed my child. I am seeking some more info, research and maybe your experiences with mercury and breastfeeding.

Edited by Thing1Thing2 - 11/12/11 at 12:05pm

[springmum]

Sounds like you are in a difficult position for sure :( I'm no expert on mercury & breastmilk, but did come across this article

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8687245

and this 

http://www.kellymom.com/health/chemical/mercury.html

It seems that mercury is higher in blood than breastmilk (in the mother), but is definitely a source of excretion (& burden on baby)

I'm not finding any easy answers about how long it would take to be excreted in your breastmilk after removing the fillings, but I don't know how anyone could know for sure without testing the breastmilk daily (which of course in not realistic) Every body is different, digestion, circulation, nutrient stores, liver function etc. So one mother might excrete it quickly and efficiently, but another may have other factors that hinder that. 

I don't know what the "easy" solution is for you now, but if it were me I would definitely want to deal with the mercury before having more babes.

Have you ever had a hair analysis done by chance? Wouldn't necessarily help with your decision now, but may give you more of a picture of what your body is carrying.

I wonder if there are supplements that bind to mercury (not mobilize it) that you could take now (and through the procedure) to at least catch what it circulating. I don't have a list off hand, but I'm sure there must be something that is breastfeeding safe.

Good luck with finding more information about mercury & breastfeeding.

[Thing1Thing2]

I've never had a hair test done, but have considered getting one. The price is the main reason I haven't done it yet.

I know that Vit. C can reroute the detox away from the breastmilk and have been taking that to bowel tolerance. I was also doing the bentonite clay while I was pregnant and now that you mentioned supplements which bind to mercury, I think I will start taking that again.

Thanks for the articles, now on to do some reading!