Midwives, Natural herbs/treatment for Jaundice?

[herbsgirl]

I was wondering if there was any natural gentle tincture for jaundice or anything?

[MsBlack]

All I tell my families is to nurse a lot and put the baby in a sunny window for 10 min, 2 or 3times a day (maybe even sit in a sunny window while nursing). Actually doesn't have to be a 'sunny' day, since the right rays will penetrate cloud cover anyway, to help clear the bilirubin. Also, just to watch baby's signs--a vigorous baby nursing often and sleeping well with some alert periods is a baby who can manage jaundice. If they get lethargic, hard to wake to nurse, with increasing yellow color, then we worry. But I have seen a few really yellow babies who took a few weeks to totally move the bilirubin out--since these babes were vigorous and bright, we just let things take their course.

[herbsgirl]

What about the Mom taking Liver clearing herbs like Milk thistle and dandelion?

[Holistic Midwife]

Jaundice remedies

Here are some things I suggest to clients for jaundice:

Mom to nurse the baby on demand
Sunflower oil baby massages
Mom using vitamin E on her nipples instead of lanolin
Homeopathic chelidonium
Sunning the baby for a good stretch every morning before 10 am, and/or 10 minutes per hour thereafter

Things I have heard other midwives suggest:

Baby can take deactivated charcoal (1/2 tsp to 4 oz. water)
Mom can take wheatgrass juice

I think that I don't see jaundice very often because we clamp and cut after physiologic cord closure in my practice and clients rarely choose vitamin K in any form. Just my experience...

Just like MsBlack mentions- if the baby is fairly vigorous at the breast, I'm not worried about jaundice!