Taking the right probiotics during pregnancy- Preconception Care

Probiotics can significantly increase health markers in mum and Bub

There have been many studies conducted now looking at the impact of probiotics on pregnancy one review study finding that using probiotics during pregnancy can lead to reductions in:

Maternal fasting glucose

Incidence of gestational diabetes

Incidence of preeclampsia

Lower levels of C reactive protein- this is an inflammatory marker and suggests that probiotics may reduce inflammation during pregnancy.

Central adiposity at 6 months post partum- that’s right probiotics can decrease the tummy fat post pregnancy. While I think that post baby bodies are beautiful and a mark of how miraculous the female body really is many of my clients are happy to hear of this added bonus.

Eczema in offspring- If you have a previous child with eczema or have yoruself a history of the condition I will suggest the use of probiotics through out your pregnancy, but especially in the last trimester. Certain strains have been found to be protective for the baby, preventing the development of skin issues or reducing severity.

Why is preconception care so important?

Your babies microbiome (bacterial gut fingerprint) is essential for their health and start in life. So where do they build their microbiome? We know that it’s largely influenced by mum.

This is why a significant part of any preconception care program will involve addressing your digestive issues. As a naturopath its hands down one of the most common issues I see in my clients.

Don’t beat yourself up if you’re well into your pregnancy because we know from research that what you eat in the last trimester of your pregnancy will have the most impact on the composition of your babies microbiome. So you can get going right now with improving your microbiome through simple dietary changes.

This is where testing for and treating Strep B early in pregnancy is also important to avoid where possible the anti-biotic drip later on. Antibiotics wipe out many of the good bacteria as well as the bad guys and this can leave you struggling to recover that microbiome diversity that’s so important for gut health.

There have been studies that have shown an increase in the effectiveness of the anti-biotic treatment when coupled with specific strains of probiotics. Look to get support sooner rather than later we know it can make a significant long term impact to have all of your bases covered, so baby can enjoy a healthy start to their own gut.

C-Section Babies and Gut Development

This will be the topic of a future blog post however just note if your baby is delivered via cesarian then it may be wise to consider the application of probiotics for your baby as we know that vaginal delivery significantly helps with establishing babies gut flora.

Of course birth plans don’t always run smoothly so open the lines of communication with your naturopath early so you can have everything you need on hand.

There have been studies that show the application of a specific strain of Lactobacillus helped partially restore an infants microbiome when delivered via cesarian.

Dietary Considerations For Supporting Babies

As mentioned above this period of time can be helpful for supporting the development of your babies microbiome.

Try and include the following in your diet:

Fermented foods like kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut.

Increase the amount of good fibre in your diet

Drink plenty of water

In the absence of a lactose intolerance you can include yoghurt and kefir. Ensure they’re good quality sources.

Consider implementing high quality safe probiotics into your routine, you want to consider rotating different products to help ensure you’re exposed to different species of bacteria.

To find out more on how a naturopath can help head across to this page. Alternatively you can fill out the form below.