Why the Microbiome Should be Part of Your Birth Plan

When a baby is born, two amazing things happen. There’s the arrival of a new human into the world which is a momentous, beautiful, incredible event. But most people don’t know that also happening at the same time is the critical transfer of bacteria from mother to baby  – this is the “seeding” of the human microbiome. Even more amazing is that there are special sugars in breastmilk that are designed to “feed” the bacteria in the baby’s gut newly arrived from mum. This “seed and feed” process is a hot topic of scientific research right now especially as the latest science is indicating that whether a baby is born vaginally or by C-section, and whether the baby is breastfed or formula fed, these could have ramifications for the child’s lifelong health. Toni and I discussed the importance of the micro biome for developing our future health. It was really interesting to talk to Toni and find out all about her experiences and what led to the discovery of this important part of health. Some of the things we discussed are: What are microbes, the micro biome, and why should we care? How can we alter our micro biome – for better or for worse? How we unwittingly consume antibiotics, without ever taking them from the doctor How the microbes from a vaginal birth are different than a caesarean section, and also the differences when baby is breastfed or formula fed How you can improve yours and your baby’s micro biome if you have had to take antibiotics or have had a caesarean Could the micro biome have an effect on the non-communicable diseases which are on the rise Balancing the “forest” ecosystem in your gut Oligosaccharides in breastmilk Resources: Huffpost Microbiome article Microbirth the film (available to stream online immediately!) The Microbiome Effect book Please support the hosting of the show by donating at https://ko-fi.com/purenaturalpregnancy