In case you missed it, we announced a couple weeks ago that we are pregnant with baby number two.
Recently, we found out that we are having another little girl.
We are very excited.
But, it got me thinking about when I had our daughter. There are so many things that I know now about giving birth, baby health and the first couple weeks of parenthood that I had no clue about then.
I wanted to share some of these things with any expecting parents out there.
This post is sponsored by Evivo, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
If you didn’t already know, we had a complicated first pregnancy.
I had three hospital stays before our actual birthing stay with our daughter, due to a placental abruption.
I felt like I had been to the hospital so many times during that pregnancy, that I didn’t bother with a hospital tour or birthing class.
Looking back, I kind of wish I took a birthing class just to have the information in the back of my head when the rest of my mind was in fight or flight mode.
Being on bed rest for thirteen weeks reading all about what I should be expecting, baby health and delivery- I thought I would be mentally ready.
I feel like taking a class would’ve helped me a little more mentally, even if I learned absolutely nothing new and only just heard what I had already read over and over again.
Sometimes, repetition is key when you are in a stressful situation.
I knew during childbirth, you have the ability to pass both good and bad bacteria on to your baby.
I knew that’s why they had that lovely Group B strep test nearing the end of your pregnancy.
However, I wasn’t as educated on the risks of other negative things and the positive things that I could pass on to my daughter during labor.
During the first few weeks, I tried breastfeeding our daughter.
I didn’t have a problem producing milk (yay!) and she didn’t have any trouble latching (double- yay!), but, we did end up finding out that she had a dairy and soy intolerance.
It was something we didn’t even know was really possible. This was a concern, as any new mother would have for her baby’s health.
During one of our many early pediatrician visits, our pediatrician asked if we were using a probiotic for her.
At the time, I didn’t really understand the necessity of them. I thought since she was having the appropriate number of bowel movements she didn’t need any probiotics.
I wasn’t educated on all the amazing impacts they could provide and how truly necessary they are on such a young immune system.
I learned so much from our pediatrician visit (one of the many reasons I feel so strongly about finding a pediatrician you LOVE) and I wanted to share some of the things I learned about probiotics and baby health with you guys.
4 Things I didn’t know before giving birth
1. Having a bowel movement during birth is actually a GOOD thing for your baby
Yup, you read that RIGHT! I said pooping is a good thing.
When I learned this, I was completely blown away. Who would have thought that going to the bathroom while delivering your child would actually help their immune system and provide them with healthy good gut bacteria.
During labor, the uterus presses down on the colon and this can cause a bowel movement.
The colon is the home to many good bacteria strands.
During this bowel movement, this the only way for those good bacteria groups to get passed on to the baby.
So, stop being afraid of pooping during birth! It’s a good thing mama!
This leads me on to my next point….
2. Baby is born with a sterile gut
Until baby comes out they don’t necessarily have both good and bad bacteria, it’s just sterile.
If mom has a bowel movement, this helps start the babies immune system off right by passing on the good bacteria for the newborns gut to thrive off of.
This good bacteria is called B. Infantis. It’s main purpose is to strengthen the immune system and improve metabolic function.
Guess where it’s home is?!? In the COLON! See how having a bowel movement is so beneficial for the newborn.
3. Only one out of ten babies get this good bacteria
Unfortunately, things like antibiotics can kill off this bacteria in the mother.
If certain antibiotics are used during, it will not just kill the bad bacteria, but also, the good bacteria as well.
This means mama can not pass on the good stuff to baby during delivery.
Also, with the increasing use of births via cesarian section, the delivery of this good bacteria to baby gets reduced as well.
I’m sorry, but, one out of ten babies, just isn’t enough.
That means 90 percent of babies are losing out on this bacteria that will set their immune system up properly.
This is something that sticks with them for life, not just, now. There has to be a fix to this, don’t ya think?! Keep reading, I promise, the good fix is coming!
4. Bad gut health increases the risk rate for so many conditions
I know over the last couple of years, I have seen all these articles about how poor gut health can affect us in so many ways. Poor gut health can even raise babies susceptibility to developing conditions like colic, eczema, allergies, asthma and diabetes.
These conditions have been on the rise for years now. But, I had never linked the rise in those conditions to poor gut health.
I knew personally that I had very poor gut health.
I have tried a couple fad things through the years to improve my gut health, but I learned that ultimately as an adult, I needed a good probiotic as well as one for my child.
I didn’t really put together how important it was at such a young age.
During the first 6 months of life is when baby is developing immunity to things, developing their guts and improving metabolic function.
So where’s the good news?!? What else can I learn from this? How can I help my baby?
Once my doctor explained all of this to me, I knew I wanted to get our oldest daughter on a quality form of probiotics.
I learned about Evivo Breastmilk Probiotics and knew I had to give it a try.
After ten years of research at the University of California, this company was able to reproduce the good bacteria, B. infantis that can’t be found anywhere else other than mother’s colon.
Now, having a c-section or not having a bowel movement during birth doesn’t have to mean that your babies health suffers.
Evivo is super easy to use. It is formulated to work with the nourishment found in breastmilk to continue the nourishment and improve the gut health of your little one by reducing up to 80% of all the bad bacteria.
With Evivo, all you have to do is mix together a little breastmilk with the little packet of Evivo.
Super simple, super easy. It stabilizes your little ones gut microbiome and keeps balance between the good and bad bacteria.
You can order Evivo online and it is shipped directly to you.
It comes in a nice frozen package, labeled perishable so everyone is aware that it needs to either be refrigerated (good for up to a month if in the fridge), or put directly in the freezer until you’re ready for it.
Evivo has no artificial colors, dyes or flavoring. It is free of additives and gluten. All major wins for little baby’s health.
Are you wanting to get these Evivo probiotics but struggling to breastfeed? Check out the awesome guest post on breastfeeding tips written by an experienced breastfeeding mama.
We hope you loved learning about how these things impact baby health during child birth. Best of luck to you mama!
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