This post was sponsored by Faithful to Nature online store and is focused on gut health.
Did you know that there is one important thing you can control before and during conception, pregnancy, and birth?
Your baby’s gut bacteria.
Yes, you can decide the quality of your baby’s gut which is the most important foundation of baby’s health for life.
To be honest, this is not a topic I thought about blogging about because I am not a medical expert, however, I do feel it is my duty to share the information I’ve learned over the past couple of years about why it is so important especially during pregnancy.
When your gut is unhealthy, it can cause more than just stomach pain, gas, bloating, or diarrhea. 60-80% of our immune system is in our gut.
Gut imbalances have been linked to hormonal imbalances, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, eczema, rosacea, and other chronic health problems. Source: www.mindbodygreen.com
Research says that it even causes fertility issues.
Did you know that what you eat during pregnancy can impact three generations?
Yes, I know I found this hard to believe too but research done by medical professionals say that poor eating habits can have an impact on our DNA even for our great grandchildren. You can read more about this here.
Why your baby needs a healthy gut:
1. Digestive Comfort
A healthy gut like is a powerhouse for the digestive system.
2. Nutrient Absorption
A healthy gut allows necessary nutrients to be absorbed.
3. Regular Bowel Movement
4. Natural Defences
70% of the immune cells live in the gut. It is also home to trillions of friendly bacteria that helps with strong natural defences against germs and infection.
5. Growth and Development
A healthy gut absorbs key nutrients such as Iron and Calcium more effectively.
6. Source of Brain ‘Food’
Nutrients like DHA and ARA are more easily absorbed by a healthy gut.
7. Mood
90% of the body’s serotonin, the ‘feel-good’ hormone, is produced in the gut.
Source: www.dumex.com.sg
How you can help your baby develop a healthy gut during and after pregnancy:
1. Consider taking a probiotic supplement before, during and after pregnancy.
There’s so many on the market but I found the best for you on the Faithful to Nature store.
2. Eat a diet rich in prebiotics and probiotics.
Find the right products to feed your body on the Faithful to Nature store.
3. If you have a choice between Vaginal and C-Section, choose Vaginal. Babies born by caesarean section are colonized with different types of bacteria than those born vaginally. Read more here.
4. Lots of skin-to-skin after birth.
5. Don’t bath baby immediately after birth – the vernix on baby’s skin is important.
6. Breastfeed.
7. Limit who touches your baby.
8. Avoid antibiotics if possible.
9. Introduced solids with a balanced diet that are packed with prebiotics.
10. Cut down on junk food.
If you want to know what are the signs of an unhealthy gut, read this informative post on Faithful to Nature‘s blog.
There’s still debate and research going into how babies born via C-section should be swabbed with a piece of gauze that had been cultured with the mother’s vaginal bacteria.
What do you think about this?
If you’re looking for a one stop shop for everything organic, you need to check out www.faithful-to-nature.co.za. Read my previous post about my favorite products from the online store during pregnancy and postpartum.
Win a R 1000 voucher from Faithful to Nature Online store!
HOW TO ENTER:
1. Share this post on social media.
2. Comment below and let me know which is your favorite product from the store?
EARN EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Tweet about the competition:
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Competition closes 24 March 2017.
Opened to South Africans only.
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Hi, I’m Shan. I’m a wife, mom to 3 kids and a businesswoman who works from home and gets very little sleep at night. My days are filled with dirty diapers and toddler tantrums, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I am in the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Forbes Africa 2019 and just recently launched my start-up – MomSays.
Love the Mother Nature All In One Bamboo Nappy and of course there food products
I absolutely love Bee Balmy. Works for everything from moisturising your skin to healing burns, eczema and acne.
Love the Oh-lief natural olive baby wash and shampoo
Pure Simple Stain Treater – Citrus Fresh Liquid
My favourite is the Oh-Lief Baby Wash
I take a probiotic everyday. If your gut isn’t in order, your overall health will suffer. I learned that after I was on my probiotic for a few weeks.
My biggest thing is junk food – I really need to cut down on it so that my babies are healthy! Didn’t realize so many problems could come from an unhealthy gut.
The gut has most of the vital organs…sooo important
Three generations? I didn’t know about this. I make sure my family takes probiotics every day.
A great post! Since babies are born with a gut bacteria count of zero, it’s crucial to build it up in the first few months and years.
Wow what very informative post. I dont have kids yet but this is so educational from the skin to skin helping with the gut. Also if a baby is C-section they should get cultures from the moms vagina? That is so deep!
Gut health is so important. I have been taking probiotics for the last few months after reading about how beneficial they are.
Good to know all of this. This is some great information. Very useful for those with babies.
It’s great that there are products like this out there! I have IBD and have had many surgeries because of it so I know all about having gut issues. They are no fun at all and sometimes they can be prevented although my disease couldn’t.
I wish that I paid more attention to my kid’s gut. I did breastfeed them and they weren’t around a ton of people when they were little. They typically don’t get sick very often now that they are older. I think breastfeeding made a difference.
This is so important for new moms! I think making sure your kiddos have the best from the start is the best thing you can do for them.
Wow so much great information I learned so much reading this. My fav. item is the apply cider vinegar just because I need to pick some up for a recipe I’m making this weekend and when I opened the site it jumped out at me lol. Thanks for the giveaway.