The 6 Seed and Feed events that optimize baby’s gut microbiome
1. When the waters break, microbes from the vagina can now reach the
fetus. Beneficial microbes in the vagina have multiplied in the third
trimester in preparation for this! Remember, vaginal exams at this stage
allow microbes from the health care provider’s gloved hands to also
reach the fetus. Ugh!
2. Passage through the vagina where the baby picks up beneficial
microbes especially lactobacilli – one of the good ones.
3. Baby’s contact with the birthing person’s perineum colonizes the baby
with their parents’ gut microbes – yes, I’m talking about poop!
4. Baby is now breathing in their first breaths and millions of microbes.
From a microbial perspective, do you think the most beneficial microbes
for baby would be from the Operating room, a labor and delivery room,
a birthing center room or the baby’s home environment? Answer: baby’s
microbiome will be optimized by them breathing the air from their
family’s home environment.
5. Skin to Skin contact with the birthing person or the non birthing partner
if this is not possible. One of the many benefits of skin to skin is that it
supports a healthy microbiome and colonizes the baby’s skin, mouth,
nose the right kind of beneficial microbes from the birther’s vagina and
gut from their feces and then from the environment. Breastfeeding
feeds the right kind of beneficial microbes from their parents.
6. Now all these beneficial microbes that the baby has acquired during
birth need to be fed. How? With Human Milk Oligosaccharides, also
known as HMO’s. HMO’s are unique to mammalian milk and there are
200 different types of HMO”s in human milk! HMO’s are indigestible in
the baby’s gut! So what’s so great about them? They feed the
beneficial microbes in the baby’s gut such as bifidobacterial. These
beneficial microbes are able to break down the bonds of HMO’s and
access the HMO sugars. By feeding these beneficial microbes, the
infant’s immune system is optimally trained to learn immune tolerance.
(recognize the difference between what is beneficial and what is
harmful).
Cesarean birth, formula feeding, and antibiotics all affect the healthy
colonization of the infant gut. The good news is that the gut microbiome of
cesarean born babies who are exclusively fed breast milk starts to closely
resemble the gut microbiome of vaginally born babies after about 6 months
of exclusive breastmilk.
A 2018 study by Stewart et al found that breast milk was the most
important factor in shaping the infant microbiome; more important than
maternal health, mode of birth, household siblings, pets, probiotics,
antibiotics.
In my next blog on this topic, we’ll discuss how the naïve immune system of
the baby can be optimally trained.
If you would like to learn more about this important topic, I am offering an online mini-workshop on August 6 at 10am, and a full in-person class at Babymoon Inn in Phoenix on Saturday morning September 28, 2024.
Online mini-workshop: Register here
In-person class: Register at www.pennydoula.com or email doula@usa.net for more details.
On-demand learning coming soon!
Penny Bussell Stansfield, Microbirth Approved Provider.
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