The one crucial health factor you shouldn’t overlook during pregnancy
Pin ItYou’ve baby-proofed your house, stopped using toxic beauty products, and have been popping your prenatal vitamin since before you found out you were preggo. Not on your pre-baby to-do list? Adding more bacteria into your life.
Turns out your multivitamin might not actually be giving you everything you need for the healthiest possible pregnancy. The missing ingredient? Probiotics. Yes, the buzzy supplement hasn’t just been linked to better digestion—but also to healthier babies and easier pregnancies.
William Sears, MD, pediatrician and author of more than 40 best-selling books on nutrition and parenting, says that a gut teaming with good bacteria can help keep your system running smoothly so your body can focus on the important stuff: growing a human.
“There’s no segment of the population I’d rather see adopting gut-friendly habits than expecting mothers,” Dr. Sears says. “Our modern lifestyles can be tough on the gut, so it takes a degree of awareness and determination to do this well.”
“There’s no segment of the population I’d rather see adopting gut-friendly habits than expecting mothers.”
To start, Dr. Sears recommends giving the side eye to anything you’re putting in your body. Try to avoid unnecessary exposure to antibiotics (whether as medicine or in your food supply), and make sure your diet is rich in nutrient-dense, plant-based foods.
Next up? Cleaning up your household and beauty supplies. “These are often laden with chemicals, toxins, and antibacterials that harm beneficial microbes,” Dr. Sears says.
For one example, take triclosan. The compound was recently banned by the FDA after studies deemed it harmful to your body’s supply of good bacteria—and it’s common in many soaps, toothpastes, and cosmetics. (And, it can be passed to your baby through your breast milk once it gets inside your system.)
The last—but no less important—step? Add a probiotic to your daily routine. Hyperbiotics PRO-Moms (which you can find at Target) has a time-released delivery that ensures the organisms survive your stomach acids, unlike many other options on the market. With consistent use, you’ll be well on your way to…
