Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Best Probiotic To Take While Pregnant

Speed Up Postpartum Weight Loss

Taking probiotics while pregnant

We know that our gut bacteria may also affect our weight , so as with possibly improving digestion, probiotics may also help pregnant women lose weight a little more quickly once theyve given birth.12

Probiotics may assist in the release of the appetite-reducing hormone GLP-1 and increase levels of the protein ANGPTL4 both of which can work in burning more fat.1314

Garden Of Life Once Daily Prenatal Probiotic

Why its great: This 20 billion CFUs, once daily probiotic supplement contains 16 probiotic strains for digestive health, immune system support, and so much more. Each bottle contains a 30 day supply of capsules that are easily swallowed or can be broken open and sprinkled over food. Garden of Life probiotics are all dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and vegetarian.

Because the probiotics are shelf-stable, you can easily throw them in your purse and not worry about them losing potency. This supplement also includes 115mg of organic Acacia fiber, which is a prebiotic that helps good bacteria thrive. All and all this is a great choice throughout pregnancy and lactation.

Keep in mind: These pills come in a mysteriously large bottle, so storing them can be a bit cumbersome.

Good for: Soon to be mommas who are planning to breastfeed and looking for a targeted probiotic supplement.

Is It Safe To Take Probiotics During Pregnancy

Probiotics fall into a pretty gray area when it comes to health supplements: there dont seem to be any real risks to taking them, but clear evidence of their benefits is still being researched.

Plus, there are some other issues. Many arent regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. There is understandable confusion about which strains to use for certain health conditions. And speaking of strains, there are dozens of unpronounceable varieties on the market, each one promoting itself as a cure for a host of different problems.

Of course, all of these already-muddy questions get even muddier when you apply them to pregnancy. Most studies of OTC drugs, vitamins, and supplements dont include pregnant women, so any data we do have doesnt usually apply to expectant people.

Is this true for probiotics? Well…yes and no. Heres what we know about the safety of taking probiotics during pregnancy.

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Best Probiotics During Pregnancy According To Research

Vomiting and nausea impact 90% of pregnancies and can impact the moms quality of life significantly. Once vomiting and nausea progress during pregnancy, they can become difficult to control.

The best probiotic strains for pregnant women include Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Saccharomyces boulardii.

These strains help to maintain a healthy gut flora, which is important for pregnant women because it can help to prevent complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.

Lactobacillus acidophilus helps to break down lactose in the gut and helps to prevent common symptoms like bloating and gas.

Bifidobacterium bifidum can help to prevent UTIs, which are common complications in pregnancy.

And finally, Saccharomyces boulardii is a probiotic yeast that helps to boost the immune system and can also help to prevent diarrhea, another common complication in pregnancy.

A 2020 study found that a multi-strain probiotic increases gut bacteria in pregnant women. When they do so, the probiotics alleviate constipation, vomiting, and nausea.

Want to improve your digestive health, immune system, and brain health? We studied the best probiotic supplements on the market.

Here are the five best probiotic supplements for pregnancy

Additional Prenatal + Postnatal Nutrition Needs

Is It Ok To Take Probiotics While Nursing

As weve gathered so far, a womans nutrition needs increase during pregnancybut in terms of diet, its not as much as you might think.

On average, most pregnant women will need to consume an extra 340 extra calories per day.

Additionally, the CDC recommends that breastfeeding mothers consume an additional 450 to 500 calories daily. However, this number can vary depending on your:

  • body mass
  • activity level
  • breastfeeding frequency

During pregnancy, theres also an uptick in certain macronutrient needs. Macronutrients are large food nutrients such as protein, carbs, and fats.

The American Pregnancy Association recommends increasing protein intake to 75 to 100 grams per day while pregnant. In addition, they should strive to consume complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats whenever possible.

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How Do Probiotics Affect Fertility

It is possible that the presence of bad bacteria in your vagina is preventing you from becoming pregnant. The bad bacteria can attack the sperm. This causes the sperm to clump together. Clumping is referred to as agglutination and prevents the sperm from fertilizing an egg.

Probiotics can help restore the good bacteria. This would prevent the bad bacteria from growing and allow the sperm to function properly. This in turn would result in pregnancy.

The studies on the effect of probiotics are new. One study from 2015 introduced bad bacteria into mice and found fertility decreased. When researchers gave these same mice probiotics the fertility returned to normal. This supports the benefit of probiotics on fertility.

Another clinical review found that the long term administration of probiotics is safe and does not cause any unwanted side effects. Research is only beginning to look into the microbiome of the vagina. It is possible that this research could have a profound effect on fertility treatments in the future.

Breast Milk And The Placenta Help Shape The Babys Microbiome

It is important that the womans microbiome is balanced during pregnancy because her own microbiome can affect the development of her babys microbiome. The womans microbiome naturally changes during her pregnancy, however, if external factors lead to additional changes, there can be an effect on the health of the baby.12, 13 For instance, if a pregnant woman experiences stress during pregnancy, it may affect her microbiome, and consequently, impact the babys microbiome.14

Taking probiotics may help balance the maternal microbiome. Studies have shown that a baby has a reduced risk of developing allergic symptoms when the woman takes probiotics. When women were given the Lactobacillus rhamnosus, LGG® probiotic strain during pregnancy and breastfeeding , their newborn babies had a 50% lower risk of eczema compared to the babies whose mothers were given a placebo.4When the babies were 4,4, 5 and 7 years old,4, 6 this positive effect remained, demonstrating that the LGG® probiotic had a long-term beneficial effect.Taking a combination of three probiotics during pregnancy and breastfeeding has also been associated with a reduction in babies developing eczema.7

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How Long Does It Take For A Probiotic To Work

There is no exact answer to this question, however, most people experience results from consistent and daily use after the course of several weeks.

When it comes to easing digestion, a lot of people say that theyve experienced significant results after a few days of use.

In contrast, people who use probiotics for issues such as restoring a healthy vaginal microbiome or improving fertility oftentimes state that they noticed significant improvements within 3-6 months.

Why Should I Buy A Probiotic To Take During Pregnancy

The Importance of Probiotics During Pregnancy

You can determine whether you need or want a probiotic to take during pregnancy by identifying whether you have a similar item. It is probably not something you need and you should reconsider buying it. You could use the money from selling the other item you have to buy the new one if you just cant let it go.

Final Thoughts

probiotic to take during pregnancy is a fun, convenient way to get your job done.

Lets be honest, we all want to feel that our purchase was a good investment. But there are so many options out there! How do you know which one is the probiotic to take during pregnancy? Theres no need to worry about it because blinkx.tv has your back. Our knowledgeable staff is here to help guide you through each step of the process and find what works for you. You can also take advantage of our free consultations with any questions or concerns before deciding on a final decision.

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Are Probiotics Safe When Expecting

Probiotics are essentially just the live strains of bacteria similar to the ones found in your gut. These bacterias are helpful when it comes to maintaining a balanced microflora in your gastrointestinal tract, along with maintaining a healthy intestinal wall.

However, there is limited research when it comes to probiotics. Researchers are still trying to understand how these probiotics work and whether it is a safe option for everyone.

Nevertheless, there is no evidence suggesting that probiotics play any role in causing diseases related to your digestive system, besides some mild side effects such as gas, bloating, or nausea.

When it comes to pregnancy, it might get tricky. Because of scarce knowledge out there on probiotic supplementation during pregnancy, one cant be sure enough when it comes to consuming them.

However, it is quite noteworthy to mention that there has been no evidence of them being unsafe. Researchers believe that probiotics have not been associated with maternal or fetal outcomes, miscarriages, or any malformations.

A 2018 meta-analysis published by BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth found that probiotic neither reduces nor increases the risk of preterm childbirth or any other deformities.

Thus, one can conclude that even though theres limited research on probiotic supplementation during pregnancy, there isnt any evidence proposing that it can cause any sort of harm to the mother or baby.

Faqs About Prenatal Probiotics:

Can you take pre and probiotics when pregnant?

Yes, pre and probiotics for pregnancy are safe, even during your first trimester. If you were already taking them prior to getting pregnant, you can continue to do so as theyve been shown to not pose a risk to either mom or baby.

Research has consistently shown that probiotics dont increase the risk of preterm delivery or pregnancy-related complications.

When to start probiotics in pregnancy:

Much like prenatal vitamins, you can actually begin taking probiotics before you become pregnant. Probiotics are also incredibly effective at supporting vaginal and gut microbiome health making them a smart choice for overall healthy regardless of whether youre pregnant or not.

Are shelf stable probiotics as good as refrigerated?

The verdict is still out on whether theres a discernable difference between shelf stable and refrigerated probiotics in terms of efficacy. If youre concerned about potency, one option is to consider incorporating a spore-based probiotic. Spore-based probiotics are slightly different than traditional probiotics.

They feature ground-based probiotic strains that tend to be more resistant to stomach acid which means that these types of probiotics are able to reach the intestines. While this can aid in improving gut health along with overall health, theyre not without drawbacks. Spore-based probiotics tend to be more potent, which means some people may experience side effects when taking them.

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The Best Probiotic To Take While Breastfeeding

Hands down, our favorite probiotic to take awhile breastfeeding is Pink Stork Total Lactation Probiotic! It is the only capsule designed specifically for a breastfeeding mom. It does many things supports digestion, gut health, vaginal health and the immune system of both mama .

  • Provides colic relief the probiotic benefits are passed on through breast milk and provides colic relief for babies.

  • Made Clean without gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, and GMOs.

  • Includes all the essentials 10 billion CFUs per serving of Lactobacillus Paracasei, Bifidobacterium Infantis.

  • Is women-owned + run the founder and CEO is a woman, and over 80% of our employees are women!

Is It Safe To Take Probiotics And Prebiotics During Pregnancy

5 Best Probiotics While Pregnant For UTIs, Constipation, + GBS

So, can you take probiotics while you are pregnant? According to research done by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health, probiotics do not cause any complications during birth or infection during pregnancy. There are many health benefits that come with consuming probiotics.

Dr William Sears, a famous paediatrician from the Childrens Hospital in Boston, writes in his blog, Its quite safe to take probiotics during pregnancy. Probiotics are very popular in most of the countries, especially in Europe, and their health benefits are gradually being more valued.

During pregnancy, the composition of bacteria plays a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy metabolism. There are several research papers connecting a healthy digestive system to improve maternal health. Moreover, recent studies show that the consumption of probiotics reduces the harmful bacteria in the body, thus lowering the potential of certain infections.

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Pregnancy Probiotics: A Summary

Probiotic supplementation in pregnancy can help reduce the colonisation of Group B Streptococcus , which can naturally colonise the vagina during pregnancy impeding on how the rest of your pregnancy and birth progresses .

Typically, the finding of GBS in pregnancy leads to the requirement of antibiotic treatment to prevent it from contributing to an increased risk of pre-term birth, requiring the use of antibiotics to clear it, and in some circumstances, if it cannot be cleared and it can effect your birthing options too. .

For more tips on what to look for in a pregnancy probiotic supplement, check out our previous article on the topic here.

Thinking of getting supplementing with pregnancy probiotics? Read about Pregnancy Probiotic 360° with vitamin D.

Not only is having the right strains present in your pregnancy probiotic, but ensuring they actually make it to your large intestine where they can get to work is crucial.

Enteric coated capsules is one way that probiotics can help survive the acid bath that is your stomach and actually reach the large intestine so they can support you and your growing baby. So be sure to look out for this when selecting your pregnancy probiotic.

Please speak to your health care professional if you are considering starting a new supplement to ensure it is right for you and your circumstances.

Reduce Postpartum Depression Risk

Did you know that a healthy gut is associated with a healthy brain? Because probiotics may help reduce inflammation, they may reduce the risk of a variety of diseases, but evidence is quickly building on probiotics positive effect on depression. Additional studies are needed, but probiotics antioxidant properties and ability to increase GABA may assist in improving our mood and alleviating depressive symptoms.11

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Benefits Of Taking Probiotics Or Prebiotics During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the consumption of probiotics and prebiotics can help the pregnant woman in many ways. Some of them are:

  • Helps in improving digestion.
  • Breaks down food to be entirely utilised by the body.
  • Essential for healing infertility.
  • Helps in reducing inflammation of the colons lining, and treats inflammatory bowel disease.
  • Strengthens the immune system of the mother and the baby.
  • Maintains a healthy urinary system.
  • Balances the cholesterol level.
  • Cheddar
  • Buttermilk

These are fairly common foods that are consumed on a regular basis. So if youre pregnant, theres no need to reduce the frequency of eating these.

A healthy pregnancy can be ensured by maintaining a healthy diet. Take time to chart food recipes that integrate probiotics and prebiotics in your daily diet. During pregnancy, cravings can get the better of you but do not miss out on prebiotic-rich food.

You can choose to get your probiotics from supplement capsules, but it is always good to seek advice from your doctor before taking any pills. In case of any allergy, call the doctor immediately. Relying on a healthy lifestyle is the best way to get through pregnancy and will facilitate the healthy development of the baby.

Probiotics For Pregnant Women: Best Probiotics During Pregnancy

The benefits of taking probiotics while being pregnant

by Lucy Harriss

During pregnancy, changes in hormone levels, differences in water intake and diet, and just the stress of pregnancy on the body often results in digestive issues, namely constipation, bloating and diarrhea.

To prevent these digestive issues, and other microbiome imbalances which can cause problems elsewhere like vaginal thrush, we recommend probiotics. Probiotics are most often taken orally and contain numerous bacterial colonies to rebalance your gut microbiota this is especially important during pregnancy.

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Quality Of Probiotics For Conception

When you are trying to conceive, the quality of what you put in your body is of utmost concern. Thats why the best probiotic for conception not only promises to support your health, but can deliver on that promise.

Natren is the probiotic company that you can trust. We care deeply about your health, and that of your future family. Other probiotics that are easily found in health food stores may not be microbiologically pure. While this is a concern for anyone taking probiotics, its perhaps even more important for men and women who are looking to conceive.

Research shows that the health of the mom and dad at conception has the potential to affect the health of the baby. This is not the time to try to save a few dollars, if it means risking the purity, potency, and quality of your probiotics.

When you choose probiotics from Natren, you are choosing the best for you, your partner, and your family. Visit us at natren.com to learn more.

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Probiotic bacteria are generally found in fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kefir. If you cant stomach these foods while pregnant, or if you just feel you arent getting enough, another way you can boost the number of good bacteria in your gut is by taking a probiotic supplement.

Probiotic supplements are a blend of different varieties of good bacteria. These supplements improve the balance and diversity of bacteria in your body. This, in turn, causes the good bacteria to crowd out the harmful bacteria. This reduces the potential for infections and other health issues. Probiotics can also lead to a healthier digestive system, creating a friendly space for nutrients to absorb in your body.

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