probiotics and pregnancy?

[gretelmom]

I bought a new bottle of Intestinal DF the other day, because of the constipation. Then I thought "I just better ask the doctor"... She said "I don't know, let me look into it and look at the supplement".

Am I really the first person to ask if I could take probiotics?

What do you ladies know about it?

[Ironica]

I definitely plan to probiotic myself all to heck in my third trimester, for several reasons:

* Further reduce chances of a GBS+ culture
* Improve my gut health before breastfeeding a newborn
* Have good healthy bugs to pass on to baby

I'm also planning to give baby probiotics from birth to six months, per research showing that administration during that period can substantially reduce risk for allergies and other immune dysfunctions throughout life. (Probiotics can help later, too, but they don't have the same kind of lasting effect as they do during the newborn period... most people need maintenance doses or their health deteriorates.)

In pretty much all of the research, the worst side effect is flatulence. ;-) Granted, not something I really want MORE of right now, but eh. If your gut is extremely damaged, then bacteria can get into your bloodstream and cause an infection... but this can happen whether or not you take probiotics (there's plenty of bacteria in there already), and taking probiotics may help your gut get healthy enough to reduce the risk.

"Bacteria for Breakfast" is a great book by a pharmacist (Dr. Kelly Dowhower Karpa) that summarizes the research on probiotics through about 2000. It's a good starting point for your doctor (contains complete citations of all research, so she can go look up the studies herself if she wants to).

[wholewheatmama]

I've been taking them for at least the last couple of months and plan on continuing at least until birth (I'm 27 weeks). I asked my MW, and she supports me taking them. It's very common to take them in pregnancy.

[DBZ]

Maybe your Dr just wanted to check the ingredients to make sure there wasn't other stuff in there you shouldn't take. I'm pretty sure there are still some clueless Drs out there though.

[gretelmom]

I've been taking them for at least the last couple of months and plan on continuing at least until birth (I'm 27 weeks). I asked my MW, and she supports me taking them. It's very common to take them in pregnancy.

Yeah, I thought it was common, too. Seriously, I think my doctor mis-heard me, it was like she'd never heard "Probiotics" before, but I KNOW she has. Even main stream doctors tell patients to take them for thrush while nursing, as well as yeast infections. I said "It's the same live bacteria in yogurt" and she sort of looked at me and said "I would like to see the bottle" in a nice way. Maybe she htought the company would slip in other crazy herbs or something. Anyway I made a copy of the label and am going to fax it over tomorrow.

I, too, would take then for the GB Strep. I had it last time and the IV literally halted my labor. I really don't want to hit that wall again.

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[Gumby]

TAKE THEM. They are very beneficial for you now and for your baby as it passes through the birth canal during birth--that is when it's intestinal flora is established.

I had to explain what probiotics were to my dentist last month. :dizzy:

You can also insert them vaginally to introduce healthy strains, especially the week or so before the GBS test. Since you mentioned that Gretelmom, GSE (grapefruit seed extract, pill form) is also great for preventative measures.

I try to take probis daily, pg or not :) HTH

[Kontessa]

I can not think if a logical reason not to..... it helps you take care of food in a better way..... My children have a powdered kind that I put into the smoothies we split. I will take it all the more after reading here it can also help with thrush!

[Leilalu]

Anything that helps your body digest and eliminate better is good for baby:thumb Also, there is a lot to be said for adding good bacteria cultures to the diet. It can help prevent candida or thrush during nursing . It can also help with a sluggish metabolism during pregnancy.

[Teenytoona]

So, what are some good brands of pro-biotics, for those of us who've never taken them before?

[Gumby]

I like New Chapter.

[nicolena]

Much cheaper and more effective to make them yourself. Read: http://bodyecology.com/07/09/06/probiotic_foods_vs_supplements.php

They're selling stuff, but they tell you how to make them yourself. Super easy. Mamas at Traditional Foods can take you through it.

But, it's safe to take GSE during pregnancy, BrittanySmiles? Only in pill, not liquid? I think this rash on my face is candida, from drinking juice (for calories and some vitamins)--much reduced since I stopped juice and honey, but I am sooo tempted to take GSE to see if it knocks it out....

[Leilalu]

Much cheaper and more effective to make them yourself. Read: http://bodyecology.com/07/09/06/probiotic_foods_vs_supplements.php

They're selling stuff, but they tell you how to make them yourself. Super easy. Mamas at Traditional Foods can take you through it.

But, it's safe to take GSE during pregnancy, BrittanySmiles? Only in pill, not liquid? I think this rash on my face is candida, from drinking juice (for calories and some vitamins)--much reduced since I stopped juice and honey, but I am sooo tempted to take GSE to see if it knocks it out....

:thumb

Also, making kefir is completely easy. You just have to do it. Homeade kefir is a great way to get good bacteria that will actually colonize your system-leaving you less vulnerable. It is also healthier than storebought as those are usually made from a powder, and homeade kefir is made from the actual kefir grain. The cost is pretty much the cost of a quart/gallon/half gallon of milk.

[Gumby]

Much cheaper and more effective to make them yourself. Read: http://bodyecology.com/07/09/06/probiotic_foods_vs_supplements.php

They're selling stuff, but they tell you how to make them yourself. Super easy. Mamas at Traditional Foods can take you through it.

But, it's safe to take GSE during pregnancy, BrittanySmiles? Only in pill, not liquid? I think this rash on my face is candida, from drinking juice (for calories and some vitamins)--much reduced since I stopped juice and honey, but I am sooo tempted to take GSE to see if it knocks it out....

Yep, it's safe. AFAIK -- google searches, speaking with midwives, personal experience :wink

[Ironica]

Much cheaper and more effective to make them yourself. Read: http://bodyecology.com/07/09/06/probiotic_foods_vs_supplements.php

They're selling stuff, but they tell you how to make them yourself. Super easy.

Yeah, super easy... though a bit more complicated if you're dairy-free and react badly to kombucha. ;-) Yes, you can make water (actually juice) keifir... once you get dairy-free grains. That's the tricky part. Haven't managed that yet.

Also, while the probiotics in fermented foods and drinks are very beneficial, they are not the SAME as the probiotics you buy in pill form. The strains that are sold as supplements are (usually) cultured from those isolated from actual humans. When you're trying to fix damage done by antibiotics, chlorinated water, and bad bacteria, you need to replace some of the bugs you've lost, which aren't in the fermented foods. (Though homemade sauerkraut is EXTREMELY easy and tasty!)

[Wildecat]

What brand and what dosage do you all take?

[Leilalu]

Yeah, super easy... though a bit more complicated if you're dairy-free and react badly to kombucha. ;-) Yes, you can make water (actually juice) keifir... once you get dairy-free grains. That's the tricky part. Haven't managed that yet.

Also, while the probiotics in fermented foods and drinks are very beneficial, they are not the SAME as the probiotics you buy in pill form. The strains that are sold as supplements are (usually) cultured from those isolated from actual humans. When you're trying to fix damage done by antibiotics, chlorinated water, and bad bacteria, you need to replace some of the bugs you've lost, which aren't in the fermented foods. (Though homemade sauerkraut is EXTREMELY easy and tasty!)

I dunno. See, from a traditional standpoint- people were not culturing probiotics or fermenting things from human flora. I could be wrong, but I think this is something relatively new. It used to be, that people could even get a great daily beneficial dose of good bacteria from working with the soil . So I don't know if one really needs a probiotic cultured from human flora. There are several advantages of food over pill:

Some studies have shown that milk fermented with lactobacilli actually kills pathogenic bacteria such as H. pylori, while a pill alone did not. Also, you never really know how potent your pills are. Plus, they cost a ton of money over time.

With fermented foods you actually get meals. Kefir makes a great smoothie. Kombucha makes a nice refreshing drink on a hot day.

You can control the process the entire time. You can know exactly what you are getting each time when you ferement your own foods.

Not saying one shouldn't buy probiotics. It was a personal choice for me not too because I saw many long term benefits in making things myself where I can.

[gretelmom]

I dunno. See, from a traditional standpoint- people were not culturing probiotics or fermenting things from human flora. I could be wrong, but I think this is something relatively new. It used to be, that people could even get a great daily beneficial dose of good bacteria from working with the soil . So I don't know if one really needs a probiotic cultured from human flora. There are several advantages of food over pill:

Some studies have shown that milk fermented with lactobacilli actually kills pathogenic bacteria such as H. pylori, while a pill alone did not. Also, you never really know how potent your pills are. Plus, they cost a ton of money over time.

With fermented foods you actually get meals. Kefir makes a great smoothie. Kombucha makes a nice refreshing drink on a hot day.

You can control the process the entire time. You can know exactly what you are getting each time when you ferement your own foods.

Not saying one shouldn't buy probiotics. It was a personal choice for me not too because I saw many long term benefits in making things myself where I can.

That is very insightful!

It's so hard to try to base things on what naturally is best for our bodies because we are just such an unnatural society!!!!!! I want to have an unmedicated birth, but if I test positive for GBS, I can't. It is so ridiculous, so it's like an unnatural sort of state I'm being put into! That's why I want to dose up on the probiotics.

I do hope to quest toward living a less processed life, though, and that is the most important part of having good digestion, don't you think??

[Leilalu]

That is very insightful!

It's so hard to try to base things on what naturally is best for our bodies because we are just such an unnatural society!!!!!! I want to have an unmedicated birth, but if I test positive for GBS, I can't. It is so ridiculous, so it's like an unnatural sort of state I'm being put into! That's why I want to dose up on the probiotics.

I do hope to quest toward living a less processed life, though, and that is the most important part of having good digestion, don't you think??

I totally agree:) Check out the traditional foods forum, it may help steer you where you want to be.

I also want to bone up nutritionally this pregnancy. I find that since eating more properly prepared foods and fermented foods I am having and easier pregnancy even. HTH!

[Shanana]

I, too, would take then for the GB Strep. I had it last time and the IV literally halted my labor. I really don't want to hit that wall again.

Slightly OT, but a midwife I know told me that many (most? all?) OBs will require you to be on IV antibiotics if you've tested positive for GBS -- ever. So if you were positive before, and your current OB knows it, there's a possibility they will want you on the abx, even if you test negative this time around. For your sake, I hope it's not the case. Or that you switched providers, and they don't have your old records :lol.

I see a homeopath/healer, and she uses muscle testing (and other things) to determine what my body needs. This last visit it was screaming probiotics :lol, so I'm currently taking them. I think they are beneficial at any time, though, although I can also see the benefit of getting them from food, rather than a pill. I'm just, ahem, lazy.

[Ironica]

I dunno. See, from a traditional standpoint- people were not culturing probiotics or fermenting things from human flora. I could be wrong, but I think this is something relatively new. It used to be, that people could even get a great daily beneficial dose of good bacteria from working with the soil . So I don't know if one really needs a probiotic cultured from human flora.

Other things that are relatively new are the stuff that is actively destroying our balance of gut bacteria, as I mentioned in my post.... such as chlorinated tap water (VERY hard to avoid if you're unable to get well water) and antibiotics (which some people have managed to avoid, but most of us were already screwed up by before we knew about all this stuff... besides which, there are cases where they save lives). Some of the "bad bug" infections that cause or abet dysbiosis are relatively new, too; mutations from antibiotic treatments, exposures from animals or soil that were previously not known to humans, etc.

There are several advantages of food over pill:

Some studies have shown that milk fermented with lactobacilli actually kills pathogenic bacteria such as H. pylori, while a pill alone did not. Studies have also shown that probiotic pills *can* kill H. pylori. That one's tricky, since the stomach environment is so hostile; most probiotics are enteric-coated to make it to the gut intact, which would do nothing for H. pylori. Also, you'd have to look at the relative dosing of course.

With fermented foods you actually get meals. Kefir makes a great smoothie. Kombucha makes a nice refreshing drink on a hot day.
Kefir makes my son poop blood (as do all dairy products, raw and pasteurized, cow, sheep, goat, fermented or not). Kombucha makes me feel like I have the stomach flu; only for a few hours, but that *can't* be good. We do great with fermented veggies, though.

You can control the process the entire time. You can know exactly what you are getting each time when you ferement your own foods. If you have a microscope available, and sufficient knowledge of biology to identify bacteria and perform a census. ;-) You actually DON'T know which specific strains you have in home-cultured products, as it varies greatly based on regional flora differences, climate, and so on. You'll also influence the balance with your own bodily flora. Not that this is a bad thing; oftentimes, you'll get just what you need, even though your needs may be different from someone else's. But you don't know what the dosage is or what strains you're getting. There are, of course, potency issues with probiotics too, but the more reputable brands take great pains to ensure minimum live bacteria counts per dose.

Not saying one shouldn't buy probiotics. It was a personal choice for me not too because I saw many long term benefits in making things myself where I can.

I think that fermented foods are important and useful. I don't think that they can, by themselves, FIX the damage our modern world has done to many of our guts, though they can mitigate it and assist with other things.

[Leilalu]

Other things that are relatively new are the stuff that is actively destroying our balance of gut bacteria, as I mentioned in my post.... such as chlorinated tap water (VERY hard to avoid if you're unable to get well water) and antibiotics (which some people have managed to avoid, but most of us were already screwed up by before we knew about all this stuff... besides which, there are cases where they save lives). Some of the "bad bug" infections that cause or abet dysbiosis are relatively new, too; mutations from antibiotic treatments, exposures from animals or soil that were previously not known to humans, etc.

Studies have also shown that probiotic pills *can* kill H. pylori. That one's tricky, since the stomach environment is so hostile; most probiotics are enteric-coated to make it to the gut intact, which would do nothing for H. pylori. Also, you'd have to look at the relative dosing of course.


Kefir makes my son poop blood (as do all dairy products, raw and pasteurized, cow, sheep, goat, fermented or not). Kombucha makes me feel like I have the stomach flu; only for a few hours, but that *can't* be good. We do great with fermented veggies, though.

If you have a microscope available, and sufficient knowledge of biology to identify bacteria and perform a census. ;-) You actually DON'T know which specific strains you have in home-cultured products, as it varies greatly based on regional flora differences, climate, and so on. You'll also influence the balance with your own bodily flora. Not that this is a bad thing; oftentimes, you'll get just what you need, even though your needs may be different from someone else's. But you don't know what the dosage is or what strains you're getting. There are, of course, potency issues with probiotics too, but the more reputable brands take great pains to ensure minimum live bacteria counts per dose.



I think that fermented foods are important and useful. I don't think that they can, by themselves, FIX the damage our modern world has done to many of our guts, though they can mitigate it and assist with other things.

I do not have time to respond to every argument you make. However, I was merely responding to this statement you made:
"When you're trying to fix damage done by antibiotics, chlorinated water, and bad bacteria, you need to replace some of the bugs you've lost, which aren't in the fermented foods."

I disagree that one can't replace what has been lost or damaged through fermented foods. As I said, supplementing with human flora is something relatively new, and not something I am entirely sure I agree with.
I am sorry that allergies make it hard for you to consume naturally fermented dairy. However, this does not mean that it is not a natural cure for many ailments for lots of people. Some people do not tolerate dairy as well as others, if at all.

I do believe that by consuming foods more traditionally prepared, over time we can heal a lot of our common illnesses.