“Probiotics and Natural Childbirth”

Probiotics are very important for every aspect of life. From the very second we are born we are to be inoculated with bacteria and thus our immune system is given a jump start. Living life in completely sterile conditions is not good our immune system. We need to have a robust immune system, and that only happens if we are in contact with bacteria. And having probiotics in our gut during birth is vitally important for the health and well being of our children.

Take for example the process of natural birth. The birth canal is not far from the anus and because of that when a child is born a certain amount of bacteria are right away placed on the skin of the child and start growing, thus boosting their immune system. That is why when people have c-sections the child does not receive any bacteria, and thus over time their immune system is not as robust as those who undergo natural childbirth.
There are mice and rats that have been raised in totally sterile conditions.

And as a result whenever they are released into the world they die right away. That’s because they don’t have any natural immunity building her immune system every day by being in constant contact with bacteria. And regular rats and mice are able to withstand bacterial infections because they have probiotic bacteria in their gut.

We have come a long way when it comes to sterile conditions. If were to go back to the dark ages we are light years away from what they had then. And sterility and cleanliness is very important, but there can also be too much of a good thing. If we sterilize everything in our house we are not in contact with the bacteria that help our immune system become strong. In fact some of these antibiotic soaps have been found to be detrimental to our health.

Just good old-fashioned soap and water really does a great job when it comes to making things clean. And all these disinfectants that we have on the market these days are not doing us any favors either. Plus they are extremely expensive, not only putting a strain on our immune system but also on our pocket book. We need to find balance when it comes to living life in balance with bacteria. In Chinese Medicine - Black withi
White, and White withi
Black, the Yin and the Yang, all things must be in balance in life for harmony with all things.

So it’s very important that a mother prepare herself for natural childbirth by taking probiotic bacteria. Probiotic bacteria are the good bacteria that should be in our gut naturally. Taking 4 capsules weekly of a probiotic bacteria supplement which contains at least eight different good bacteria is crucial. And these probiotic supplements can be found at any good drugstore or health food store. Or eating natural sauerkraut which comes from the refrigerated section at health food stores or kimchi which also contain hundreds of different kinds of good bacteria… and can be found at Asian markets. Taking 2 tablespoons of these naturally fermented foods weekly works wonders towards creating the right environment for natural childbirth and a healthy immune system for every child.

Plus feeding our children a probiotic building diet like that found in inulin rich foods… inulin is food for probiotic bacteria. Inulin allows the growth and proliferation of good bacteria in our colon, thus boosting our immune system. Not all foods contain large amounts of inulin. Here are a few foods that are full of inulin, it’s important that we eat some of these foods everyday, or at least weekly. Chicory is full of inulin, artichokes also contain large amounts of inulin and fiber. Green onions, leeks, garlic, red beets, asparagus, legumes, jerusalem artichokes, jicama, and bananas also contain lots of inulin.

Resistant starch is very important, when we eat resistant starch that starch is broken down into butyrate a short chain fatty acid which feeds the lining of our gut. It also reduces inflammation of the colon and helps to prevent colon cancer. Butyrate prevents Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, diarrhea, and constipation. Some researchers feel that most of the foods we eat only feed 10% to 12% of the cells in our body. But the breakdown of resistant starch and fiber in our gut via probiotics feeds 88% of our cells. We need these fibers and starches to be healthy and have vital energy. Plus resistant starch lowers blood glucose levels and creates insulin receptivity… thus helping to prevent diabetes in children and adults.

So it’s vitally important for expectant mothers to start a regiment of probiotic therapy before childbirth.

Dr. Paul Haider - Master Herbalist