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Writer's pictureAly McClain

Probiotics during Pregnancy and Postpartum

Updated: Aug 27, 2019

Hey mama! I see you! I know you want to do the very best for your babe. I know that you get conflicting health messages everyday from your doctor, from your mom, from your best friend and by that stranger you just passed on the street!


My mission is to be an unbiased source of information that you take to make the best decisions for you and your family. 


**Disclaimer: This is not to be taken as medical advice. If you have any concerns with your health please contact your provider. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This article contains links that if you click on them and decide to buy I’ll get a commission. 


Have you heard of probiotics before? You may have heard that they are the miracle cure for many things such as constipation, gas, inflammation, brain health and digestion. Or, maybe you have heard that they don’t do anything and that they are something only super crunchy moms use.  Let’s get an accurate definition of what probiotics actually are!


What are probiotics?



What are probiotics?


Probiotics are friendly bacteria and yeast that are living and active. They benefit the overall health of a person but especially the gut. You may think of bacteria as bad but did you know that your body is full of bacteria and that much of it is good and beneficial to you? There are many different strains of probiotics and each strain can affect a different area of your health.

Some strains to look for in a probiotic are:


  • Lactobacillus spp

  • Bacillus spp

  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae

  • Bifidobacteria spp

When multiple strains are taken there is evidence to suggest many health benefits!




Some signs you may benefit from a probiotic


Leaky gut is a syndrome that has many symptoms that may seem common. Common doesn’t mean normal. Some symptoms of leaky gut are:


  • Chronic diarrhea or constipation

  • Nutritional deficiency

  • Weak Immune System

  • Headaches, brain fog

  • Skin Problems (eczema, acnea, psoriasis) 

  • Depression, Anxiety, ADD

  • And more…



Like I said, just because a symptom is common doesn’t mean that it is normal. These are things we see and experience on the daily. There are many things that can contribute to suffering from leaky gut. Eating sugar, drinking chlorinated water, antibiotics and gluten are all things that can disrupt the gut flora and cause someone to be symptomatic. 


Why is using a probiotic during pregnancy important? 


Hypocrites, the long known father of medicine stated that, “all disease starts in the gut.” Keeping a mother’s gut healthy during pregnancy plays a huge role in preventing invaders (unhealthy bacteria and viruses),  appropriate digestion and absorption, detoxification and immune system modulation. There is evidence to suggest that probiotics do not go into the mother’s blood stream, meaning that it does not pass to baby en utero.  There has been no evidence to suggest that probiotics can cause any malformations in baby or increase the liklihood of miscarriage. I will always tell you that as the mother, carrying her child, you know more about your babe and your health than anyone! It is up to you to decide if taking a probiotic would benefit you and your baby. 


"All disease starts in the gut" - Hypocrites, father of medicine

Probiotics postpartum


Depending on how you have delivered can make a difference on if you and baby would benefit from a probiotic. 


During a cesarean birth, the baby misses all of the benefits from passing through the vaginal canal. It is the process of baby going through the vaginal canal that passes the first and most important dose of bacteria that will form a baby's gut flora.


Vaginal seeding is a method of passing the bacteria to a baby who has been born via cesarean. The doctor will swab the mothers vagina and place the swab in the baby’s mouth. Baby’s born via c-section have a higher risk of allergies, celiac, asthma, obesity and other immune system dysfunction. 


If at anytime mom or baby was given antibiotics that can also impact the healthy gut flora. Anti- biotic means anti bacteria, meaning it will kill all bacteria, including the healthy microbiome of our gut. If you are on an antibiotic it is recommended by most physicians to take a probiotic as well. Make sure to space the antibiotic and probiotic so they are not in the stomach at the same time. If the antibiotic is twice daily for breakfast and supper then a probiotic can be taken around lunch or bedtime. All you are doing is replacing the good bacteria that is being killed off by the antibiotic. 


My recommendations


I have tried many different probiotics throughout the years. My first daughter was born via cesarean and she has suffered the immune system disruption that comes from missing out on the bacteria. She has experienced eczema, gluten intolerance, diarrhea, and a lower immune system resulting in illness more frequently. Once we found Flourish we have seen a huge difference in her overall health.


Flourish is a LIQUID probiotic which means that it has not lost it’s beneficial metabolites that happen when a probiotic goes through the freeze-drying process. Flourish has 11 strains that are growing together in a balanced micro ecosystem. They are able to grow and thrive even after the bottling process.



Flourish is intentionally free of:

  • Gluten

  • Diary

  • Soy

  • Nuts

  • Eggs

  • Shellfish

  • Carrageenan

It is also vegan and non-GMO. There are no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives added. 


It comes in a 16 fl oz bottle and has 8 billion CFUs. It is acid stable, meaning it is able to survive the stomach and transit to lower GI tract. There is an adult and children’s option. The adult Flourish is made in black strap molasses and the Flourish kids is made in sorghum which improves the taste.  



You and your family deserve to feel your best. If adding a probiotic will help then why not try! To get your first bottle of Flourish go to www.birthblissbeyond.com/alyfavorites and scroll down to Products. Click on Flourish Probiotic (Adult and KIDS) and order right online! 


Your family will thank you!






*These photos are only allowed to be used with permission.

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