Baby Gut Health

You may have heard that the immune system resides in the gut. It’s true, and that’s not all! The health of our gut is integral to the health of our whole body and mind. Gut health is integral to daily health as well as long term health and longevity. A healthy gut sets us on a trajectory of avoiding many ailments that are widely accepted, but are not “normal”. When it comes to babies, setting them on a trajectory for a healthy gut is important to help support fewer illnesses, reduced eczema, allergies, asthma, obesity and more.

As a holistic nutrition practitioner, I see over and over again the foundational nature of gut health in each of my clients. No matter what symptoms I' am working on a client with - anything from bloating and indigestion to poor sleep, joint pain, autoimmune, and hormonal symptoms - the health of the gut MUST be addressed first. Additionally, as a practitioner, I know gut tests are often expensive, upwards of $500 just for the test, and require an appointment with a trained practitioner to interpret. So just to test once you would be spending near a grand, and even more for a protocol and retest. Tiny Health makes this process so much more accessible, which has been very appealing to me for my family and when I think of my client’s as well.

A baby will receive mama’s gut microbiome at birth and many things throughout pregnancy, birth, and newborn phase impact the baby’s gut. Research shows that the first 1000 days of a child’s life is a critical window for the gut health of their entire life.

Additionally,

Pregnancy Influences on Gut Health

You will read my experience below, but I only tested my baby’s gut once she was born. If I could have a re-do, I would absolutely have used a Tiny Health test on myself in pregnancy to help prepare my baby’s gut. During pregnancy, the mother’s body experiences many changes mentally, metabolically, physiological, and especially the gut. The body shifts to a pro-inflammatory state which leads to a change in microbiota in the gut, vaginal canal, mouth, and skin. The growth and development of the baby is linked to these changes and can even impact the baby’s growth, immune system, and neurodevelopment outside of the womb. Gut microbiota even change throughout pregnancy and is different in each trimester (including the fourth trimester). If I could I would have tested my gut prenatally, in each trimester, and vaginal microbiome early in the third trimester!

Our Experience

(Why I Opted to Use A Gut Test)

When breastfeeding my first two babies, I had to remove dairy and soy from my diet. It helped both of them immensely! As Evie approached two months old, I started noticing some really undesirable symptoms. One of these symptoms was “baby acne” and I also noticed the familiar reflux symptoms in my first two kids when I consumed dairy. Seeing that reflux took me back to those hard baby days! Unfortunately, I knew what this was and I really wanted us both to avoid the horrible reflux days. As far as the baby acne, I thought it was normal and hormonal…but I was wrong this time. Symptoms are always your body trying to tell you something!

Since the baby acne tended to get worse rather than better, my lactation consultant suggested we try removing some of the foods in the top 6 breastfeeding allergen list.

TOP 12 Breastfeeding Allergens:

• dairy

• soy

• wheat

• eggs

• tree nuts

• peanuts

• legumes

• corn

• oats

• rice

• chicken

• beef

I am already gluten free for myself, and (loosely) cut out dairy and soy as a preventative measure this time around. Next I decided to trial eggs. Eggs are one of my top favorite foods so I wanted to get that one over with. I removed eggs from my diet for about 3 days. I always thought I needed to remove a reactant food from my diet for 3 weeks before knowing it was causing reactivity, but that actually is not true. Newer research is showing that foods may peak in breastmilk at around 2-4 hours! The baby can then take up to 3 days to show symptoms. There are also many factors that may influence how the food breaks down and presents in the breastmilk and in baby, like how the food is broken down in cooking or processing, and how well mom is able to digest that food at that particular time.

I noticed her skin improving immediately, and by day 3 there were hardly any signs of the acne at all. Of course, I still hoped it was coincidence so I trialed eggs, and the breakouts started coming back!

At the point of writing this, I have found a few other reactive foods. My mind goes to the health of her gut, and how I can help her to make sure it is in optimal health to set her up for the best success with her health….strong immune system, less need for antibiotics, and keep her from the pathway of allergies, eczema, and asthma that so many children end up on.

(On that note, of course, I can’t control everything. My intent is not to shame anyone who has ended up on a similar path- it is VERY common. If she does end up on that path we will take it. We have experienced all of these things so far and we can do it again if we need to. My goal here is to do what is in my control to support her body to do what it needs to do to grow strong and healthy and thrive.)

The Truth About Probiotics

Gut testing can be very beneficial because it helps guide efforts to be most productive. For example, we are learning through research now that different strains of probiotics do different things, so having a specific strain for a specific need is important. Additionally, we need to be digesting properly, having certain foods in our diet, and even if we are receiving the right strains, if they are not colonizing they will not last! I ordered a Tiny Health baby gut test kit as a way to DO something and make sure I am doing something productive for Evie’s gut health and capitalize on the impactful first 1000 days.

Evie’s Results

I received Evie’s gut testing kit about a week after I ordered it. It was so easy to take the sample and send it in. You just wait for a poopy diaper, swab it with the provided swab, place the swab into the provided tube, and mail it off in the provided envelope. The envelope is included and already marked for postage! It was truly so easy. Next, you fill out a handful of questionnaires online about health history, birth, and baby. These did take maybe 20-30 minutes for me to complete but it can easily be done in sessions.

I received the Baby Gut Health results in 4-6 weeks, which was the time frame that was communicated to me. I was SO impressed with the results. They were incredibly thorough and included a lot of information about what bacteria were found in Evie’s gut and which were found in an appropriate balance and which were not. Though the results were thorough and scientific, the Action Plan was simple, straight forward, and easy to understand. I knew exactly what I needed to do for my next steps.

I was thrilled to see the markers for allergies and eczema were NOT present in her gut. This gives me a lot of peace of mind for the future. My biggest takeaway from her results is that lactobacillus and bifidobacterium were not in an ideal balance. Both of these bacteria are beneficial bacteria, but they need to be in an optimal balance or it can cause symptoms. Evie’s gut had an overabundance of lactobacillus and needed more bifidobacterium. Ironically, the probiotic supplement I was giving her was a lactobacillus probiotic! I immediately switched her to a bifidobacterium probiotic. This just further perpetuates the fact that bioindividual health is SO important. The probiotic supplement I was giving her was a reputable pharmaceutical branded supplement….there was nothing wrong with it- except that it was perpetuating less than optimal gut health in my newborn!

The results section is huge, but here are a few examples of the information you get:

I Recommend TinyHealth Gut Test?

Our experience with TinyHealth Baby Gut Test was wonderful. I gained needed insights into my baby’s gut, and now I have the tools to help her optimize health for her entire life. To get any other gut test, I would need to pay thousands to work with a practitioner in addition to the $500+ test itself. The price of a TinyHealth test alone is far less, the results were thorough yet concise, and there is option to schedule a meeting with a practitioner to go over results if you need it!

I really look forward to doing another gut test on Evie when she is eating solids to see how things have changed. I also just sent one in for one of my older kids, and can’t wait to eventually use one on the last kiddo, too!

If you want to use TinyHealth for your family, use this code for 20% off your first kit !

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