Following your gut: why good gut health is crucial for any expectant Mum

There is a common saying that ‘a mum can understand what a child cannot say’. A mum’s intuition offers insight and understanding of her child even from before they are born. This vital connection between Mum and bub all lies in the gut. Gut health is therefore an integral component of maintaining good health and wellbeing during pregnancy for both you and your baby.

One way to achieve good gut health is through probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria that can survive the journey through your digestive tract to increase the presence of good bacteria in the gut. An upsurge in research, has not only enabled us to add to the large body of evidence that exists to support the benefits probiotics, but has also allowed us to advance our understanding on the importance of probiotic strain specific benefits.

Join us as we outline some of the benefits that probiotics can have on women during pregnancy.

Improvements in Bowel Movement
A common discomfort attributed to pregnancy is constipation. There are many reasons for constipation amongst expecting women including hormonal influences, inadequate fibre intake and changes to the body. Aside from the unpleasant feelings associated with constipation, many are unaware of the associated health risks that constipation treatments can have on both mother and child. Probiotics offer relief to constipation during pregnancy by balancing the gut flora and improving digestive tract functioning. In some studies probiotics have also been shown to improve amount of stool and the straining required to defecate in expecting mothers.

Reduces incidence of Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that is developed during pregnancy. As with other forms of diabetes, gestational diabetes impacts how the expected mother cells utilise sugar. Gestational diabetes can contribute to adverse complications in pregnancy including pre-eclampsia, caesarian sections and a higher risk of developing diabetes post pregnancy. Studies have shown that probiotics may help to lower the risk of gestational diabetes by having favorable effects on energy extraction, inflammation, hunger, satiety and glycemic control . If you are wondering what you can do to ensure your gut is in great condition during pregnancy, here are a few things to consider when selecting a probiotic:
- The strain should be supported by evidence of benefit in humans.
- Contain a sufficiently high number of beneficial bacteria per serve.
- Proven to survive the journey through the gastrointestinal tract.

Yakult is a probiotic that meets the criteria listed above in a delicious and refreshing drink. Yakult contains the Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain (LcS), that has been studied for over 85 years, proven to be safe for consumption and is acid resistant, which means it can travel through the digestive tract to reach your gut alive, helping to support your digestive system. Good gut health is essential for you and your baby.

Learn more about Yakult here