Probiotics and Breastfeeding: The Enteromammary Pathway

"A woman’s body changes and molds in amazing ways to nurture and sustain her growing baby within, but scientists are discovering yet another adaptation during late pregnancy and lactation that helps to set up her baby’s infant microbiome, the ultimate foundation of health.

You see, your gut microbiome—the diverse ecosystem of bacteria living in your gut—sits right in your digestive tract, also home to 80% of your immune system. Your beneficial gut bacteria work hard to support your immune function by helping to protect your gut barrier from inhospitable microbes and producing and regulating enzymes, antibodies, and short-chain fatty acids that your immune cells utilize to keep you healthy.

The problem is that babies are born with immature immune systems.

By the time they make their way into this world, they have only been exposed to bacteria in the placenta and vaginal bacteria as they travel through the birth canal (even less if they are delivered via Cesarean section). These first inoculations start to seed their gut with the beginnings of a microbiome, but breastfeeding delivers a consistent source of friendly flora to further build and program the immune system.

So, just how does your beneficial gut bacteria benefit your baby?

Recent studies suggest that maternal immune cells can transport good guy bacteria from a mother’s gut to her mammary glands via a highway of sorts called the enteromammary pathway. 

In fact, this is precisely how specific strains of probiotics can end up in breast milk, even though they are taken orally."  Suzie Sorenson

How breastfeeding helps:

Breastfeeding continues the important transfer of beneficial bacteria that begins during labour and birth. A mother’s gut and breastmilk microbiome significantly contribute to the overall health of both mother and baby, therefore it is essential to optimise microbiome health.

How Qiara also helps mum :

Clinical Research conducted using the single probiotic strain in Qiara, Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716, shows that it may reduce or relieve symptoms of breast pain and mild mastitis and the occurrence of mild mastitis. 

Qiara achieves this by outcompeting the pathogenic bacteria in breast milk that may be causing the pain or mild mastitis. It also helps to restore and maintain a healthy balance of protective flora in the breast milk microbiome to help prevent recurrence.

Read more on Qiara Pregnancy and Breastfeeding here!.