Midwives, doctors and doulas have known for a long time that the transfer of beneficial microbes from the mother to the newborn is essential for jumpstarting a healthy immune system for the baby.
But what about babies born by C-section? In recent years a flurry of new research has shown that these babies are at increased risk for certain health issues and there is widespread speculation that the lack of bacteria (normally transferred from mom to baby during vaginal birth) is the culprit.
A really exciting new pilot study has shown that even babies born surgically can have the mother’s microbiome transferred to them easily, giving them the same bacterial benefit as a natural birth.
Our bodies are 1-2% bacteria by mass. By comparison, your brain is also about 2% of your total weight. Bacteria cells actually outnumber our human cells by 10 to 1 in our own bodies. Having a healthy population of beneficial bacteria in and on your body is fundamental to good health... and that begins at birth.
