Thread: Probiotics (xp)

Talk to me about Probiotics -

Am I better off adding them to my own diet or baby's? both?
Can a baby 6 weeks old have probiotics?
How do they come - liquid form? - can you add them to a bottle, or administer via eyedropper?

I take them myself. I checked with my ped and he said that I should continue to take them rather than giving them to her at this point. I take multi-strain, high cell count kinds (30+ billion) and rotate between 2 versions for them to work better. A nutritionist told me to do that abut a year ago and I have been doing it ever since.

When she starts solids I will possible start giving her some directly. I know there is at least one brand of infant probiotics that is liquid (It's called biogaia) and you can add it to a bottle or in food. You could also give it directly through a dropper or on a spoon. It is only a single strain version though.

I've been taking probiotics since DD was about a month and a half old (she's now 3 and a half months). We got thrush and I got some from the chiro. I did give her some a few times when we were first trying to get rid of the thrush. Mine are a powder in a capsule. I just take it and she gets it from me. I ran out a couple weeks ago and thought I'd just try to go without.......IT DIDN'T GO WELL! She has reflux and this probiotic is helping the reflux a LOT! Within days of me going off the probiotics her reflux flared up and she went crazy crying all the time. I don't think it was necessary to give it to her directly since she was bf'd. I will say too that my GI tract is functioning better than it has in years

I guess it would depend on why you are giving them to baby as to who needs to take them. I really only gave her a couple doses of it because trying to give an infant a powder when she's not taking a bottle is difficult. Our thrush cleared up within a few weeks with just me taking the probiotics.

I think I'll give it a try on myself first then. Sounds like that's the better/safer option.

DD is miserable. I've cut out milk, other milk products, chocolate, & nuts and she still is miserable in her GI tract. She screamed for hours last night in pain from gas and tummy issues. I've got to do something else!

nak

Have you eliminated other possible allergens? Wheat, soy, and eggs would be where I would go next. An elimination diet is hard, but worth it if you can pinpoint a source.

one of the brands I use is Flora health/udo's choice super bifido plus. I switched to this when Lily was miserable (I also eliminated dairy) and it made a big difference after about a week. I can now eat some dairy without too much of a reaction on her end. I started out taking 2 and then dropping to one

When DS and I had thrush, my MW suggested making a paste from the powder and putting it on my nipple before nursing so DS would get some directly as well as a big dose myself... I never did, but I don't believe that low doses directly to baby would hurt.

I started taking it myself about a month ago after LC recommended taking it for thrush that kept coming back. I'm loving it for my own GI tract as well as for the baby. He used to only poop every 3rd day (since like 3 weeks old) and now will go pretty much daily. Also has kept my thrush at bay. I don't give it to him so he is getting it from me.

My MW's suggested giving him some directly after having so many antibiotics and pain meds while in the NICU but I never did. She recommended one for babies that was a liquid form. Now looking back it may have helped his GI tract more.

Originally Posted by faeriecurls

nak

Have you eliminated other possible allergens? Wheat, soy, and eggs would be where I would go next. An elimination diet is hard, but worth it if you can pinpoint a source.

one of the brands I use is Flora health/udo's choice super bifido plus. I switched to this when Lily was miserable (I also eliminated dairy) and it made a big difference after about a week. I can now eat some dairy without too much of a reaction on her end. I started out taking 2 and then dropping to one

I realized that I had butter and mayo the other day. Cut those out as well and she had a wonderful day yesterday! I think I'm going to keep up with the elimination diet as well as add probiotics for myself and go from there!

Thanks so much ladies, a great help as usual!!

I used Biogaia with my DD becuase of reflux. I am undecided as to whether or not it worked. I think at the time I thought it did but now I am not so sure. Next time, I would try taking it myself!

Good luck!