Can I Take Probiotics During Pregnancy?


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The short answer is “yes.” You can indeed take probiotics during pregnancy, most of the time.

Probiotics are one of the safest types of nutritional supplements you can take. They are not only safe for you to take during pregnancy, many times a doctor may even recommend that you take probiotics during pregnancy. Probiotics are also considered safe to take during breastfeeding.

To understand how probiotics can be safe to take and even beneficial during pregnancy, it is important to understand a little bit about what probiotics are and about what it is that they do in the human body. Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria. These aren’t the same types of bacteria that can cause infection or disease. Instead, these bacteria are the kind found in a person’s gastrointestinal tract.

These naturally-occurring bacteria serve many purposes. For example, they aid the gastrointestinal tract with digestion. They also help with the absorption of nutrients. In addition, they help to create a type of a barrier between the body and various types of harmful substances, such as allergens. Probiotics are also thought to help to aid in the development of the immune system, and to boost the functioning of the immune system.

As you can see, probiotics can provide a number of benefits. That’s why they can be safe to take during pregnancy. When a woman takes probiotics during pregnancy, she not only helps out her own body, but her baby’s body as well. By providing her body with a balance of friendly bacteria, the pregnant woman creates a more stable environment for her growing and developing baby.  She helps to boost her own immune system, and thereby better protects the baby in her womb.

Having said all of that, there are still some rare situations in which you shouldn’t take probiotics during pregnancy. If your immune system has already been compromised or weakened, for example, it is usually recommended that you not take probiotics during pregnancy. If this is the case, you should speak with your health care provider about whether or not probiotics are right for your situation.



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