Birth and the Microbiome; What all Midwives Need to Know

Cook, Kate

Birth is an important event in many ways, but emerging research is demonstrating that the way we are born may have far-reaching consequences for our future health and wellbeing. This article looks briefly at what is known about the microbiome and health, the importance of birth, skin-to-skin and breastfeeding for ‘seeding and feeding’ the infant’s microbiome. The possible impact of caesarean section is discussed and suggestions made as to how midwives can maximise the chances of seeding and feeding happening as fully as possible. We are discovering the importance of our symbiotic relationship with the microbial communities that live on and inside us in such staggering numbers. There are around 30 trillion human cells in our bodies, which are host to over 100 trillion bacteria (Blaser 2014). The microbes live on our skin, in the nose and mouth, stomach, gut and, in women, the vagina. They co-exist with our bodies and the only time we become aware of them is when an imbalance or infection causes us to feel unwell or an obvious inflammatory response occurs. Most of the time we live together in relative peace.

The Practising midwife, 2018, Vol 21, Issue 4

1461-3123

10.55975/crdp9450