Probiotics – How long do I use them for?

This is a general way which I use to recommend how long to use probiotics for your baby.

Video transcript:

When I’m using probiotics with mom and baby, I always get asked: “…how long do you stay on them…?” And I think this question comes from moms thinking that, perhaps the drops are the kind of instant fix then. So, your baby’s crying, you put them in and they happen, and make the baby better then and there. So, that isn’t how they work.

Remember, we’re going for the cause. We’re getting the good bacteria re-established in the gut, because it’s been changed for a reason, for example, antibiotics. So, we’re establishing that back, and that can take a little bit of time.

Now, these… the probiotics are supplements, so I want to get that across. It’s a supplement, it’s not something that you take the whole time – they go in, they fix, then we come out – we take them out. So, with all supplements it’s like that. Vitamin C, B vitamins, multi. Bump yourself up short-term. Bump up, get better and then you might be able to come off them, okay.

So, there’s those arguments that we may have to maintain a certain level of them, even for the gut bacteria, because so many things in modern life continuously knock our gut bacteria down. So, maybe a nicer way might be to be regularly eating foods that nourish the gut bacteria, instead of taking supplements.

However, back to how long to take them for. What I do is you… they come in usually a month’s supply – drops or the sachets (the powder) – use the box, okay. So, you’re going to do that as for starters, you’re going to do that. Then, you might want to come off them. Let’s see how your baby is. Remember, they’re supplements – we’re coming off them. Fix baby, come off them. So, you might want to come off them. Then see how your baby is. Is the baby still good? So, are the poos better; is the wind better; is the reflux or the crying and the “upsetness”, and the lots of poos, or the constipation – is that better? Does it stay better? If you see that start to drift back, okay, so if you see, you know, more wind comes, that the poos get worse – even more runny or they get constipated – then you might want to do another box. Then you try again. Then you do it again. After the next box you come off. Is your baby better?

And that’s basically how I do it, to know if we’ve done enough for the probiotics to come off. It’s common sense, isn’t it? It’s obvious – you stop taking them, or your baby stops taking them, and your baby gets worse again. They were better on them, so do them again, but you’re trying to come off them because it is a supplement.

So, this is so dependent on, on many things to how long it might take your baby before you feel that they’re, they’re better. Did you… if you had a c-section, for example, you might you have had c-section and antibiotics. Did you just have antibiotics? Did you have c-section plus antibiotics, more antibiotics later? How many times have you had antibiotics? For how long, how strong were they? So, those little nuances will make everyone an individual for how long? It might be that you’re only giving your baby half the sachet or half the dose, so it goes a bit longer. So, there’s variables within there to pay attention to, but that’s my general way of knowing how long to take them. You take them, come off, how’s your baby? Do you want to give them again, because the symptoms started to come back? But you’re always trying to come off them when you think your baby is better. I hope that helps on dosing, and for how long you take the probiotics.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]