Why Pooping During Birth IS Beneficial To A Child’s Health

A new study on squash bugs can teach us all vital lessons about human birth and the optimal “seeding and feeding” of the infant gut microbiome.

Why pooping during childbirth IS beneficial to a child’s health. Find out more about the science of human milk, birth, neuroscience and the microbiome. 20 PRESENTATIONS + ONE YEAR ACCESS + 12 HOURS CPD/CE + TRANSCRIPTS — instant access to The Microbirth Summit: >>> https://bit.ly/MicrobirthSummit

Quick Summary: During vaginal birth, human babies acquire beneficial gut microbes from contact with the Mum’s poop (a good thing). Whereas a new study finds squash bug nymphs do not acquire any beneficial bacteria from their parents when first born, leaving them vulnerable… Read this blog-post to find out exactly why human poop during birth really matters — and why I think this shouldn’t be a dirty secret!

Want to know more about the importance of the infant microbiome?

Find out more about the science of human milk, birth, neuroscience and the microbiome. 20 PRESENTATIONS + ONE YEAR ACCESS + 12 HOURS CPD/CE + TRANSCRIPTS — instant access to The Microbirth Summit: Buy today and save $50 >>> https://bit.ly/MicrobirthSummit

• Find out more about the science of human milk, birth, neuroscience and the microbiome.
• 20 PRESENTATIONS + ONE YEAR ACCESS + 12 HOURS CPD/CE + TRANSCRIPTS
• Instant access to The Microbirth Summit: Save $50 if you buy the Summit today (discount ends soon)>>> https://bit.ly/MicrobirthSummit

Quick question…. What’s the difference between human babies and squash bugs (a common agricultural pest)?

Apart from the obvious differences….

One is a super-cute baby mammal…

The other is a flattened large insect found throughout North America.

A quick Wikipedia search and I found out squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are a bug species from the family Coreidae. Apparently, squash bugs are a major pest of squash and pumpkins, and they are a vector of the cucurbit yellow vine disease bacterium (who knew!).

But the really interesting difference….

One species (human babies) acquire beneficial bacteria from their mother during birth and breastfeeding.

A good portion of these beneficial bacteria come from the baby exposed to the Mum’s poop during vaginal birth (the baby having a good lick of the Mum’s bum on the way out — which is a great thing!)

Then breastfeeding provides special indigestible sugars (called HMOs) that specifically feed those…