Preparing for Pregnancy: The Role of the Microbiome
Image courtesy of @mariarrudaa

Preparing for Pregnancy: The Role of the Microbiome:
Why Gut Health Matters Before You Conceive

When you’re trying to conceive, you want every part of your body to be working in harmony. What many people don’t realise is that your microbiome — the community of good bacteria living in your body — plays a key role in your fertility and reproductive health.

Your gut, vaginal and even uterine microbiomes all influence your chances of conceiving, your pregnancy journey, and your baby’s future health.

Image courtesy of @mariarrudaa
Image courtesy of @mariarrudaa

What is the Microbiome and Why Does it Matter?

Your microbiome helps with so much more than digestion — it supports your immune system, hormone balance, energy levels, mood and metabolism.

When this delicate ecosystem becomes unbalanced (a condition called dysbiosis), inflammation can rise, and that can affect your menstrual cycle, ovulation, and fertility.

Research shows that maintaining a healthy balance of good bacteria, especially Lactobacilli, can improve reproductive health and IVF success rates.

How Dysbiosis Can Affect Fertility

Modern life can be tough on our microbiome. Factors such as:
  • Antibiotics
  • Stress
  • Poor Sleep
  • Hormonal Therapies
  • Alcohol, smoking and vaping
  • Certain medications
  • Diets low in fibre, wholefoods and high in sugar/processed foods

Can reduce the number of good bacteria and allow harmful bacteria (like Staphylococcus aureus) to thrive.

This imbalance can interfere with sperm health, egg quality, implantation, and even early pregnancy development.

Inflammation and Reproductive Health

Inflammation in the reproductive organs can interfere with important functions such as ovulation, embryo implantation and placental health.

Keeping inflammation low through a balanced microbiome helps create a healthy environment for conception and pregnancy to progress naturally.

The Microbiome Connection: From Conception to Breastfeeding

The mother’s microbiome doesn’t just support her own health — it’s also the foundation for her baby’s.

During pregnancy, beneficial bacteria travel from the gut to the uterus and breast tissue through a special pathway called the Entero-Mammary Pathway.

This process helps seed your baby’s microbiome — first in the womb, then through birth and breastfeeding.

Supporting your microbiome before and during pregnancy helps give your baby the best possible start in life.

Supporting The Maternal Microbiome

Supporting The Maternal Microbiome

Not all probiotics are the same. The benefits of probiotics depend on the specific strain, not just the species.

The probiotic strain in Qiara Pregnancy & Breastfeeding L. fermentum CECT5716, (originally discovered in breastmilk) has been widely studied for its benefits in maternal and infant health.

This unique strain:
  • Helps restore a healthy balance of good bacteria in the gut
  • Increases the growth of good bacteria and inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria
  • Stimulates a healthy immune system response
  • Strengthens the microbiome for positive breastfeeding outcomes
  • Supports a healthy maternal microbiome, which is important for conception and pregnancy

Qiara Pregnancy & Breastfeeding for Maternal Microbiome Health

The clinically researched probiotic strain in Qiara— L. fermentum CECT5716 — has been shown to:

  • Support a healthy microbiome
  • Help restore microbiome balance during and after antibiotics
  • Support maternal health, infant health and breastfeeding outcomes

It’s a simple and natural way to care for your microbiome — before, during and after pregnancy.

Image courtesy of @mariarrudaa
Image courtesy of @mariarrudaa

Qiara Everyday for Couples Planning to Conceive

Qiara Everyday is suitable for couples planning to conceive, including men. Qiara Everyday:

  • Supports a healthy microbiome – important for couples trying to conceive.
  • Helps restore microbiome balance during and after antibiotics.
  • Increases good bacteria growth and supports gastrointestinal and immune system health.
  • Maintains and supports general health and wellbeing.

By supporting your inner ecosystem, you’re not only caring for your own wellbeing but also nurturing the foundation of new life.

Join the Qiara Life Club

When you join our free community, you’ll get access to:

  • Expert webinars on preconception health, pregnancy, gut health and family wellbeing
  • Helpful resources and practical tips for preparing for pregnancy
  • Exclusive offers on Qiara products
JOIN NOW!

References

  1. Long-term Ecological Impacts of Antibiotic Administration on the Human Intestinal Microbiota https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18043614/
  2. Short-Term Antibiotic Treatment Has Differing Long-Term Impacts on the Human Throat and Gut Microbiome https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0009836
  3. Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in Human Breast Milk Influence of Antibiotherapy and Other Host and Clinical Factors https://journals.lww.com/jpgn/Fulltext/2014/07000/Lactobacilli_and_Bifidobacteria_in_Human_Breast.19.aspx
  4. Impact of maternal intrapartum antibiotics, method of birth and breastfeeding on gut microbiota during the first year of life: a prospective cohort study BJOG 2016 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26412384/
  5. Lactobacillus fermentum CECT 5716 Reduces Staphylococcus Load in the Breastmilk of Lactating Mothers Suffering Breast Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Maldonado et al https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/bfm.2015.0070
  6. Human Milk Probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 Reduces the Incidence of Gastrointestinal and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Infants: https://journals.lww.com/jpgn/Fulltext/2012/04000/HumanMilk_Probiotic_Lactobacillus_fermentum.30.aspx
  7. Beneficial Effects of Limosilactobacillus fermentum CECT 5716 Administration to Infants Delivered by Caesarean Section Front Pediatr. 2022 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9301023/
  8. Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Clinical Protocol #36: The Mastitis Spectrum, Revised 2022 Breastfeeding Medicine 2022 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35576513/