After sharing the mum-guilt I experienced after my little girl ended up with an undiagnosed infection for DAYS, which resulted in (very necessary) antibiotic use, I have had countless questions about how I would be supporting her gut health after antibiotics.
I’m definitely not a gut health expert. However, I am a Mumma who is fiercely passionate about making sure I’m doing the best I can in the moment I’m in for my little ones (just like we all are!).
I hope that through our more challenging experience you can take some tips to help you support your little one if they too need a course of antibiotics. If you prefer to watch videos I share lots of practical tips to support gut health that apply to any time as well (not just after a course of antibiotics) in THIS video too.
And remember Mumma, you’re doing the best you can in the moment you are in!
My top tips for supporting toddler gut health after antibiotics:
- Prioritise whole foods and a balanced intake of nutrient dense foods as often as possible. I know this can be challenging at times, especially with little ones, so if you are struggling with meal times you can access my evidence-based Meal Time Success program HERE.
- Consider supplementing with probiotics. I encourage you to speak to a naturopath or your chosen health care provider to ensure you receive a practitioner-quality product designed to support your little one’s gut health and immune system after antibiotics.
- Consider boosting their intake of gut-loving foods, such as seaweed, broths and even whole grains such as oats.
- Also boost the intake of pre-biotic foods such as apples, bananas, brown rice, carrots, cacao, olives and good quality oils like olive and coconut oil.
- If breastfeeding, it's a great time to continue where possible.
- And finally, allow some time to pass. It’s important to remember that when antibiotics are given it is usually because the body has been struggling and needs some assistance to repair and recover. Give your little one some time to repair and restore their gut flora by practicing the above for as long as possible.
Watch the full video below to see the foods and supplements I used to support my daughter's gut health after antibiotics.
