Probiotics in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: What Is Known and What to Check

Start here: who to ask, and what is not a probiotic job

Pregnancy and breastfeeding questions about any supplement belong with a midwife, obstetrician or pharmacist. NCCIH advises consulting a health care provider before a probiotic supplement and not using probiotics as a reason to delay seeing a provider about a health problem. [1] The NHS (UK) says that if you have an existing health condition or a weakened immune system you should talk to a doctor before taking probiotic supplements. [2] A change in vaginal discharge in pregnancy should be checked: the NHS says to speak to a GP or midwife. [3] Probiotics do not replace treatment for infections; contact your maternity team about any worrying symptom rather than trying a supplement first.

Official advice: what we could and could not read

Official advice written specifically about probiotic supplements in pregnancy: not described in the sources we read. The NHS probiotics page and the NHS pregnancy pages we read (foods to avoid, healthy diet) do not give a pregnancy-specific rule for probiotic supplements. The US Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet could not be read (the page returned an access error), so we do not quote it. What we did read:

• The NHS says that for most people probiotics appear to be safe, but products are classed as food rather than medicine, so we cannot always be sure what is in them. [2]
• NCCIH notes that some products have been reported to contain organisms not on the label, and that the risk of harm is greater in people with severe illness or weakened immune systems. [1]
• The NHS pregnancy food page says unpasteurised or soft ripened dairy foods may contain listeria, which can cause listeriosis, and lists pasteurised yoghurt under foods that are safe to eat. [4] That is about fermented dairy foods, not supplements; see Yogurt and Fermented Foods Safety.

Evidence labels

Promising but limited (small or few trials), mixed, insufficient evidence, no good evidence of benefit. Every result below is for particular strains and trial designs, not for probiotics in general.

What reviews found

For more on gestational diabetes diet and prenatal supplements, see Prenatal and Postnatal Vitamins and Preconception, Pregnancy, Postpartum and Breastfeeding. Eczema trials are on Probiotics for Eczema, Food Allergy and Asthma in Children.