How to Give Your Baby the Best Start!

It’s 8pm on a hot July evening. You, your partner, and your new bundle of joy just walked through the door of your home for the first time as a family of three! Emma is now 3 days old and as you get settled into this crazy new normal so many questions start to go through your mind!

One of the biggest questions or concerns as a new parent is “How do I keep my baby healthy?” As a parent we worry that our baby will get sick or hurt. This is a normal concern, but what is the best way to keep them safe and healthy?

First, expose them! Illness is a normal part of life for us as humans. Illness or exposure to microbes sounds scary but it actually does keep our immune system strong and in tune, just like a car needs to be driven to run well. Our immune systems have to be used to be able to function optimally! Now, this doesn’t mean taking them around the family whenever they are sick, but rather give them a variety of exposures to give their immune system chances to respond. You can do this by allowing your baby(age appropriate) to be exposed to healthy family and pets, allow them to play outside, barefoot in the non-chemically treated grass or in a sandbox, go to a playground, the zoo, a social outing with other parents and kids, swimming, and get sunshine! All of these fun activities help our immune systems grow stronger!

Second, augment those exposures with the best nutrition possible! First and foremost the best nutrition possible to start is mom’s breastmilk. If you can’t breast feed start with an organic milk based formula that has HMO’s and probiotics. Next start to introduce solids between 4-6 months of age to help your baby’s gastrointestinal system to fully develop and mature with the most beneficial bacteria. Yes, bacteria! Our bodies are filled with many different microbiomes. Microbiomes are the normal, mostly beneficial bacteria and microorganisms that live and colonize within and on us. These helpful little guys, especially in our gastrointestinal system, regulate so many functions of our bodies from vitamin production, intestinal motility, hormone and vitamin transport, and so much more! The nutrition we take in is the main determinant to how our microbiomes develop. So variety is the spice to LIFE! Offer lots of colors, textures, and different spices to your baby to give them the best microbiomes to start with! Ensure to feed your baby mostly fresh local produce, grass fed proteins, and whole grains. Avoid seed oils, food dyes, added sugars, or artificial sweeteners.

Third, let those babies be physically active, from birth to adulthood! Activity equals improved brain function, improved GI function, increased muscle mass, improved detoxification, and improved immune function which all equates to an overall healthier body! Always supervise activities until they are old enough to be independent but allow them to explore many different types of activities such as climbing, running, digging, riding bikes, building, creating, and pretending.

References

Gomes da Silva, S., & Arida, R. M. (2015). Physical activity and brain development. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 15(9), 1041–1051.

https://doi.org/10.1586/14737175.2015.1077115

Modupe O. Coker, Juliette C. Madan, Chapter 3 - The microbiome and immune system development, Editor(s): Erika C. Claud, The Developing Microbiome, Academic Press, 2020, Pages 43-66, ISBN 9780128206027, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820602-7.00003-9

Nunez, H., Nieto, P. A., Mars, R. A., Ghavami, M., Sew Hoy, C., & Sukhum, K. (2025). Early life gut microbiome and its impact on childhood health and chronic conditions. Gut microbes, 17(1), 2463567.