At the moment of birth, the baby's body is 'populated' by the bacterial flora found in the mother's birth canal. This is the beginning of the formation of a person's microbiota, or gut microflora, which is of enormous importance for their health for the rest of their life. Therefore, women planning a pregnancy should ensure that their body has plenty of 'good' bacteria to share with their newborn.

Our body can be compared to a planet inhabited by an enormous number of small creatures. The enormity of the richness and diversity of bacteria living in the human body is comparable to the multitude of life forms on Earth. Over the past few years, research into the human bacterial flora has yielded many new and often surprising discoveries. It has turned out that bacteria are far more numerous than ever thought and inhabit every corner of our body, with their largest concentration in the gut.

Bacteria have a colossal impact on the proper functioning of the body, and thus on our health. The microbiota, or gut microflora, is the entire collection of micro-organisms living in each of us. Together with it, we form a specific ecosystem, based on interdependence. Each of us is made up of around 3 trillion cells and around 100 trillion bacteria. These numbers make us think - is it our body that is more dependent on the bacteria that inhabit us, or do they exist thanks to us? Research on bacteria is ongoing, with many more discoveries to come for scientists. However, it is important to use the knowledge we already have.

To better understand the role of beneficial bacteria, we can imagine them as our own army that defends us against disease. If we take care of her on a daily basis, she will be our shield. Let's not destroy her by overusing drugs and antibiotics, drinking alcohol or excessive stress. Let us nourish our flora with what it likes best, i.e. unprocessed products that do not contain chemical additives. A proper diet is the basis for keeping the bacterial flora in good shape. Natural probiotics such as pickled vegetables such as cabbage, kefir and natural yoghurts, naturally ripened cheeses and cured meats - everything that our ancestors have eaten for centuries - are most important. Let us remember that it is from them that we inherited our microflora. From generation to generation, it is passed on by mothers to their children. This is why it is so important for women who are trying to have a baby to consciously compose their diet. After all, every mother wants to give her child the best.