My story with Evivo
Hi mamas! Thanks for coming by! It’s Lindsey Shipley, RN, IBCLC, Lactation Link founder and today I’m excited to tell you all about the infant probiotic I ended up using with my baby boy. First, being the RN and Board-Certified Lactation Consultant that I am, I had to research it! Once I believe in it, I recommended it to my clients. Then, I used it with my sweet baby Blake. Here are the details.
How I learned about it
I found out about Evivo Health back in 2017 when they launched in the U.S. Trust me, I’ve been told about LOTS of baby products and most of them don’t make it past a first glance with me or our team. After all, I’m a big believer that there’s not a lot you NEED in terms of STUFF to be ready for a baby. As long as you feel educated, supported, and armed with resources, you are good to go!
However, I was able to attend a presentation to learn more about the science behind Evivo, and I was instantly so intrigued by it! I learned as much as I could and then I sent the science off to my team of Lactation Consultants to review and weigh in on (you can rest assured you are never consuming just one person’s opinion – it’s all peer-reviewed by several experts!). Let me tell you, that group is brutal honesty! They all agreed that the science was amazing and this could be a great addition to laying the very best foundation for baby’s health from day one.
Isn’t breastmilk perfect by itself?
There’s no question that breastmilk is baby’s perfect first food and that each mother’s milk composition is uniquely matched with her infant’s needs. It’s such a dynamic food source! It’s full of antibodies to help protect baby against infection. It’s also made up of anti-parasites, anti-allergies, and anti-viruses to protect and start to build baby’s immune system. Breastmilk is often called “liquid gold” because every last drop is valuable and impactful for baby’s health. We don’t want any of it going to waste or not being absorbed! That’s where Evivo comes in.
About 15% of the nutrients in breastmilk are comprised of something called Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs), and without certain good bacteria being present in the infant gut, these HMOs are completely undigestible and often are pooped out in baby’s diaper. This is like 15% of the magical goodness of breastmilk going to waste! So how can we make sure baby gets all and just not some of the nutrients breastmilk has to offer? Unlocking those Human Milk Oligosaccharides with the right good bacteria. It’s called B. infantis.
Why wouldn’t my baby already have the good bacteria B. infantis present in their gut?
The good bacteria B. infantis used to be passed on to babies during childbirth, but due to the rise of medical interventions over the past 100 years, nine of out ten babies lack B. infantis in their gut today. So breastmilk is definitely perfect, but we want this amazing B. infantis to help unlock all of the nutrients.
Using it with baby Blake
My third baby was the first one I had the chance of using Evivo with. I actually ordered it a few weeks before I was due and kept it in the freezer. I took it with me to the hospital and had the nurses keep it in the fridge. I started giving it to Blake on day one! It’s so easy to use. Here are a few things to keep in mind about using it!
Each serving comes in individual packets that should be kept in the fridge or freezer and taken out just before use.
How to use:
- You open the packet and put it in the included “mixing bowl”.
- You add 5ml of breastmilk (I just hand expressed some!, we talk all about how and when to use hand expression in our Confident Breastfeeding Course).
- You mix it and then draw it up in the syringe (I just usually used the syringe to mix it).
You can feed it to your baby in a “finger feeding” method like this:
I have been able to use Evivo daily with Blake. I would just recommend setting a daily reminder to give it as mom life gets busy! Even when I had to unexpectedly wean Blake at 30 days postpartum due to cancer treatment, I have continued using Evivo even when I had to switch to formula.
Who is it for?
The first six months of a baby’s life are especially crucially for laying a foundation of their gut health. The science behind Evivo is specifically for breastfed infants. However, many formula feeding moms have reported using Evivo and found it to be helpful with reducing diaper rash, minimizing eczema (keep in mind these are anecdotal stories).
I’m not planning on having a c-section, do I need this?
Even when you have a vaginal delivery, chances are you don’t have B. infantis present in your good bacteria, so you won’t be able to pass it to baby through the birth canal when they are born. So whether you deliver via vaginal birth or c-section, your baby can benefit from using Evivo.
How can I try it?
Evivo offers a starter kit that comes with the packets of probiotic, the mixing bowl, and the syringe. After you get that, you can just order refills! We’ve partnered with Evivo to get you $10 off your order using this link.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about your baby’s gut health, let me know if you have questions below!
Always rooting for you!
Xo, Lindsey Shipley, RN, IBCLC
This post is in partnership with Evivo Health. All opinions expressed are my own. Sources cited below.
References:
- Smilowitz JT, Lebrilla CB, Mills DA et al. Breast milk oligosaccharides: structure-function relationships in the neonate. Annu Rev Nutr. 2014;34:143-169.
- Data on file, Evolve BioSystems, Inc.
- Vatanen T, Kostic AD, d’Hennezel E et al. Variation in microbiome LPS immunogenicity contributes to autoimmunity in humans. Cell. 2016;165(4):842-853.
- Pammi M, Cope J, Tarr PI et al. Intestinal dysbiosis in preterm infants preceding necrotizing enterocolitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Microbiome. 2017;5(1):31.
- Smilowitz JT, Moya J, Breck MA et al. Safety and tolerability of Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis EVC001 supplementation in healthy term breastfed infants: a phase I clinical trial. BMC Pediatr. 2017;17(1):133. doi: 10.1186/s12887-017-0886-9.
6. Gura T. Nature’s first functional food. Science. 2014;345(6198):747-749.