Every year around this time, I start to notice a pattern — I call it “the probiotic time of year.” What do I mean by that? It’s when I hear from lots of families telling me their previously perfect sleeper — baby or toddler — has suddenly started waking during the night or rising far too early in the morning.
When I send them my famous list of questions to get to the bottom of the issue, a common theme emerges:
What usually happens next is this: someone — a doctor, chemist or friend — suggests taking a probiotic to “support gut health” after antibiotics. While that may work well for some, I want to remind you that I tend to hear from the families for whom it hasn’t worked.
In case after case, I find that either:
And again and again, once we remove the probiotic — within 48 hours — we have a happy, settled baby sleeping soundly again.
An interesting perspective I read from a children’s hospital stuck with me. They said choosing a probiotic should be like choosing a puppy — you wouldn’t just go out and buy one without doing your research. You’d look into the breed, their temperament, needs, and how they’ll fit into your family. It’s the same with probiotics. You need to know:
Which strain you’re giving,
Probiotics do have their place — particularly in special care nurseries where specific strains may help with weight gain or gut support in premature or unwell babies. I’m not saying never to use them — but those probiotics are carefully chosen and used under medical supervision.
For most families, probiotics are not prescribed — they’re usually recommended by a well-meaning friend, chemist, or even a GP. But unless you’re really clear on the strain, its purpose, and how much to give, I suggest proceeding with caution.
I truly believe that in years to come, we may look back at the widespread use of probiotics in babies — particularly in infant formula — and regret it.
We’ve seen it before: a parenting trend becomes the norm, only to later be reconsidered when more research emerges. I believe probiotics might become one of those trends we question.
Think about this: a probiotic supplement is usually designed to be taken once or twice a day. But if your baby is drinking infant formula with added probiotics — and is feeding 8 to 10 times in a 24-hour period — how much probiotic are they actually getting? That’s a lot more than the intended amount.
If your baby’s sleep has taken a turn for the worse and they (or you) are taking probiotics, it may be worth cutting them out and seeing if things improve.
I do not recommend infant formulas with added probiotics. The formula I recommend is A2 Platinum. If you’re wondering why I don’t recommend A2 Gold, I’ve written a blog post explaining why — click here to read it.
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