I am so incredibly excited that my partner and I are going to be trying for bub number 2 in a matter of months! I love being a mother and I can’t wait to experience pregnancy again (minus the morning sickness). Just like my first pregnancy, I’m putting a lot of conscious effort into preparing my body for its most important role, as I want to give my baby the best start to life….and this begins in the womb.

Good gut health is imperative for making healthy babies and for optimal health in general, and although I’ve already done a lot of ground work on my gut and am a healthy person, I still haven’t felt the kind of vitality I know I should be feeling…and I finally now know why!

Before you continue reading, you might like to read this post of mine to give you some background info on why gut health is so important for pregnancy…

Bioscreen Faecal Microbial Analysis (FMA)

I’ve been wanting to do this extensive analysis for a number of years. It’s such a shame it’s so expensive ($495 for the full test that includes FMA plus parasite and yeasts testing). And then on top of that fee, you will need to budget for your practitioner fees and supplements – so you’re looking at around $1000+ per person.

I know, right.

I don’t mean to put you off though, so please continue reading! In my opinion, you can’t put a price on your health, however you certainly don’t need to do this test to make a healthy baby – there’s plenty of things you can do with your diet and lifestyle to create a healthy gut environment, I just 100% believe in the importance of Bioscreen testing.

So, what exactly is a Bioscreen FMA test you may be wondering!

Because it’s very technical and I’m unable to quote information from the Bioscreen website (the site is down unfortunately), I’m going to quote a very clear description that I found on the Remede website, which is a fantastic natural health clinic here in Perth.

Remede says…

“The extended Faecal microbiology performed by Bioscreen is very different and far more comprehensive than what your GP is likely to order when they order a stool test. Most GPs will order a Faecal Bacteriology and Parasitology test. This test looks for abnormal bacteria and parasites that should not be in the gut.

The Bioscreen test is a specialist test that cultures and counts the bacteria that should normally be in the gut – but should be there in the right amounts for a healthy gut microbiota.

Your body requires a host of microbial metabolities for its metabolism to function effectively. When these metaboloties are lacking, or alternatively, in excessive supply, body processes suffer and symptoms may result.

As the name suggests, the FMA (Faecal Microbial Analysis) is an extended investigation of the microscopic gut flora of the lower intestinal tract, which are collected from a faecal sample. Microbes from your sample are grown and the presence and actual quantities of faecal bacteria, both aerobes and anaerobes, and yeasts are identified.

If these microbes are significantly outside normal reference ranges an imbalance of the intestinal ecosystem, the microbiota, can be specifically identified. lntestinal dysbiosis has been reported in chronic pain & fatigue disorders including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Autism, ADHD, gastrointestinal disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as chronic infections and immune disorders and mood and neurological disorders.”

What My Test Results Revealed

For years now, I have always thought my gut issues were stemmed from parasite infections and systemic candida. Although I have had both of these in the past, my test results revealed no parasites and faecal yeasts within the normal percentage. I couldn’t believe it when I first read my report! As I continued to read through it, I saw that I have an overgrowth of the bacteria Enterococcus, an overgrowth of Lactobacillus and an undergrowth of Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Eubacterium, and all of these imbalances have contributed to my symptoms.

The reason I thought I still had candida is because I’ve been experiencing some common cognitive dysfunction symptoms associated with an overgrowth of candida, however an overgrowth of Enterococcus has very similar symptoms such as nervousness, memory loss, forgetfulness, confusion, mind going blank. I can’t tell you how much of a revelation this has been for me. I finally have answers and a gut protocol to fix it!

Another symptom I’ve been experiencing that has really caught me off guard as it’s just not me, is aggression. I’ve felt angry at times which is very, very unusual for me (and not so great for my partner who’s usually on the receiving end of this), and guess what imbalance this relates to? An overgrowth of Lactobacillus. Fascinating, huh?

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Something that’s really important to note here, and is one of the reasons I believe anyone looking to improve their gut health should invest in doing the Bioscreen test, is that not all “healthy” foods should be eaten by everyone. Namely, kombucha and fermented foods. I know what you’re probably thinking, “but fermented foods and drinks are filled with good gut bacteria, how could they be bad for you?” Well, for someone like myself who has an overgrowth of Lactobacillus, fermented foods are only adding more fuel to the fire as the cultures used in the fermenting process are usually very high in Lactobacillus!

Interesting, isn’t it?

In part 2, I’ll share with you some details of the gut protocol I’ll be following once I’ve fully weaned Chloe (you can’t detox and take antimicrobial herbs whilst breastfeeding), and how I’m feeling from it. I’m really happy to be working with Jeremy Princi from Holistic Lifestyler who is very experienced at interpreting a Bioscreen report, and I 100% recommend him.

Stay tuned.

P.S. Bioscreen Medical’s phone number is 03 9687 3355 and email is admin@bioscreenmedical.com