A temporary goodbye

To some it may sound strange, but since I knew I was pregnant I often fell back on the experiences and knowledge I gained then and during my studies in animal science.

Getting the best start…

For instance, when I approach it from a feed angle, I think of what I learned when I started studying agriculture. I learned that the first period of a new born animal is critical. If you give them a good start, they will benefit from it for the rest of their lives. How to give them this best start in life?

Inherits intestinal flora from the mother

A healthy gut seems the answer. Intestines not only digest feed, but are also a very important part of the immune system and there is even a connection between the gut and the brain. Intestinal health of the newborn starts with the mother, since the newborn inherits the intestinal flora from the mother. This applies to both animals and humans, and that’s what makes me obediently take my vitamins and probiotics every day and minimise stress.

Nesting

To take it one step further, it seems that we humans, like animals, also need time to create “the nest”. Back in the days, on the farm I saw animals gathering nesting material and retreating to a quiet place. Humans get the obsessive urge to clean the house and start washing baby clothes, all to create the perfect and cosy home for the baby.

Having that said, you’ll now know what I‘ll be doing the next weeks, since my maternity leave is about to start. It’s hard to let go of All About Feed for a while, but there is a great back-up team that will ensure everything will continue as usual. For any questions or request you can always reach out to one of my colleague editors and they will pass the message to the right person.

I‘ll be back in January 2022, and who knows, the knowledge I gain as a new mom may provide new insights and thoughts for All About Feed, like the animals on the farm did in the past.

For now a temporary goodbye, see you next year.