In today's podcast Belinda Reynolds takes us through the changing understanding of how the human microbiome is seeded from birth to infancy and beyond. It was previously understood that a baby was born relatively sterile, and was exposed to microbes as a result of the birth process; however, newer evidence has emerged that points to a pathway that translocates bacteria directly from the mother's gut and delivers it into the foetal environment, making the health of the mother's gut an important factor in the adequate maturation of infant microbial diversity even prior to birth and breastfeeding. Belinda also explores the various treatment options for optimising microbial diversity.