6m+ mums - do you give your LO vitamin supplements?

[x Helen x]

Hi there!

So Chloe is almost 10 months now (geez, where did that time go?!) and we are still breastfeeding (yey!).

My Health Visitor suggested that Chloe should be having vitamin D supplements. She said that I could get them from the Chemist but all they seem to have is the multivitamin type ones.

I must admit I feel a bit weird about giving her a multivitamin... I like to believe that breast milk is "perfect" and contains everything your baby could ever need up to a year old? Am I wrong?

My parents are going on holiday to France next week and I have asked them to pick me up some Vitamin D drops (they sell them over there), just wanted to see what everyone else was doing and whether or not you consider it to be important?

 

[summer rain]

Asda sell vitamin D alone in drops, it's really cheap, £1 or £2. I believe the drops sold in france have half the daily amount advised here. However whether your baby needs vitamin D supplements depends on a number of factors, whether you take vitamin D yourself, how much outdoor time during daylight hours you get, and where you live in the UK. There is some debate about whether those in places north of Birmingham can get enough vit D from sunlight alone though this wouldn't affect you as you're in the South East. I take a high dose vitamin D myself and only really concentrate on giving them vitamins from about the age of two when they can have chewable tablets. All my boys are strong and healthy xx

 

[Here_we_go]

I don't give any supplements. I take a multivitamin and a DHA pill plus with us taking daily walks in the evenings, I figure she's getting plenty of vitamin D.

I was told to give a vitamin supplement as well but then again, I was also told that I needed to supplement with formula I switched drs

My daughter was in the 90% for her weight, 40% and 41% for height and head cir. at her last dr appointment. I figure the boob is doing her just fine

EDIT: I did give my son chewable vitamins when he was a toddler like summer rain said. He went through an awful picky eating phase.

 

[Scally]

I started giving her abidec at 6 months as that was what my HV recommended x

 

[Srbjbex]

I give LO wellkid vitamin liquid and have done since 6 months as advised by the department of health. I'm happy for him to have this in addition to breast milk and his solids....my logic is it can't do any harm, and some days lo eats lots, sometimes not, but I know he is getting what he needs either way!

 

[staralfur]

Nope. She spends most of the day outside so gets plenty of natural light. Maybe in the winter if her doctor recommends it.

 

[Janers]

I stopped giving my LO vitamin D once we started spending time outside. I'm not sure if that is the right decision or not, but it seems right to me!

She HAS to take iron supplements, after her hemoglobin dropped so low we landed in the hospital at 5 months. So I feel like one supplement is enough for her little body.

 

[minties]

No. Not because I am particularly against them, but it's not something we do here that I am aware of (New Zealand). I asked my public health nurse and she raised her eyebrows and was all "huh...?".

 

[blake12336]

I don't, I take a multivitamin myself though. Would LO be getting any benefit from that through bfing?

 

[Fortune Cooki]

I'm in the U.S. and my pediatrician told me to supplement Vit. D starting right after birth! Ugh, I feel like it may be another conspiracy to sell more stuff. The most common Vit. D drop here is made by Enfamil.

 

[x Helen x]

Thanks for you input ladies!

From what the HV was saying to me, some vitamins pass through the breast milk more easily than others. I think she said that certain vitamins like A, B, C etc will pass through the milk in adequate quantities but vitamin D only passes through in very small quantities which isn't sufficient enough for them? This was only the word of the HV so please don't hold me to it! lol

I also take a multivitamin (Pregnacare breastfeeding) but was told this wasn't enough?

Thanks for the tip about Asda selling vit D, I'll take a look!

 

[summer rain]

Vitamin D does pass through in small amounts in comparison to your intake however if your intake is dramatically increased then so would the amount getting through to baby. The amount needed? Well it depends on which study you go by. It's also a fat soluble vitamin meaning it can be stored by the body for up to three years xx