EBF 4 month old... Doctor said to start iron supplement?

[Pearls18]

Perhaps you could take supplements yourself if you're worried you're not getting enough in your own diet to ensure your milk is best quality, as it is known better diets make better milk but they don't like to emphasise it too much to add more pressure on us lol! That is a purely non-medical, inexperienced opinion before anyone gets slammed for taking advice from someone like me, but just an idea!

 

[Amalee]

I'm still taking my prenatal, which contains iron, and a fish oil supplement everyday! And I definitely have my moments where I just need a bowl of ice cream, but overall I eat pretty well.

 

[Kiwiberry]

Look, all I am saying is that studies have shown that solely BF babies have a higher rate of anemia than that of non solely BF babies - and that is the reason they recommend iron supplements. People in general seem to think that they know better than medical professionals who have had years of schooling and training. I just don't understand why people think that these people who dedicate years of their life to becoming medical professionals would deliberately recommend something that would harm your child. I suppose there is really not much more to say than that as most people clearly aren't willing to take a look and realize that it might just actually be for the benefit of the child.

 

[Pearls18]

Look, all I am saying is that studies have shown that solely BF babies have a higher rate of anemia than that of non solely BF babies - and that is the reason they recommend iron supplements. People in general seem to think that they know better than medical professionals who have had years of schooling and training. I just don't understand why people think that these people who dedicate years of their life to becoming medical professionals would deliberately recommend something that would harm your child. I suppose there is really not much more to say than that as most people clearly aren't willing to take a look and realize that it might just actually be for the benefit of the child.

If it was as black and white as that all countries and professionals would give the same advice. I totally know what you're saying but we also have to educate ourselves and in this day in age I don't think the medical profession are as in tune with BF as they make out, you only have to see the mish mash of advice from professionals on this website to see that. All the OP is doing is scoping out what everyone else has been told and does, if it wasn't for this website I wouldn't have known my home birth team were misinformed to tell me I wouldn't eligible for home birth, I would have thought I should have weaned at 4 months as that is what my dr told me to do, I wouldn't have known about CMPI which my son has now been diagnosed with thanks to getting different opinions on here, my GP was calling it reflux. Absolutely we should not be taking medical advice from people on the Internet, but how about we give the OP a little more credit in knowing she's just getting a feel for what the norm is, internationally taking into consideration what her dr has said also.

 

[BunnyN]

Funnily enough coming from the other side I had never heard of routinely giving iron suppliments to a BF baby at 4 months until I read about it from "random people on the internet" lol. Clearly medical advice on things like this differ from doctor to doctor and country to country. Also advice that was given a few years ago is not always the same as the advice now, advice can change. It can't hurt to find inform yourself about the different opinions out there and make your own choice with the information available. After all no one cares more about what is best for their own child than his/her parents. Of course doctors are well educated but they simply don't have time to be up to date and an expert on every subject so give advice based on what they believe will do the greatest good and the least harm for the most people. An informed parent might make a different choice for their child based on their own research and circumstance. At the end of the day we all just want what is best for our children. Sharing opinions and information can be helpful there isn't really a need to attack another parents choices or opinions.

 

[Kiwiberry]

I did become well informed, and did my own research. My view on this subject is still the same as when it started. It's not that hard to find information about it if you take the time to look. One of the first things I came across when looking into it was actually on the gerber website and specifically about 4 month old babies.

I am not talking about hear say from random people. I am referring to people listening to random people without looking into it themselves as well. There is clearly a difference than just blindly believing everything people say just because you read it. Or perpetuating the opinions of others as your own just because you read it. When 90% of the time the sources you are reading it from is flawed because they don't actually have an informed opinion and is usually based on their own circumstances or the circumstances of their family and friends. Which can vary from person to person just like from doctor to doctor.

 

[BunnyN]

Funnily enough coming from the other side I had never heard of routinely giving iron suppliments to a BF baby at 4 months until I read about it from "random people on the internet" lol. Clearly medical advice on things like this differ from doctor to doctor and country to country. Also advice that was given a few years ago is not always the same as the advice now. It can't hurt to find inform yourself about the different opinions out there and make your own choice with the information available. After all no one cares more about what is best for their own child than his/her parents. Of course doctors are well educated but they simply don't have time to be up to date and an expert on every subject so give advice based on what they believe will do the greatest good and the least harm for the most people. An informed parent might make a different choice for their child based on their own research and circumstance. At the end of the day we all just want what is best for our children. Sharing opinions and information can be helpful there isn't really a need to attack another parents choices or oppinions.

 

[SarahBear]

(only read first post) I was not given that advice and frankly, I wouldn't take the advice. I started Violet on solids at just short of 6 months. She was showing interest in food and I was excited to start feeding her, so I didn't wait until 6 months exactly. I made a point of feeding her foods with good nutrition and not just fruits and vegetables which they can't really digest. I started with things like meat and eggs. Believe it or not, the right meats are very easy for babies to eat and are much more digestible than fruits and veggies which they have a terrible time digesting. Her first food was salmon which is a perfect baby food. She also had some fruits like avocado and banana which despite my previous statement, are also excellent baby foods. She also ate egg and cheese. I did do things like strawberries and kiwi, but even she at the time, preferred meat, cheese, and eggs. Her iron levels were tested at 9 months and if she had been deficient then, we would have been given diet advice and maybe a supplement.

OK, now that' I've typed all that, I do remember iron drops being recommended by WIC... but now I can't remember how old Violet was! I also can't remember whether or not the pediatrician recommended them... We never did give them to her though.

 

[SarahBear]

Perhaps you could take supplements yourself if you're worried you're not getting enough in your own diet to ensure your milk is best quality, as it is known better diets make better milk but they don't like to emphasise it too much to add more pressure on us lol! That is a purely non-medical, inexperienced opinion before anyone gets slammed for taking advice from someone like me, but just an idea!

Taking iron yourself, won't help your baby since iron doesn't really pass through breastmilk.

 

[MommyJogger]

I am flabbergasted that anyone could consider the website of the baby food company that produces iron supplements and cereals and formulas, profits considerably from the iron myth, and contains not a single cited source to be a better source of information than a cited article by an IBCLC, an international breastfeeding expert, and specifically the AAP Section on Breastfeeding (who expressed specific concern that a pub in Pediatrics would confuse medical providers into recommending it at 4 mo, specifically citing that routine supplementation could be bad for the population).

 

[JenX]

Our pediatrician recommended supplementing iron as my LO was very slow to eat much. We waited until 7 months to wean and did baby-led weaning with regular food, turkey was her first food. She wasn't a big eater- still isn't, but I had the same reservations about iron supplementation. I had them test her (finger prick test was done right in the office and results took about 5 minutes) and her levels were perfect.

As my very wise Lactation Consultant says, any intervention has the potential to require more interventions. Such as iron supplements can cause constipation, requiring treatment, and so on. One of the moms in my breastfeeding group was pressured into supplementing iron with her oldest child and it stained her teeth. She found out later that it hadn't even been needed.

The link that MommyJogger posted to the Kellymom page on iron is really informative. I was going to post that but glad she beat me to it.