Vitamins for LO?

[Lilly12]

Does my baby need any vitamins?

 

[kmac625]

If you are exclusively breastfeeding a vitamin D drop is recommended daily as it's apparently the only vitamin that there is very little of in breast milk.

 

[Lilly12]

Oh ok thnx.. From which age is it recommended ?

 

[MissMandieMitz]

My pediatrician recommended Poly Vi Sol drops at our 2 week checkup. He also recommended Iron Drops starting at 2 months.

We gave our LO the PVS drops and they seemed to make her really gassy and cranky so we stopped giving them.

 

[TigerLady]

Tri-Vi-Sol is often easier on them than Poly-Vi-Sol. Try that.

You give vit D (or something with vit D in it like those mentioned) from birth for as long as they are BFing or until they start taking a multi-vit as a toddler.

You can also make sure they get a bit of sunshine everyday so they can make vit D for themselves.

Some feel strongly that as long as mom has extra/enough vit D in her diet, baby doesn't need vit D.

So, it's up to you, really.

I've not heard of iron being recommended before. That is probably because breastmilk isn't loaded on iron. But baby has enough in stores to get them safely to 6-9 months before they need it in their diet. By then they should be eating enough solids that they get their iron that way.

 

[Lilly12]

I read that iron in breastmilk is better absorbable that formula.

Also I looked on kellymom n it says baby should b outside in sunlight/daylight for 2 hours a week to get enough vitamin D.
now we live in Florida n it's too hot/too sunny to take her outside just yet so I might get her some drops, will think about it thnx!

 

[TigerLady]

That is true about the iron in breastmilk. Which is why they probably don't need the supplements.

You can just make sure baby gets some indirect sun in the shade or through a window, too. They don't have to be in direct, blazing sun to make the vit D. Living in FL will actually be a help. Your baby probably makes enough vit D just because it is hard to get completely away from the sun there.

 

[Lilly12]

Cool, didn't know she could be in the window too!! Awesome

 

[summer rain]

The official advice from the UK government is that breastfeeding mums should take 10mcg of vitamin D a day as opposed to giving vitamin drops to babies (under six months), they have looked at studies including the main one used in the US to suggest giving vitamin supplements to breastfed babies of vit D and decided that mum taking it herself is more effective in some way.

 

[Surprise]

My pediatrician said to start giving him Vit. D drops when he was 2 months old. She said it wasn't transmitted through the milk. I can't be positive that she's right, but I do give him the drops anyway. It won't hurt, and Vit. D is great for the immune system. I've been taking 2000 or 3000 IU daily for 1.5 years, and haven't gotten sick the whole time.

 

[summer rain]

but taking too much vitamin D can be toxic;

https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d-toxicity/AN02008

the UK government's science peeps do think vit D is available via breastmilk and its safer for BF mums to take it directly, kellymom seems to agree somewhat

https://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d.html