Vitamin D drops for breastfed babies

[Focusfocus]

Hi all

I reached the earlier end of full term today and am thinking about something to do with Vitamin D.

I am Indian and have dark skin and spent 23 years of my life growing up in the searing heat of tropical India. A few years after my move to the UK for higher education I developed very very low mood - about the age of 28, and fatigue and just complete blahness. The NHS then did a blood test and found that my Vitamin D levels, had, over those 5 years away from the tropics - fallen to a level that was actually - off the charts.

The docs put me on massively high doses of Vitamin D - as in - huge amounts. In 3 months they tested again and it came to within the range but not at all optimal. Since then, over the past 2 years, I have been on a higher than usual dose of 1000 IU daily (25 ug) including during pregnancy. I have been asked to never fall from this unless I move back to the tropics, which I wont.

I last got tested about 9 months ago just when I conceived. Well the levels were still very borderline on the lowest end of the normal range - nowhere near optimal. In fact in some labs they would be considered lower than the normal range.

Now baby to be - is half Indian, half white Caucasian. I have plans to EBF and come from an EBF family/culture in India. But my family didnt have these depleted reserves as they continue to live their and babies there grow up rolling about in the sun.

I can see the guidelines are for babies to get a D supplement from 6 months. but considering - despite my best efforts over the last few years my own levels continue to crawl at a dissatisfactory level - would it be prudent to give baby Vitamin D drops for infants from an earlier age if he is EBF?

has anyone done that or been in a similar position? If so what drops did you use and from how early on? I've been looking at WellBaby D drops and DDrops.

Thanks for any advice! If there is someone else I could ask and explain my specific situation to, let me know.

[Skiptonlass]

It's standard practice here (Sweden) due to the latitude. We get only a few hours of daylight a day in winter and even that is twilighty.

I've got my one week checkup tomorrow, I'll ask the midwife what she recommends :) I think they are free here...

[tiktok]

Speak to your midwife, focus. Yes, in your situation vit d might well be prudent. They can be prescribed, therefore free to pg women and postnatal women to a year.

[Skiptonlass]

Yup, got the drops. Any reputable brand is fine :)

Getting them from spoon to baby is .... Challenging ;)

[Focusfocus]

Thanks! I spoke to my colleagues in Norway, Denmark, Germany all of whom said this was mandatory from soon after birth, so thought it would be that way for Sweden too.

[BumWad]

Makes sense. My 4 month old DS is also Indian/Caucasian. He is however on dalavit drops as he was born at 32 weeks as is currently mixed fed.