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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To force vitamin 'drops' on baby if she hates them?

98 replies

Mummyofmay2020 · 17/08/2020 20:36

Drops in "" as they come with a syringe and it's more like a teaspoon dose (so false advertising from Wellbaby) but yes, LO absolutely dreads them and she's only 7 months. She firmly presses her lips shut and pulls away and I feel bad persisting. Should I try disguise in her food (but dont want her to go off her food) or switch to vit d drops only? Or any other recommendations?

OP posts:
Happyheartlovelife · 18/08/2020 09:37

Oh god. My HV made me give my daughter abidec

It was awful. She hated it. I hated giving it. But because she was my first. I persisted!!!

When I finally gave up and let go of the guilt. Oh my gosh. The weight that came off

It's up to you. But my daughter was very premature. And I still didn't use them

She's one of the healthiest of her whole year!

Happyheartlovelife · 18/08/2020 09:38

Healthy start is very good!

We had these after the abidec. Brilliant!

TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 18/08/2020 09:40

I was told to give vitamins to DS1 (16) so its not a new thing. I was also told not to buy them as they were provided free by the HV. She almost never had them in stock so I never gave them.

I was never told to with DS2 (13) so didn't.

IwishIwasyoda · 18/08/2020 09:42

I just used the vitamin D drops called Drops. 1 drop on or in food. No taste. Be aware Abidec contains peanut oil.

The NHS website says all babies need vitamin D - vitamin A &C less clear cut as really depends if baby is eating a varied diet. Mine was.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/vitamins-for-children/

Orchidsindoors · 18/08/2020 09:42

I really dont think they are necessary for a healthy baby. I wouldnt have felt comfortable giving that to my child.

Orchidsindoors · 18/08/2020 09:45

"The NHS website says all babies need vitamin D - vitamin A &C less clear cut as really depends if baby is eating a varied diet. Mine was."

Why though? Have there been lots of babies ill from not having it? Think of all those babies round the world who dont get told to take it? Are they all dropping like flies? No, of course not.

dementedpixie · 18/08/2020 09:51

Vitamin D is especially important as at certain times of the year the wavelength of the sun rays are not enough for your body to make it so lots of people can be deficient. Also supposed to be beneficial when it comes to helping against respiratory infections. Vitamin D (lack of) may also be linked to MS

Heyha · 18/08/2020 09:57

Lots of anti-vitamin ideas here, I'm curious- why wouldn't you? Leave aside cost (although healthy start are cheap if you can get to where you can get them), of something is recommended by the NHS based on up to date info, what would make you say no thanks? I'm not fishing for an argument, each to their own is my view, but I'm curious what is off-putting about supplementing?

BigRedBoat · 18/08/2020 10:01

Most people in the uk (children and adults) don't get enough vitamin d from their diet and the sunshine and should take a supplement, vit d drops were recommended when my oldest was born (nearly 6 years ago) so this isn't a new thing.

Livpool · 18/08/2020 10:05

I used to add them to yoghurt or porridge when DS was that age

ChurchOfWokeApostate · 18/08/2020 10:08

It’s interesting that it’s the breastfed babies that need the top up, I’d have instinctively thought it would be the other way round.
Mine were both FF, so maybe that’s why I’d not heard of it. My youngest is nearly 10 now though, so maybe wasn’t as big a thing then

OfaFrenchmind2 · 18/08/2020 10:09

Lots of anti-vitamin ideas here, I'm curious- why wouldn't you?
Anti-Vits are the new Anti-Vaxxs, dontcha know?

dementedpixie · 18/08/2020 10:09

Formula fed babies don't need them until intake drops below 500mls as Formula has it added already

JacobReesMogadishu · 18/08/2020 10:11

dd is 20yo and back then we were told to give vitamin drops especially if b/f. Used abidec.

FoxtrotSkarloey · 18/08/2020 10:14

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ.

dementedpixie · 18/08/2020 10:16

my kids are 13 and 16 and advice was to give them. I remember them having bassets gummy chews from age 3ish

Orchidsindoors · 18/08/2020 10:19

"I'm not fishing for an argument, each to their own is my view, but I'm curious what is off-putting about supplementing"

I just dont see the need, and it sounds weird to give your baby something they dont need. How do you know it's not doing some harm to them? I've taken vitamins myself over the years, never felt they made any difference what so ever and more often than not they would give me a bad stomach. It just feels so wrong to me. I'm wondering if this why in the 50s, the trend was to wrap up babies and out them outside in the pram for their sleep, to get the benefit of sunshine.

LivingoffCoffee · 18/08/2020 10:28

I just dont see the need, and it sounds weird to give your baby something they dont need.

But it's been found that there is a need, because children (and adults) in the UK don't get enough Vitamin D, particularly. And a lack of vitamin D has an impact on other areas of health including diabetes and MS.

LivingoffCoffee · 18/08/2020 10:32

@Orchidsindoors you shouldn't take vitamins on an empty stomach. That would cause an upset stomach.

Whatawankbucket · 18/08/2020 10:39

I use abidec, dependant on how you feel but the only way i got my ds and dd to take them was by diluting them with cordial to mask the horrid taste! I did that from about age 1.

Orchidsindoors · 18/08/2020 10:40

"But it's been found that there is a need, because children (and adults) in the UK don't get enough Vitamin D, particularly. And a lack of vitamin D has an impact on other areas of health including diabetes and MS."

Only because people dont get their babies outside in the sunshine enough. They dont test babies for vitamin d levels, so how do they know? It's not been proven when people get these diseases later in life it's because they didnt have enough vitamins as a baby. There would be no way of proving that, as they dont know what their levels were as a baby. Its also been said you can get ill if you have an overload of vitamins. I'd just rather get my kids out in the sunshine.

Orchidsindoors · 18/08/2020 10:41

32LivingoffCoffee

"@Orchidsindoorsyou shouldn't take vitamins on an empty stomach. That would cause an upset stomach."

I never did. I always followed the instructions. Then I realised they werent doing anything, so stopped wasting my money.

dementedpixie · 18/08/2020 10:43

sunshine isn't always enough especially during the months of November to March (I think) where the wavelength is not enough to make the body produce vitamin D. Plus using suncream blocks those rays too.

dementedpixie · 18/08/2020 10:45

Just looked it up - end September to early April you dont get it from the sun

sewinginscotland · 18/08/2020 10:49

@orchidsindoors There has been an increase in rickets - especially here in Scotland as you pretty much only get vit D from the sun between April and September, which is in short supply. That's why everyone (including adults) are now recommended to have vitamin D, and the vitamin C is to help the uptake of vitamin D.

People are more cautious about being in the sun without suncream on - I know my DS can burn on even an overcast day - so they aren't getting enough from the sun alone as the suncream blocks the good stuff as well as the bad. It's much safer to wear suncream while out and take vit D in drops.

Yes, lots of babies will be fine without it, but all the rules and guidance are to try and prevent the ones that aren't. You might disagree with the guidance, but it's there for a reason, based on more research than 'my children have been fine'.

No help here on how to get them to take it, DS lapped up the vitamins from a syringe from day 1.