Do you take any vitamins etc when EBF

[Samraves]

Hi there,

I just wondered whether it would be a good idea or not and if I should just stick to taking calcium. I have been EBf for 6 weeks now and don't have much diary as I am a bit lactose intolerant. I hate takig tablets too- and can only take little ones... So any recommendations of small but good ones would be welcome

Thanks

I don't, but I think vitamin D is recommended as we don't get enough sunlight. Generally if you eat a good diet vitamins aren't necessary though.

I take calcium as don't really eat dairy (has Vit D in too), a Vit B multi=vitamin for energy and Vit C at the mo as we're all battling colds.

Only if I've been ill and not eaten properly. Then it's more for my benefit than DD's.

The food standards agency recommend taking vitamin D. I've started to take it recently, just because all of my finger nails started splitting and breaking. It seems to have helped.

I took a multi vitamin, but agree with point about vit D. DN broke his leg aged 18 months or so - SIL & BIL didn't even recall him falling. It was spring (ie after winter of not getting much sunlight) - he was BF at the time and couldn't eat dairy or eggs due to allergy. Turned out both him and SIL severely vit D deficient.

I'm still taking pregnacare multivitamin, as a back up because I don't always eat properly.

I take Pregnacare breastfeeding, with the omega 3 capsules, I consider it a safety net for when I forget to eat oily fish (DH won't eat fish) and that sort of thing. I think it's more about keeping yourself healthy, DS feeds a lot and I think it would take a lot out of me if I wasnt careful.

Oh and also for the folic acid. We're not TTC, but we are not trying not to either.

I take a general multivitamin as a backup to my diet. I think a Vit D supplement at least is recommended in winter.

Hi, here in France when EBF the GP runs blood tests at the 6 week check up to rule out anemia. Iron tablets are prescribed as a remedy AND as a low dosage to prevent anemia until the end of BF. Apparently BF depletes ones iron levels. Now I am not one for overmedicating but my previous doctor did not prescribe me iron and I was left feeling exhausted for months/years with my second DC.

I take nothing - on the grounds women have been BF'ing for centuries without vitamin pills. Not even vit D as me and DD get hours of daylight/sunlight even in winter.

I've recently started taking vit D and giving it to my DCs too. Lots of people dismiss it as unecessary, but actually in Winter even if you do get lots of sunlight the sunshine is not strong enough in the UK for your body to manufacture vit D. In this country we rely on building up enough in the summer months to see us through the winter. I think SACN are looking at this issue again, but their last update on it is here.

Hi, I take pregnacare's multivitamin for breastfeeding. I also eat lots of spinach, watercress/ brocolli, pumpkin seeds. sunflower seeds and raisins for extra vits/ energy.I've been BF for 2.5yrs. Get low before periods, all burns up sooo much energy.