HV just told me my supply will dwindle from 6 months

[Queenkong]

Just wanted to check that's not true. Understand the principle of DS eating more solids, so demanding less milk and my supply reducing because of that, but that wasn't what she meant. She said I needed to get vitamin drops (know this is true) as my supply will dwindle from 6 months. Just wanted to check, as am planning on doing BLW so DS probably won't be eating substantial amounts of solids for a while.

What bollocks!

No, you are totally right. You will make as much as he demands.

Afaik you only need vitamin d and even then only in specific circumstances.

All breastfed babies are recommended to have vitamin drops from 6 months, mostly I believe due to vitamin D (it's difficult to get enough vitamin D from diet alone). It is already added to formula which is why ffed babies don't need extra drops.

Nothing to do with your supply though, the HV sounds confused.

Its not true. DS didn't drop any feeds at all until he was 9 months old, and as I was expressing at work, I know I was able to get the same amount. And I had plenty of milk till he stopped bfing at 23 months.

The vitamin drops is at your choice, but nothing to do with quantity of bm declining

you're correct, she's woefully misinformed. Especially in case of BLW (whose motto= under one, just for fun) your LO will be experimenting with a bit of food, not having BLTs and going off the breast.
have you got a local breastfeeding cafe or la leche league meeting? bit of moral support might be nice!

Actually looking here www.nhs.uk/Planners/birthtofive/Pages/Vitamins.aspx - it looks like the DoH recommendation is all children aged 6 months to 5 years should get vitamin A,C and D daily - unless they are having more than 500ml of formula a day.

Hmmmmm, I wonder what mothers without access to formula around the world do to feed their children "once their supply starts to dwindle at 6 months"?

What an ill informed person.

i've read about vitamin drops but my 3rd baby is 9months and i've never been told by any hv's about giving them, and i haven't given them to any of my babies (but my older 2 did have at least 1 bottle of formula from 7months).

i'm not planning on giving them, there are only a few vitamins in the drops and my baby eats a varied enough diet, and gets enough natural daylight for vitamin d i reckon.

It didn't feel that way to me, and DD was also BLW and didn't eat that much until she was close to one.

I suppose my breasts felt a little less 'full' but no indication that DD wasn't getting enough, and her weight gain stayed exactly on centile.

I confess I didn't bother with the vitamin drops because what DD did eat was almost solely fruit and veg and (as well as 6oz formula as she was mixed fed) I didn't feel she needed them.

Dear oh dear.....did she really say this???

Yes she did I'm afraid. I thought it was rubbish but I'm glad I checked. One day, she'll give me some good advice...

It is actually quite difficult for babies to get enough Vit D from normal daylight exposure in this country especially in winter when the sun is weaker, and especially if baby is covered in sunscreen (in summer obviously) or wrapped up with gloves/snowsuit/blankets/hat etc. So please do think about giving drops :) And it is also recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women take them too.

It is not just rickets you're preventing, vit D also seems to have some role in the immune system and has been linked to diseases like flu, TB and even MS.

What an idiot.

PS. You don't get Vit D from fruit and veg ;)

Will definitely give him the drops. Was just worried about my supply as I wasn't planning on giving him formula but know it takes a while for babies to actually start eating anything substantial.

If you feed him, you will make milk.
It's a symbiotic supply and demand thing.

Sorry, not directed at you OP, didn't make that clear!!

Bollocks.
I still feed dd2 and 3 (14m and 2.3y) and my supply is as good as ever. If you feed then your body makes milk.

She is giving bad advice and it could put someone off and onto formula. DD3 actually drank more off me at 6m as she wasn't interested in food at all. She is very healthy and doing well

My 18 month old virtually lives on breastmilk - not a big eater at all - and has managed to maintain her centile on the dreaded growth chart - my supply hasn't dwindled a bit. I think it's common to find it harder to express later on down the line (if you aren't used to expressing) though that's not a problem I have either. Very wrong of HV to say this - amazing what ignorance abounds - my Aunt told my Mum that after a year BM is just like water, no goodness left - my dd is doing pretty well on water then :)

WRT to vitamin drops - have BF 3 babies and never given them or been advised to.

So I've read a few posts tonight and so far we've had some right corkers from HVs!

• One woman was told she was not making enough milk because her calorie intake was too low.

-someone else was told they were being too active so their body was not concentrating on making milk.

Oh my oh my, is there no end to the rubbish that spouts from the lips of these health professionals?

Has this HV fed a baby past 6 months herself?

Your supposed to give a breastfed baby vitamin drops? DS is 15 months and I haven't noticed a dwindling of supply yet.