vitamins after 6 months and bfing? how?

11 replies

barelyutterly · 09/12/2011 23:33

DD just turned 6 months and has been trying solid food now for a couple of weeks. We are BLW and she's totally keen and turning into a happy little eater. However she's still getting probably 80% of her calories from bfing and will be having lots of feeds for the foreseeable future I think. I'm not planning to use formula so she needs baby vitamin supplements, from what I've read.

The question is how? So far I've tried mixing with milk, mixing with water, giving it straight-up... all have been met with looks of disgust, outright refusal to drink or just plain spitting it back out.

What do other people do, what works best?

OP posts:

shuckleberryfinn · 09/12/2011 23:39

Not giving vitamins. Not sure why you'd need them. Your milk is designed for your baby. Vitamin supplements are younger than the human race and so... ( or I'm a lazy cow and can't be arsed to buy them)

HappyCamel · 09/12/2011 23:44

The main reason bf babies need them is for iron. Letting her chew on iron rich food eg steak will help.

DD refused vitamin drops initially but I started giving her very weak fruit juice in a Nuby or Doidy cup with her meal (vit c helps iron absorption). Then I got the Vitabiotics drops and put a teaspoon's worth in her Nuby (sippy) cup and diluted with boiling water and then topped up with cold until it's lukewarm. She drinks that throughout the day with her meals and snacks. DD is now 8mo

JumpinJellyBeansOnToast · 09/12/2011 23:59

The human race didn't use to live indoors all the time and rickets were a common problem before formula came along. The reason the drops are needed is because babies need vitamin D and we just don't get enough sun in the UK for them to manufacture it naturally especially in winter. Have you tried mixing it with something sweet like pear purée? I know you are doing BLW but a spoonful of pear purée usually hides most things.

MissMarjoribanks · 10/12/2011 00:04

I didn't bother. DS was and is a brilliant eater so I just didn't think it was necessary. If he hadn't been I might have taken a different view.

lilham · 10/12/2011 00:13

Which one have you got? I found abidec easiest because you only have to give 0.3ml. I use the included syringe and DD is definitely not impressed. I get it from boots btw.

Original poster

barelyutterly · 11/12/2011 21:13

Thanks for the responses. We're using WellKid brand. I've tasted it myself and it's not terrible but certainly not very nice.

I will definitely try the pear puree idea, or diluting it in more water and giving it to her throughout the day!

OP posts:

lilham · 12/12/2011 12:04

I've got a bottle of well kid in my cupboard. No way I can get 2.5ml in as my DD is a spoon refuser. She screams blue murder with calpol and nurofen in syringe. If you don't have luck in purees, give abidec a go instead.

witchwithallthetrimmings · 12/12/2011 12:13

not necesarry imo, breast milk does not contain at lot of iron but what it does have is easily absorbed, unclear how much of iron in vitamin pills or even formula gets through.

nannyl · 12/12/2011 12:23

The reason for vit supplements is for vit D (not iron)

a decent diet should give babies enough iron.

its just formula companies advertising that leads us to believe that at 6months we need to give follow on formula for iron.... we dont... 1st milk is fine for 12 months too, as is breast milk

BartletForAmerica · 12/12/2011 22:22

Low vitamin D is now associated with an awful lot of diseases, so it really is a good idea, given that we live in a not very hot or sunny country.

I give (when I remember) DS Abidec. It tastes grim but he loves it and opens his mouth like a little baby bird whenever I get the wee syringe out!

naturalbaby · 12/12/2011 22:26

I've never bothered with any of my babies. I read it a few times but have never been told to by a HV (not that I would agree anway!).

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