Which vitamin drops do you use for BF babies?

[SquidgersMummy]

Have read vitamin drops are good if EBF - which ones do you use and is it once or twice a day and easy to get it in?

X

never used viatmin drops, had 3 dcs bf until aged 1. Lived in a country with long cold winters

Everyone well and healthy and have been since babies

Its from 6 months onwards. We were told as part of a BF peer support update.

This shows the ones we use

Oh & we were told formula fed babies should have them too if they are drinking less that 1 pint of formula a day.

I don't bother. I eat well. Baby is big and healthy. Were out all weathers most of day. No one has ever mentioned it to me

Yes starlight, until 6 months the baby has sufficient vitamin d from mother, assuming mother is not vitamin d deficient

Starlight, did anyone recommend you to take vitamin D too? It is recommended for all women who are breastfeeding.

No Cavey. In 3 babies no-one has ever told me to do anything other than take folic acid, which during pregnancy makes me throw up so I don't do it.

Here (Belgium) they suggest vit D drops from two-weeks old. I BF both of mine, so I don't know if it's also reccommended for FF babies. It's to do with bone development apparently. But we get less sunshine in Belgium than in the UK believe it or not.

You can buy healthy start drops from surestart centres and hv clinics in many areas depends on local rules. 5 drops a day tastes like bannana just the vit d they need from 6m to 5yrs.if on benefits can get free...speak to hv.

This advice wasn't disseminated well to hcps. I'm a gp and only heard about it when researching for my own child...hadn't been sent any info and as said above there are so many guidelines changing everyday it is tricky to keep on top of them all.

I'm still confused about this. DD is 14mo and I heard about this when she was about 5mo - went to GP and he said no need to do drops as he thought it was a phase, and that as long as I am eating a balanced diet and baby does when weaned then all should be OK. Was given the impression it is for families who don't cook much and rely on ready meals etc
Should I now go and get them?

I'm of the opinion vitamins can only help so why not, impossible to have the perfect diet everyday.

X

Well they're expensive, a pita to get down children, risk justification for a wotsit lunch and potential interfere with the virgin gut.

How have I birthed 5 children and ebf them all and not known this?

The cost is ridiculas. They are so expensive

Now I feel guilty :( I agree that I don't think I was ever told about it. Better rush out and buy some then!

There was a thread on here a few months back that had a few professionals on and they seemed to say if you feed your kid fish at least once a week (mackrel not so much tuna) and go out every day without sun cream on, enough milk/yoghurt/cheese per day, then it all should be ok. I am reluctant as when she went on formular for a couple of days when I gave up bfing she completely went off her food. Only thing doc could think of was that she was getting her nutrients from milk and therefore didn't feel the need to eat as well. Not sure substituting is the best idea as a result of that.

There was lots of coverage of this in the news last year following an increase in cases of rickets as kids are increasingly protected from the sun in the summer so not building up adequate reserves of Vitamin D to get them through the winter. I have bought Dailivit for my DD but am waiting until six months before giving it to her.

Vitamin drops are not needed. And there is a lot of advice to suggest that taking any type of vitamin long term can actually be detrimental regardless of your age.

And there is no need to worry about having to eat a fabulous diet to produce "good quality" milk. Your body will put milk production first. So its better to eat a good diet, but for you, not for your milk.

Wellbaby or any that has vitamin D3.

There's a lot of disinformation on this thread. Normal multivitamins aren't really needed, but vit d really is.

Sorry, that should say normal vitamin supplements :)

So if they can't build up enough for winter, can you use drops for a month or two say Dec/Jan or do you need to use them 'long term' to build up the D3? I am, as I say reluctant but also there is a small connection in my mind with SAD and am wondering if this may have some links to adult depression... I am not a scientist obv!

Not enough of the correct sunshine between October through to April to be of any benefit so you can be outdoors all you like in the winter it won't help. There is lots of research ongoing into vitamin D but for the multiple sclerosis evidence alone it's worth giving vitamin D. A colleague researching in this area suggests that stronger evidence linking vit D deficiency to many different medical conditions will be out within the next few years. We have leaflets in the surgery about vit D and mention it at booking a new baby checks. Just about every doctor I know is now taking vitamin D! I agree that other vitamins may not be necessary but it depends on your diet.

I've seen information on vit d threads before about much higher incidence of MS in Scandinavia, am I remembering that correctly?

Agree with Lyndie - lots and lots of studies into vit d at the moment looking into all sorts of issues from depression, to heart disease and everything inbetween.

I thought maternal vit D supplementation (if bf) was sufficient. Hmm...

There is a high incidence of MS in Scotland.