Breastfeeders- Do you give the vitamin and flouride supplements we're meant to?

[bramblina]

I'm aware that formula is more fortified than breastmilk therefore we're meant to supplement but tbh imo you can't get better than a natural breastmilk and good quality diet- how many of you agree? Also, the flouride, my niece was given it, now has white stains on her teeth, my nephew wasn't, and doesn't. My sis is convinced it was a little overdose, as it were, as toothpaste contains it. We live in a soft water area though. How many of you don't give it? I'm just quite loathed to supplement- I feel it's a way out of trying to feed the bast possible, IYSWIM.

I give vitamin D from 4 weeks.

No - bf'd 2, dd1 for 4mo exclusively; dd2 for 6mo excusively then finally finished with both at around 8-9mo. no supplements. Both extremely healthy, apparently good teeth (dd1 is now 3y8mo).

If you feel good about giving supplements, or if you are told to for specific health reasons, do it. But not really necessary IMO.

Thanks.

I wouldn't give fluoride, just brush their teeth - and haven't given any other supplements either.

No need, IMO.

Nope never not with either

no, it sounded a bit silly and uneccesary to me. and if it were that crucial surely we'd be given them for free rather than being told to buy them.

Didn't give supplements but then wasn't told to either -- I don't think our HVs consider it necessary. I wouldn't have given them anyway, though.

I'm glad my opinion is backed up! I have the confidence not to now, thank you.

Erm, I was never advised to give supplements. Don't see the point.

Parents of babies in the US and (I think) Canada are routinely advised to give vit D from four months. Here (UK), it's 6 months - you get the vit D bundled with A and C though I really don't think there's any evidence that A & C are needed as well (there is some evidence that breastfed babies may need Vit D from 6 mths - not because breastmilk is lacking in something, but because modern lifestyles may lack sunlight, and people with dark skin in the North especially may miss out). Not sure if you buy them or if they can be free.

Most mothers seem not to be told of the recoomendation to give Vit D supps, but there is likely to be no need for them if you take your baby out on most days.

In Norway everybody from birth onwards takes cod liver oil in some form....but there are parts of Norway that are totally dark for months of the year.

when I was in Canada, Vit D was recommended from birth and it was really hammered home by the HVs. However, probing into the epidemiology of it all, there are usually between 40-60 cases of Vit D deficicency in Canada/year. From memory, these cases are exclusively infants in the far Northern provinces or infants of mums who are heavily veiled.

The best source of Vit D is sunlight.

Thus, DS never had it.