Hi all
I reached the earlier end of full term today and am thinking about something to do with Vitamin D.
I am Indian and have dark skin and spent 23 years of my life growing up in the searing heat of tropical India. A few years after my move to the UK for higher education I developed very very low mood - about the age of 28, and fatigue and just complete blahness. The NHS then did a blood test and found that my Vitamin D levels, had, over those 5 years away from the tropics - fallen to a level that was actually - off the charts.
The docs put me on massively high doses of Vitamin D - as in - huge amounts. In 3 months they tested again and it came to within the range but not at all optimal. Since then, over the past 2 years, I have been on a higher than usual dose of 1000 IU daily (25 ug) including during pregnancy. I have been asked to never fall from this unless I move back to the tropics, which I wont.
I last got tested about 9 months ago just when I conceived. Well the levels were still very borderline on the lowest end of the normal range - nowhere near optimal. In fact in some labs they would be considered lower than the normal range.
Now baby to be - is half Indian, half white Caucasian. I have plans to EBF and come from an EBF family/culture in India. But my family didnt have these depleted reserves as they continue to live their and babies there grow up rolling about in the sun.
I can see the guidelines are for babies to get a D supplement from 6 months. but considering - despite my best efforts over the last few years my own levels continue to crawl at a dissatisfactory level - would it be prudent to give baby Vitamin D drops for infants from an earlier age if he is EBF?
has anyone done that or been in a similar position? If so what drops did you use and from how early on? I've been looking at WellBaby D drops and DDrops.
Thanks for any advice! If there is someone else I could ask and explain my specific situation to, let me know.