does my EBF baby need a multivitamin?

[artisanroast]

Hi,

What are your thoughts...

My baby is EBF and I must admit my diet isn't always perfect. It usually includes too much chocolate and some days I don't hit my 5-a-day but in genera it's not bad. I have oily fish once to twice per week. I have red meat once per week. Overall my diet is ok, not great, not perfect, just ok.

So, I am considering topping up my daughters intake with abidec multivitamin drops. Has anyone else used these? What are your thoughts?

Thanks

No babies don't need vitamin supplements. Breast milk is tailor made for your baby.

Sorry but I disagree with the last poster. All babies and children between 6 months and 5 years should get a vitamin A, C and D supplement. If you only do one then vitamin D is the most important as it is hardest to get enough from diet and the amount of sunshine we have, and many people are deficient.

It's recommended that all babies/children aged 6 months to 5 years are supplemented with vitamins A,C and D unless they are having over 1 pint of formula as it is already fortified.

bf babies need vit d3 during winter.
everything else they need is in the milk.

You should also take vitamin D as a breastfeeding mother

You should both be taking D3

My twins are both on Abidec, as prescribed by the doctor on the neonatal unit (they were born at 30+5 and have just come home, aged 6 weeks).

Their weight gain has been great but this is more down to how well they are feeding rather than the multivit. We are breast/tube feeding at present so it's easy to administer via the tube but have been told it can be hard to give in a bottle or orally as it tastes awful. It also stains everything it comes into contact with!

I wouldn't have thought so. I know formula fed babies don't

Formula is fortified though and they do need them if having less than 1 pint of formula per day

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/vitamins-for-children.aspx

I take a breastfeeding multivit plus vit D3 and calcium daily.

All things considered I have given my daughter the abidec (even if she does screw up her wee face when she takes it).

I will switch to a broader multivitamin at 4 months which includes vitamin D3 because I do think its important for her bones and I think it has been linked to adult depression so lets hypothesise it will keep her happier too.

I live in Scotland and we haven't seen the sun here since June :( a good reason for a winter sun holiday but dh won't take the

bait

I can't take multivits due to the iron but both baby and I take vit d drops/capsules.
They're given out free here (we are about 60 degrees latitude and so it cold and dark for months at a time!)