HV advised formula as breastmilk doesnt contain enough iron

[giraffesCantCeilidhDance]

My friend was advised to FF baby after 6 months or give baby iron suppliments as HV says after 6 months the baby needs more iron.

I have never heard this before and sounds like tosh to me but what do I know?! So thought I would ask the wisdom that is Mumsnet!

on a slight aside, is anyone else pissed off about that Cow and Gate advert with the giant bottle of milk. I'm sure they've been very careful with the wording, but the implication is that your older baby would need about five gallons of (cows) milk to provide all the iron it needs but just one normal sized branded chemical alternative will sort them out. They fail to make it clear that most babies of this age are weaned or weaning and are therefore getting much, if not all, of the iron they need from solids. I ahve been thinking about complaining to ASA as it annoys me every time I see it

apologies just realisecd I am x-posting

My kids paedetrician said vit.d is recommended in the winter, as there's less sunlight. She proposed iron for dd, but when I told her she eats tons of meat, broccoli etc, she said there's no need.
But the other doctor in her office told me vit.d is necessary all year long and was trying to scare me with rickets.
I think it's just a blanket advice- in case your ethnicity or lack of time outdoors will make you vit.d deficient.
FWIW i can't be bothered with the drops, there's some vit.d in some yoghurts, eggs etc and dd is taken for long walks daily.
Didn't give any to ds and at 8 he's the tallest in his class-and definitely no rickets.
Iron thing is bullshit, unless your kid is fed just bananas.

I was really surprised to hear it as while I have never breast fed have been around on forums like this for years and have read lots.

She is in Glasgow actually! Thats funny you mention that.

It seems from what I have read that formula has loads of iron but only because the majority will be pooed out and not absorbed. And breast milk doesn't have as much because the iron it does have will be absorbed well.

She seemed reluctant to start giving formula but has got some ready and thinks because HV has lots of experience then its 100% correct. So as long a the baby is weaned on to a healthy died containing iron then theres no need? Baby doing really well exclusively breast fed, around 20lb at 5 months.

I feel like mum was made to feel her milks not good enough, think thats really sad

I've heard experienced health visitors spout some amazing rubbish, unfortunately. I hope your friend won't drop the breastfeeding, thus missing out on definite benefits for both her and the baby, on the word of this mistaken woman. Can you gently suggest she researches on the web?

(My four older children never had formula or supplements. No rickets or iron deficiency here! No plans to stop breastfeeding my 4-month old either.)

It's v true that iron supplements are generally (mostly) pooed out. Helpfully, as any mums who've had iron supplements in pregnancy would know, iron in the gut causes massive constipation. So a big win all around.

The OP is about iron supplements, not Vit D - it's true that Vit D is sometimes needed, particularly for babies in dark cities, who don't get out much, and/or who have darker complexions.

I'm with Juju it's that bloody advert for cow and gate or something. So much for "evidence based practice"..subtly or not so subtly undermining mothers confidence that her milk is "enough" for her baby. The ad even advertises a quiz you can take where you can check how much iron baby is getting...grr...I keep meaning to look but these things make me so why bother...

Hi OP then please tell your friend the HV has got the wrong message, nobody is advising stopping BF because of this, infact Linda Woolfson the infant feeding advisor would not be happy at all with that advice being given out.

[email protected]
Email address if your friend wants further clarification from source.

I was confused about this too after reading about it in the NHS 0-5 book. I was so PFB worried about my DD becoming anaemic, I tried weaning at 6 months even though she wasn't interested and at 16 months she has only just started eating solid food (although only a tiny bit, she is still mainly BF).

I pestered my HV about it loads and she kept reassuring me that DD was clearly fine. I wish the NHS would re-word that bit of the 0-5 book, I spent months worrying for no sodding reason and that advert pisses me off too.