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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Vitamin K

20 replies

Lonoxo · 25/08/2017 06:54

Hi, thinking about my birth plan now and it asks about vitamin k for baby. Options are injection, orally or not at all unless intervention is used. Just wondering what you decided on and why?

OP posts:

SandysMam · 25/08/2017 07:14

Injection as they told me it was the most common and best and I don't know enough about it not to question! Gets it over and done with! Good luck with your baby!

littlemissalwaystired · 25/08/2017 07:18

Some babies are born at risk of something called Haemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn which can prove fatal, however there's no way of knowing which babies are at risk until it's too late. By giving vitamin K it helps clot the blood so helps prevent HDN. It's advised to have the injection as it's known exactly how much baby has had, as if you give the oral drops baby can be sick (not from the drops) so we don't know whether all of it has been absorbed. You'd also need to take more doses home with you so would need to remember to give those. Hope that helps

ememem84 · 25/08/2017 07:25

We're going for the injection option. It's quicker easier and done for you.

Out2pasture · 25/08/2017 07:28

dd did the oral with the first; first dose given by staff then some to give at home....when she remembered as she had had a c/s was tired and always hungry from bf....
with her second birth....injection no fussing about.

Orangebird69 · 25/08/2017 07:34

Injection. Ds didn't even notice.

BelafonteRavenclaw · 25/08/2017 07:38

We went for the injection too. Over quickly and forgotten about.

HandbagFan · 25/08/2017 09:48

Injection. Done. Simple.

Serenrose · 25/08/2017 13:17

I put the oral drops on my birth plan as I didn't like the thought of giving a newborn baby an injection. But immediately following the birth we were advised to have the injection as we'd had a ventouse delivery and were advised the risk of bleeding due to her bruise was higher. I accepted, she took the injection without any fuss and it was all done in 5 seconds. If we'd had the drops I gather we'd have had to take her to the GP to get them a few days later as it was 3 doses and to be honest that would have been quite a hassle with a newborn. I'd have the injection again if I had a second child.

SockQueen · 25/08/2017 22:56

Injection. That way I knew he'd had the proper dose and it was all over in seconds.

Elmersnewfriend · 25/08/2017 23:01

Injection for all 3 of mine. None of them noticed. I'm always puzzled why you wouldn't do it to be honest!

SenatorBunghole · 26/08/2017 13:15

Injection. Safest way, all done at once, and apparently the taste of the orally administered version is horrible too! It was something I was very keen to have, as although the risk is tiny, it's a tiny risk of something potentially fatal. So it seemed a no brainer really.

SelfObsessionHoney · 26/08/2017 13:18

Injection at birth as I was having a c section, came in handy as I wouldn't have been able to deal with fannying around getting my boob refusing, weight losing, never sleeping baby to take oral drops.

Hatstand · 26/08/2017 13:28

We went for the drops, didn't like the idea of injecting a newborn when there was an easy enough alternative. Did the follow up doses at home no problem, but from the look on DD's face I'm guessing they didn't taste very nice!

Polly99 · 26/08/2017 13:31

Injection. It's quick and no messing, and probably not nearly as shocking as being born.

SenatorBunghole · 26/08/2017 16:41

Oh, another reason we went for the injection is that I initiated breastfeeding with one of mine, and breastfed babies are at slightly higher risk because formula has added Vitamin K. So you might want to think about that if you're choosing to breastfeed.

Kintan · 26/08/2017 16:49

We went for the injection as it's over and done with, but the oral one needs a second dose at some point later which is just another thing to remember at an extremely turbulent time! I think being born is such a shock that they don't even notice the injection!

Gunpowder · 26/08/2017 16:58

DD1 they just gave the vitK injection and I wasn't really asked. Then I had a home birth for DD2, natural third stage etc. but opted for the injection again as I researched it and couldn't really find an evidence-based reason not to.

My MWs would have been happy with administering the oral drops if I preferred, but it seemed an extra faff and although it's briefly painful they have heel pricks etc. so I figured it wasn't that different. As it was, DD2 barely cried and went back to breastfeeding.

Will do injection again for DTs when they come.

slightlyglittermaned · 26/08/2017 17:00

I would have preferred injection but DP was weird about needles. So we agreed oral drops, but I stated that if DS had a long or traumatic birth that we'd go for injection - because "Daddy's scared of needles" isn't worth even a tiny risk to DS's life.

And tbh, you can also do w/o the nagging worry at the back of your mind about haemmorhagic disease when your baby is so tiny and vulnerable. It's one small thing you can protect them from quickly.

Original poster

Lonoxo · 27/08/2017 20:17

Thanks all. We definitely want baby to have vitamin k, just unsure about the method. As you have all said, injection seems the easiest method.

OP posts:

Ttbb · 27/08/2017 20:26

Injection both times. Did not want to admister orally in case it was spat out. Didn't see any reason not to do it, but potentially life saving benefits.

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