Health Visitor - Vitamins

[ACubed]

Hi All,

First time posting, hope this is the right place. I just wanted to get a second opinion - the Health Visitor has told me on the previous two visits (baby is now six weeks) that I should be taking a breastfeeding multivitamin, and that my baby should be taking Vit D drops. The NHS website say breastfeeding mothers need not take any supplements, and babies should only take Vit D drops after six months, but she seemed very insistent. Has anybody else experienced this?

I took Vit D while pregnant, and do now when I remember, and we get out of the house ever day.

Thanks!
A

[Florentina27]

I took multivitamin for myself for 6 months then stopped as giving daughter multivitamins and I didn't want her to have iron from my breast milk as well, although farmacist said it shouldn't affect her vitamin intake, so then I thought what was the point of me having vitamins in the first place , especially as I had problems goind to the loo for a long time and GP didn't advise to stop taking them. I suppose they are just for the mother.
I read the same thing about vitamin d during pregnancy will be enough for baby up to 6 months, although I didn't take them from the beginning.

My LO has cows milk allergy now and she won't take amino acid formula so I am dairy and soy free myself, dietician said to give her calcium supplements but farmacist said they don't make them for babies... I think people just have different opinions regarding vitamins, anyway now I have ti se the GP and I already feel they won't really know what to say, maybe they'll make me have calcium supplements

[Daisyandbabies]

I wasn't told to take anything. I was kind of annoyed when I found out that I should have been taking vitamin d as after 18 months of feeding, I had pretty achy joints.
I wouldn't have been comfortable giving my baby vitamins, all they need for the first 6 months is in your milk. It's only you that might get a little deficient

[ACubed]

Thanks all, I'm going to ignore her and wait until he's six months.

[RockCrushesLizard]

The current guidelines are that if mum took a vitamin D supplement in pregnancy, baby will be fine until six months (as it will have plenty stores).
If mum didn't take a supplement, baby should start a supplement at 4-6 weeks to prevent deficiency.
(I was investigating this recently!)
So for you, you're fine to wait - Young babies use up stored Vit D, and there's no reason your LO won't have stored enough.

[MrsJayy]

I dont think vit d passes on very well through breast milk so a supplement is advised

[Anotherdayanotherdollar]

Irish guidelines state that babies should start vit d drops after birth and the packaging says suitable from birth. Not sure of the research behind it.

[goodbyeyellowbrickroad]

I was told by my GP at our 6 weeks check up that I should be taking a multi vitamin with vitamin d in it and that at 6 months DS would need to start having the vitamin d drops. DS is also EBF