Multivitamins for EBF 1 year old

[clouddoveland]

Are they needed? HV insists they are but others suggesting they're not. What is your experience? My baby has been EBF since birth and I've never given her supplements before. I (maybe naively) thought breast milk provided everything she needed.

Vitamin D is the only 'essential', but you can get multivitamin drops. DD is a bit older but takes a daily multivitamin gummy.

But yes, breastfed babies should be getting vitamin D drops. Our HV gave them to us when DD was born, but I'm in Scotland and they seem a bit more generous about giving out vitamins for free here!

Vitamin drops - we got A D E combined from the health visitor.

Breast feed babies need vitamin D for the first 6 months. After that multivitamins plus iron is recommended.

The Department of Health recommends all 6 month to 5 year olds take a multivitamin including vitamins A,C and D. You can buy these in the form of NHS Healthy Start Vitamins for Children (you can order online from Superdrug).

All under 5s are advised to supplement vitamins A,C and D (if not taking more than 500mls of infant formula as its fortified already).

I thought bf babies were advised to take vitamin D from birth.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/vitamins-for-children/

I was told by a different HV when she was born that as long as I was taking vitamins then she would get them from my milk but the consensus is she needs them too! I pray I haven't harmed her by not giving them to her for the first year of her life!

You won't have harmed her so please don't worry. She can start having them now. My son is a bright and healthy boy. Total bottle refuser so I think I was meant to put the drops on my finger or nipple and give them to him that way. But guess what; I never remember to get the darn things out the cupboard so he never had them!

He's fine, your DD will be fine too.