Breastfeeding with no vitamins?

[rach1stbaby]

Hi all,
So I didn't know that I should be taking any, but I've been told I should be taking multivitamins during breastfeeding. My diet hasn't been great either since she was born just due to minimal cooking and eating easy foods. A severe lack of fruit and vegetables I'll admit.
My baby is nearly 8 weeks old so now I feel terrible.
She's been having a daily vitamin D drops since about 3 weeks ago (I didn't know about the vit D thing either before then).
I thought breastfeeding had everything they needed, but it seems that formula feeding has everything they need already. 😔 she's exclusively breastfed.
Thanks x

I'm not sure if the recommendation for taking vitamins to help the mum as the baby depletes her source. Either way think of all the people that have lived long happy lives before such advice existed. Vitamins are a bonus rather than essential and you know about them fairly early on in your baby's life so stop worrying about it, certainly no harm done, just things a little better now. Enjoy getting to know your baby.

I didn't take any extra vitamins when breastfeeding (but I do take vitamin d regularly whether bf or not).

I breastfed for a total of 4 years and both children are strong and healthy (and now refuse to eat anything but chips and beans).

The vitamins are to help you - the way it was explained to me was that your body will prioritise the breastmilk over yourself. So your baby will get all the vitamins they need (except the vit D and you've sorted that now anyway 🙂), but you will end up depleted. At about 4 months post partum, i went to the GP because my fingers wouldnt move on a morning and my joints were incredibly painful. It turned out i was severely vit D deficient along with a few others. I started taking pregnacare for breastfeeding mothers and felt much better within a few weeks.

Don't feel bad - you are breastfeeding your baby, which is a great thing! Just pop some vitamins on your next shop and start now. Then stop worrying and enjoy this special time with your baby.

You can get free vitamins, and they are for the baby, not you, that’s why you put the droplets in their mouth. As for the ‘crap’ in formula that expands the stomach, well that is a pile of ‘crap’. Please don’t feel terrible, the drops you’ve been giving your baby having been doing the job. If you want to take extra vitamins for you then do, if you don’t feel you need them don’t. Personally I didn’t take any vitamins myself, but did give them to the babies.

Where I am free vitamins are given at birth for both breastfeeding mother and breastfed baby….as per nhs guidance

Yes, same here

What are these free vitamins?

Gave birth 2 months ago and no one said or gave anything 🤷‍♀️

Typos

Not sure anybody was ‘upset’, but it’s just the use of your word ‘crap’ that was a bit off (especially as you took umbrage to it when it was put back to you). It’s a bit like when people talk about all the ‘chemicals’ in things. I think both breastfeeding and formula are amazing as they nourish babies and ensure they are healthy and fed. I don’t like it when people use the word ‘crap’ to describe what mothers feed their babies with. It’s emotive and insulting to women who are going through a very difficult period.

Oh right, I was just using the normal definition (crap = rubbish), I wasn’t aware there was another one. I wrongly assumed you were using were the same one when you said ‘it’s not a pile of crap’, meaning ‘it’s not a pile of rubbish’. Hope you can see how it was confusing.

@YorkshireTeaCup That's how I understand it too. It's the same as when baby is in utero. The body diverts everything to baby, even at its own detriment. Taking vitamins keeps you topped up. Funny you mention that about joints. I'm also 4 months pp, and my joints have started hurting. I put it down to age and/or arthritic psoriasis. I don't have arthritis, but I have just had a flare of psoriasis, so jumped to conclusions. Maybe I should down a vitamin or two first.

@LemonSwan Free vitamins are mostly given out in areas of high deprivation and/or to mothers on low income. It's far from NHS wide.

They do recommend you to the vitamins, but I didn't/don't.

I had my son's 1 year developmental review yesterday and the assistant said that I was the first mum she had interviewed who actually gave the baby vitamin D every day.

@Dyra definitely worth a try. I was seeing a pelvic floor physio at the time and happened to mention it to her. She was the one who said she got referrals for lots of post partum women for their joints which actually turned out to be a vitamin deficiency, so recommended i see the GP.

Thanks @Dyra

You also need to make sure you get enough calcium. Bf is great for your bone strength but only if you get enough calcium.

NHS Healthy Start Vitamins….come in a little white box with green writing I think?

Given to everyone in my trust…rich or poor

Scotland you get free vitamins throughout pregnancy and when baby is born. I was given vitamins for me and vitamin D drops for DD on discharge from hospital three weeks ago.

@kitcat15 That's really good of your trust. Unfortunately my trust definitely does not, nor any trust my family is under that has had a child recently. Save for those on Healthy Start ofc.

OP your baby will be fine and getting what they need from breast milk. If you aren't getting enough vitamins, your body will pass on your own vitamins to the baby to keep them healthy so you may find that you yourself are low on certain vitamins, but your baby will be fine. Start takin vitamins now you know :)

P s. No free vitamins for baby or mum in my region

Hi Op, don’t worry that you haven’t taken any to date, just start now. www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/breastfeeding-and-lifestyle/diet/

The fact formula has vitamins etc added doesn’t make it superior to breastmilk.

It's vitamin D and vitamin K that are recommended when breastfeeding.