Vitamin D drops/breastfed baby

[PiratePetespajamas]

HV keeps nagging me to give my 10 week old vitamin D drops. Baby is EBF and the drops don’t give any instructions for how to give to a breastfed baby - only “dilute in baby’s usual milk, juice, or food”. I suppose I could pump and give the baby a bottle but it seems a tremendous faff for the sake of the drops - haven’t done it at all so far. If they’re unpleasant tasting then putting them on my nipple and letting baby lick it off might put them off BF? What does anyone else who is only breastfeeding do?

Which drops are they? Could you put them directly in their mouth?

Have you tasted them?

Teaspoon, rinsed in boiled water.

My drops came with a syringe. I drop them onto DD's tongue. She doesn't particularly enjoy them!

Don't they have the little squeezy dropper that you just drop a couple into their mouth?

Duh! I never even thought of trying them, I’m such a numpty! Okay, that will be my first step. I’ve bought two different types cos I got so worked up about it haha and worried the first type wasn’t for bf babies as it didn’t give any instructions! So I guess I could go with whichever tastes better. Also didn’t think about teaspoon. Must be losing brain cells. Thanks for suggestions!

The NHS Scotland ones are my toddlers favourite, total treat after dinner, he and his now 4 month old sister take them off a spoon.
They are important, especially at this time of year and if you are in Scotland or the north as we just don’t get enough sunlight to make enough vitamin D.

Can iask when are you meant todtartgiving the v drops? With my last lo i was told to start at 6months. I am ebf too my lo is now 3months.

NHS says give from birth if breastfeeding :

The Department of Health recommends that all children aged 6 months to 5 years are given vitamin supplements containing vitamins A, C and D every day.

It's also recommended that babies who are being breastfed are given a daily vitamin D supplement from birth, whether or not you're taking a supplement containing vitamin D yourself.

Babies who are having more than 500ml (about a pint) of infant formula a day shouldn't be given vitamin supplements. This is because formula is fortified with vitamin D and other nutrients.

I had some that you drop onto the nipple for the baby to suck off.

Cautionary tale - I didn’t bother as it was a faff and no one really explained it to me.

Found out from a prolonged jaundice screening, and several follow up blood tests that DS had vit D deficiency and has had to have a loading of high strength prescription vit D. I felt like the worst mother in the world.

(Incidentally I was subsequently diagnosed with vit D deficiency too so had to have a loading too - it’s apparently very common especially this time of the year)

I’d never heard of this with my other two kids, but I received a free bottle of vit D drops.
The HV asked me the other day if I was using vit D, and I hadn’t been (DS is two weeks old now). Told her about the drops and that I am expressing BM for DS, and joe should I use.
She said not to add anything to bottle, and that me taking a supplement was sufficient.

I’m thinking I’m going to just add to a bottle as the instruction say. I’ve tasted the drops and they’re not unpleasant.. they are fractionated coconut oil with the vitamin added, so it’s more a feeling on the tongue rather than a taste.

To add... I’m rubbish at taking vitamins/supplements! There’s a much higher chance of me adding to a bottle than taking anything myself.

Mine is BF, I just give him drops that go directly in his mouth. It takes a second.

I use the wellbaby drops that you give straight into baby's mouth with a little syringe that comes with the drops. She seems to really like them! Although I remember to give them approximately once a week

I used to just squirt the drops into my DDs mouth, I’ve recently found the ddrops which are miles better as it’s literally just one tiny drop. I’d have put that on my nipple before a feed and it would have been easy.

Sorry, nothing to add but I am so glad I came across your post as I had mo idea that I should be giving DD vit d and she is almost a month old!

Where I live the council provides the drops for free until DC is five, and for mother also. It's five drops which I give on a teaspoon at bathtime. They're banana-flavoured, baby loves them - for the first six months they probably made a welcome change from breastmilk!

We find putting the drops on a dummy work best for us (however I appreciate this isn't helpful if your baby doesnt take a dummy)

Don't you just drop them onto your breast before feeding? That's what the instructions say