Vitamin D - Breastfed Babies?

[RWK29]

Hoping to breastfeed our first little one due in a few weeks. It’s been mentioned in passing that breastfed babies should be given a daily Vitamin D supplement?

Silly question - do I just pick a brand and buy Vit D drops and go with those? Or is there a specific brand/type that are recommended by midwives/health visitors? 🤔

Get the one that is a single drop onto your nipple. Can’t remember the brand but it’s about £6 and you can get it online. The ones that are 1ml in a dropper are a pain in the arse to administer

Ohh that’s good to know! Thanks 😊 I’ll have a wee look!

@RWK29 if you find them can you let me know? Also need to get some

This is the one www.boots.com/baby-ddrops®-vitamin-d-10ug-17ml-10224858p

I'm 100% with @TheChineseChicken. The d-drops are amazing. Can't recommend them enough. Just a single drop on the nipple you're about to feed off, and baby takes it in as part of its feed. Genius.

@RWK29 Thanks so much for this thread! I'm breastfeeding my 9 week old and have never been told or heard about the need for Vitamin D drops, will definitely be ordering

@TheChineseChicken @Dyra
That’s great, thanks 😊 I had seen those ones but wasn’t even sure where to start as there’s so many brands when you google them 😊

@princesspeppax My midwife and health visitor both mentioned it in passing when I seen them last week but never gave any other info about it so thought I’d better check 🤷🏻‍♀️ Lol. I think we’re also recommended to take a vitamin D supplement from like September - March or something 🤷🏻‍♀️ Not sure if that’s just because I’m in Scotland and it’s so gloomy in the winter lol

In Scotland you should consider taking a supplement all year. Vitmain D is supposed to help protect against respiratory illnesses so would be good to take in these covid times

Formula fed babies don't need extra supplements unless they are taking less than 500mls per day

I wasn’t told about vitamin D supplements for either baby, which is pretty bad considering they are recommended by Department or Health. It’s also advised that adults take vitamin D from October (I take an ultrasound high one). Adult ones are at least a lot cheaper than baby ones

Ultra high one, not ultrasound

I'm also Scotland, this is my 3rd baby and i've never been told about the need for vitamin D supplements, going to pass into boots this morning to pick some up

I was always told to take a supplement and it would be passed through breastmilk. This wasn’t told to be through by my midwife (They never mentioned anything) but my auntie who is a midwife.

I took a breastfeeding vitamin that included vit D but never bothered giving it to baby. I had two winter babies but would go for long walks every day as well.

You won't make vitamin D through sunlight in the winter months

Breast milk isn't a great source of Vit D even if the mother is taking supplements so baby supplements is always recommended (and for parents too through winter months here)

The d drops are great!

@RWK29
It may vary council to council in Scotland but in Edinburgh my HV just gave me the drops on her first visit after baby was here.
The ones they give are called NHS healthy start vitamin drops. I've seen them in the local pharmacy too

My 2.5 year old is breastfed and I was never told to give vitamin D. I saw the health visitors regularly for weighing but not one of them checked I was giving it.

I started giving a multi vitamin at 6 months when we started weaning but nothing before that.

I hope I've not caused any problems by but giving it 😪 (I was taking vitamins myself though).

When my kids were small (now 13 and16) they were advised to take supplements of vitamins A,C and D from 6 months to age 5 if taking less than 500mls of formula. Not sure what advice was for breastfed babies

@edin16 I did wonder that actually! The healthy start ones are available from Superdrug. I did get given the healthy start vitamins so maybe they’ll give the drops here too but I’ll grab some other ones just incase 😊

I was never told to but if you have darker skin it's advised apparently. I ebf

It's something that is increasingly being suggested for everyone not just those that are pregnant /breastfeeding/newborn

The NHS has changed their guidelines that the public should be taking a vitamin d supplement all year around not just in winter months. Particularly during the current pandemic as we in general are getting less time outdoors.

I used Abidec

I’ve breastfed 2 children and never knew this was a thing before now! No one ever mentioned it to me, surprising how obsessed with breastfeeding midwives and health visitors tend to be. Maybe it wasn’t a thing 3/4 years ago when I had my children?

Vitamins have been recommended since mine were young and I have a 14 and 16 year old

I’ve been given one in one of the packs the midwife gives you. You just drop it on the nipple once a day while baby is feeding apparently