Vitamin K Shot?

[vonn's_mama]

My midwife asked me if I wanted to give my newborn the vitamin K shot and the eye ointment after his birth. I'm questioning the vitamin K, and considering supplementing myself instead. Does anyone have experience with this?

[christibale]

I am DEFINITELY not doing the vitamin k shot. However, my midwife also offers synthetic vitamin K given orally and a botanical blend of Vitamin K also given orally.

It is also a definite no on the eye ointment. EW.

[alicewyf]

We decided to do vitamin K only if baby has a traumatic birth. The midwives recommended it if we decided to circumcise as well (we don't know the sex), but we have decided against that so it doesn't apply to us. I am considering supplementing myself with vitamin K as well.

We are submitting to the eye ointment but they won't put it on until two hours after the baby is born, and we can just wipe it right off.

[chrisndanni]

Our midwives bring the oral Vitamin K but we will only use it if the birth is traumatic. As regards the eye cream they have it but would only use it if I had some kind of infection at the time of the birth.

[bajamergrrl]

I voted no on the eye ointment since I don't have any infections. I voted to only do vit k shot if baby is bruised after birth.

[GoldmanBaby09]

We will definitely not be doing the eye ointment. In fact it kind of grosses me out to see other people's birth pictures from the hospital and the baby's eyes are all greasy and disgusting looking. Poor babes. I'm not allowing Vit K, either, unless it is a traumatic birth, the baby appears bruised and possibly for a low APGAR. Vit K defiencies are very rare (like 1 in 10,000 babies) and to me, that isn't enough of a chance to warrant stabbing my brand new baby with a needle.

[DahliaRW]

Like others, not planning on vit K. I have the oral in case the birth is traumatic, but I don't trust all the other crap ingredients in the shot especially. IMO, God made babies with low vit K for a reason.

[an_aurora]

We won't be doing either. I'd only go for the Vit K if it were a traumatic birth or we were going to circ, which we aren't. If I were going to give it, I'd do oral.

[MOMYS]

I've declined the Vit K, but will reconsider the oral Vit K if the birth is traumatic. The eye ointment unfortunately is required by law in Ontario.

[Ianthe]

No to either of them.. unless I get transferred to the hossy, where it is required.

[blissful_maia]

No eye ointment here... totally useless for me since I know I don't have chlamydia or gonorrhea.

We will be doing Vitamin K orally, as I will probably have a precipitous birth which puts babies at a bit of a higher risk of bleeding. Mind you, here in Ontario the only ingredients are Vitamin K and water. If it had half the crap in it that other countries have, I wouldn't ever give it to my babies, orally or IM! I will admit, I have personally seen a baby with hemorrhagic disease of the newborn and the tragic death is not something I could ever risk my baby having when the intervention that makes it virtually non-existent is fairly benign (to me). So I am a bit biased.

[ATruck]

We did the oral Vitamin K. It was administered by us or our midwife on the day of birth, at one week, and at 2 weeks. Just one drop on the tongue, and it has no taste.

[treetop]

We haven't made a final decision but we think that we are going to do the vitamin K shot. We do not have the option of oral Vitamin K.

[tracymom1]

Not doing either of them... unless there are signs of an infection, then maybe the eye ointment.

[annettemarie]

Moving to Birth and Beyond. You may also want to try Health and Healing.

[Dahlea]

I wasn't going to do the Vitamin K shot but my kid had some trauma after birth so I decided to. I voted against the eye ointment, however.

[callieollie]

I didn't even realize they had an oral vitamin K. I'm surprised my midwives didn't have that available at my dd's birth. Is it more common to have the shot than the oral vitamin K? Is there a way to get it orally, even if the midwives typically do the shot?

[blissful_maia]

Originally Posted by callieollie

I didn't even realize they had an oral vitamin K. I'm surprised my midwives didn't have that available at my dd's birth. Is it more common to have the shot than the oral vitamin K? Is there a way to get it orally, even if the midwives typically do the shot?

It's much more common to have the shot, and the reason is that oral vitamin K is very effective at preventing early hemorrhagic disease of the newborn (within the first week) but less so at preventing late HDNB, and the IM vitamin K effectively prevents both. Early HDNB is more common and less "predictable" so many women feel comfortable just doing the oral. Here in Ontario, we just use the IM formulation orally, within the first 24 hours, at 2-4 weeks and at 6-8 weeks. I don't see why your midwife wouldn't be able to do this too?

[mommy2two babes]

Originally Posted by MOMYS

I've declined the Vit K, but will reconsider the oral Vit K if the birth is traumatic. The eye ointment unfortunately is required by law in Ontario.

Required by law,yes. You don't have to allow them access to administer it.

[SandraS]

Originally Posted by LizzyQ

No to either of them.. unless I get transferred to the hossy, where it is required.

The hospital can't force anything. You can still refuse (I did).