Vitamin K Dosage and How-To-Give?

[Mawood]

I am still undecided about the Vitamin K shot. I will be delivering in a hospital setting and declined the shot in the birth plan but I still feel slightly uneasy about it and I know that I should have it clear once I am faced with the hospital. In Germany the baby gets it orally three times (one directly after birth and then at the scheduled follow ups with the pediatrician). I am taking alfalfa myself to help with the Vitamin K but I am thinking about getting some drops for the baby.

Which Vitamin K drops are recommended?

How do I give that to my baby?

Do they take it easily?

If the birth was somewhat harder on baby (what would be a good example for "harder"?) is it better to swing back to the shot?

Why do all babies have these low levels of a Vitamin even if the pregnant Moms are healthy and were eating a good diet all through pregnancy?

[nia82]

The stuff given in Germany is Konakion, made by Roche. It is 2mg per dose. It contains more than just vitamin K and is contraindicated when the patient has a liver disease.
You can purchase oral vitamin K at birthwithlove.com, a midwifery store in Montana. I bought it there. We followed the German scheduling for it (3 times, but we just did one drop each time). I would strongly caution against the shot, it contains phenols and other ingredients, plus it is an injection! Obviously, oral vitamin K works just as well as babies in Germany do just fine.
My sister is a MD in Germany and would never consent to the vitamin K shot. I also read many research studies that doubt the whole vitamin K thing. Eating alfalfa and stuff should be sufficient.
http://www.weikert.de/alexandra/vitak.html

[Mawood]

Thanks for the German link!!!!!

[Xavismom]

I was in the same boat.. I had a hospital birth, with no Vit K on my birth plan.

DS was postieror, and came out super fast once I started pushing. He had a huge bone bruise on his head from it, and I let the nurses talk me into the vit K bc of this.

I now really regret it. I'm trying to make peace with the fact that *at the time* it made the most sense to me, and I was doing it to protect DS, but feel upset about it still. I also think DH is angry with me about it, but just hasnt said anything.