vit K for newborn

[mamaonthefarm]

My last homebirth, I picked the plant-based oral vit K for baby. I have the option again of choosing between plant-based vit K or pharaceutical vit K (both are oral not the shot) for my upcoming homebirth. Any suggestions on which type is preferable?

[AnnieNimIty]

Barring a real medical reason if I were you I would look into delayed cord clamping and the need for supplementary vit K.

[springfever]

Agreed^ Delayed cord clamping and colostrum is enough unless there is a medical reason.

[mwherbs]

delayed cord clamping helps but is not enough, probably the simplest measure is to evaluate your own diets, do you get the RDA of vitamin K every day? American women of child bearing age get a lower daily amount of vitamin K than women in Thailand(where they have great concern that their neonates have too many low vitamin K bleeds) Compare that to say Japan where there is far less HDN,LHDN and average maternal intake in pregnancy and breastfeeding is 230 micrograms/day. cord blood, breastmilk and baby's blood values are all higher and there is less low vitamin K indicators and bleeds.

OP
I have never used the pharmaceutical oral vitamin K- so could not give you a complete answer I have used the Scientific Botanicals kind, 1 drop is equal to 2mg- and can be repeated the way the pharm oral is repeated at 1 week and 1 month and is what i normally suggest . I have used the drops personally to make a difference in a prolonged heavy bleed and it worked quickly for me.

[mamaonthefarm]

Thanks, everyone.

I currently take fermented cod liver oil mixed with x factor butter oil each day, which is high in vit K3, I think. My last pregnancy, I made myself eat salmon roe the last 6 wks of pregnancy to store up vit K also. I suppose I could do that again this time too.

The reason I am wanting my newborn to have some form of vit K after my homebirth is that I had cholestasis during my 1st pregnancy (I am now on my 4th pregnancy and had no more reoccurrances of cholestasis in subsequent preg's that I could tell) and moms with hx of cholestasis in pregnancy tend to have clotting issues / lack of vit K and thus their newborns are at more risk for such.

So,... plant-based or pharaceutical K? Maybe I'll go with plant-based again?