Who is supplementing vitamin D?

[sheashea]

Are all the breast feeding mamas supplementing? Up here in Canada, it's pretty much a given that we supplement, particularly since we don't get much sunshine for the next, oh 5 months! (sob) I don't like the cherry flavored stuff. It bothers me that dd is already being exposed to syropy, artificial flavours, even when she is EBF. There is another brand called D drops. It is just one drop on the nipple per day, no artifial flavours. Think I'll switch after the cherry flavored stuff runs out. I'm just wondering what others are doing in this area.

Btw: midwives have never told me to supplement, just my family physician. I should probably post this question in breast feeding, too.

[MaybeJ]

I forgot that you are in Toronto too!

Yes, we bought the D drops after her first doctors appointment on the 19th (we were with midwives too) but I've only remembered to give it to her twice so far!  I went right for the D drops with out flavouring.  I don't know why they put flavour in things for babies!  The drugstore brand was half the price but had flavouring and additives too.  I'm sure it won't harm your baby, it just doesn't seem necessary. :)

Our midwives didn't mention it either, but I studied Nutrition in university and we were taught that it is recommended for breastfed babies to receive vitamin D drops and in another thread on the same topic, it was brought up how research is uncovering more and more how important vitamin D is....so we're doing it. :)

[outlier]

 Do either of you have a link to the drops you're talking about?  I'm in the US.  I don't supp but would like to start.

[Annemarie42]

yes, I will be, once I remember to buy some. ;) northern new england here so not much sun.

I am going to order the "one drop on the nipple" kind.

[sheashea]

Here is a link about the whole vitamin D debate. And the single drop supplement.

[rparker]

I'm supplementing. We live in a part of Michigan that's farther north than some parts of Canada. (The sun currently sets around 4 p.m.) I didn't supplement DD1 until she was 6 months old, but we lived in northern California and she got a lot of sun exposure. Knowing what I know now though, in retrospect I should have supplemented her at an earlier age anyway. I've just been giving Livia the same drops that I give Alice (the ones she says taste good vs the ones that she says taste bad), but those 1 drop ones look pretty nice so I think I'll order some :) 

I just got MY vitamin D level tested and it was 23 (low end of normal is 30) so now I'm taking 4000 IUs a day. My doctor wants me to take 50,000 per week but I want to do more research on the safety of taking that big of a megadose of a vitamin (they are 50,000 IU pills once per week) while breastfeeding an infant first. 

If anyone is on the fence about supplementing or thinks that it's adequate to supplement yourself you might want to check out what La Leche League has to say on the subject: http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVIss1-2009p2.html

[MaybeJ]

About the taste, I tasted the D drops that are only suspended in vegetable oil and they have absolutely no taste to them!

[ILovePie]

I have gone back and forth on this.  We live in Southern Indiana.  I get out very regularly without sunscreen, even in colder weather (I'm still running and going for walks).  DS1 is a bit difficult to get out sometimes, but DS2 generally going out for walks with me a few times a week (though he's sort of covered against the elements).  And DS1 does get out at least a couple times a week...

Anyway, I really debate.  We're also all as pale as can be, so I worry a little less.

I wonder if my specialist would be willing/able to add a Vitamin D test to my regular bloodwork next time I do it.  Though I'm not sure how that would correlate, necessarily, to whether I need to supplement the kids (it would only give a marker as to whether I'm correct that *I* am getting enough...I'm pretty certain the kids are getting less than me).

A local business is now selling the Carson drops, so maybe I should just pick them up to be safe. 

[Magali]

I'm a non-supplementing Canadian mama.  My ds was a summer baby and we were outside all the time.  I HATE winter and am going to have to get ot of my rut and get my kids outside this winter.

[CherryBomb]

I haven't yet but intend to!  I just keep forgetting to buy it.  I didn't with my other kids, but the newer research on vit d is pretty persuasive, I think.

[peainthepod]

I take 2 drops (4000 IU) of Carlson's D3 drops and a prenatal. during the winter. I hope that's enough but would happily take more. I definitely notice a difference when I don't take them. I'm practically in Canada (N. Idaho) and our winters are looooooong (which I love).