Vitamin K

[SilverMoon010]

What are your thoughts on this....Would you get it for your newborn and why or why not? (I have read about the increase in childhood cancer which is truly scary. so there is my why not.  Not sure about the" why I would need to get it" at this point.)

My DS had received the vitamin K along with the eye ointment/drops before I knew anything about them.  I was too busy worrying about them accidentally giving him the Hep B vaccine that I didn't even focus on vitamin K and the eye drops.  I figured they were no big deal, especially considering the word "vitamin" is in it (You can only imagine how much of a researcher I have became after he was born.)

I am now pregnant and am ready to refuse both vitamin K and the eye drops (I don't have STDs), but am looking for some more input on the vitamin K situation.  If I have a boy and we decide to circ,  does that give me more of an incentive to think twice about this injection?

Edited by SilverMoon010 - 7/22/11 at 9:02am

[lovebeingamomma]

my midwife was fine with me refusing it as long as it was a normal delivery.  However she did suggest doing it if I was going to circ.  I would have in that theoretical situation.  Otherwise I don't see the benefit.

[ma2two]

If you do adequate research on circumcision, I doubt you'll decide to circumcise. Check out the circumcision forum here.  But just to let you know, there is a reason the Jewish tradition is to wait 8 days for the circumcision. It's because the vitamin K levels are higher at that point.

Neither of my babies got vitamin K (injection or oral). I had a home birth with no interventions, and I'm not smarter than millions of years of evolution. If you're worried, eat plenty of vitamin K rich foods during pregnancy. You'll be healthier for it. Rich sources of vitamin K are dark leafy greens, green onions, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, and prunes. However, I didn't make any special effort to do that.

Edited by ma2two - 7/22/11 at 2:09pm

[ammiga]

I think there's a reason vitamin k crosses the placenta but takes 8 days to get high levels in breastmilk. No clue what that reason is, but like pp, I don't think I'm smarter than evolution.

I would not consider vitamin k if I were to circumcise my son. But, I would not (and did not) circumcise my son. No harm is done by reading the case against circumcision board here. Read about circumcision, watch a video of one being done, spend some time on that board. Just read with an open mind.

ETA: I think it takes a lot to buck the system and read up on vitamin k, eye goop, and vaccinating. You'll probably find you feel the same way about circing that you do about those things once you start to look into it. Stunned that people go along with such practices with no benefit (and lots of risk) on their newborns. At least, that's what happened to me. I can honestly say that if my first child had been a boy, he would have been a vax-free circed baby. Luckily, I had a girl first and a boy after I had a chance to look into the issue.

[shiningpearl]

Neither of my babies got the eye gel.  I HAD to have c-sections because of medical reasons and I wanted to be able to see my babies and hold them without that gunk on their face, not to mention that I don't have STDs and they didn't pass through the vagina.  I couldn't find much out about vit K with my first, but I felt it safe at the time, i learned more by the time I had #2 and she did not get it.  I did ask for the Vit K drops, but the hospital didn't have any.   I did try to intake a bit more Vit K before delivery, and was a bit worried for a while, but since she was a c-section, there wasn't as much distress on her body.  

See if you or your doctor can locate some oral vit K (If I remember it absorbs better anyway) before the birth so you have it on hand after.   Just my 2 cents.

[mamaboss]

My midwife made a good point recently: Babies are said to be born with "low levels" of Vitamin K. However, if all babies are born with those low levels, what is considered "low" is really NORMAL. Personally I believe my body didn't create a perfect baby out of a couple of cells and then screw up on the Vitamin K,  I think they have the levels they do for a reason. 

[hildare]

in our birth plan we put that we did not consent to the eye ointment, the hepatitis shot, nor the vitamin k unless the birth was somehow traumatic and we would be willing to discuss it.

i think that drinking nettle/rrl tea and breastfeeding can provide adequate k. 

if there is trauma such as a high pressure birth or circumcision, then it's possible that the k would be beneficial. 

ps, there is lots of information here on circumcision and the reason that it is considered traumatic.  there's lots of actual research to support not circ-ing your little one.  good luck with your birth!

[nia82]

We opted for oral vitamin K... the one from birthwithlove.com that has no preservatives and such. DS was pretty bruised and the ped on call still tried to tell us he'll die if we don't do the shot (24h later!) cause oral doesn't work - to which I responded funny how come all the German babies don't die then (cause they do oral as standard of care for vit K). Nobody ever batted an eyelash on me not wanted the eyedrops. DD was born at a birthing center so they didn't care - it was our choice and they didn't show any preference. I did do the oral K again just in case. The complication they want to avoid with the K is very rare. I would never do the shot though, like NEVER.

I did eat extra vitamin K the last 8 weeks before delivery... Mostly cause it supposedly makes for a stronger amniotic sac (with DS my water broke before labor) and DD was nearly born in the caul....

I too recommend reading up on circing... My family has no religious reasons to circ and once I read up on it, DH agreed to not do it at all (he first had the he should look like me argument).

[SilverMoon010]

So I'm gathering it's most important for me to get my Vitamin K intake from foods and such towards the end of the pregnancy, maybe the last two months? Not necessarily the entire pregnancy from start to finish? Honestly, being 11 weeks now, I've had some broccoli and spinach and such but I haven't been able to keep much of it down due to MS so my vitamin K intake has surely been very, very low at this point. I really have to do some more digging on the Vitamin K shot. I did read about the oral Vitamin K and will see if I can opt for that (would a hospital use a product that I actually bring? I'm wondering if they would refuse it).  First I'd have to even figure out if my baby would even be at risk for a deficiency, which I highly doubt.

My DS was circumcised but his situation was different.  He was born with hypospadias so they just waited to do the circumcision when they did the hypospadias repair at 6 months old. Much different situation than getting circumcised straight away.  (I'm feeling much more mainstream on this forum now compared to you guys and certainly the minority!)

Heck, maybe I'll have a girl this time around and I won't have to worry about it!

Edited by SilverMoon010 - 7/23/11 at 1:39pm

[nia82]

The hospital cannot refuse the oral vitamin K, it's your baby, you bring the stuff and administer it yourself. It's one drop on your nipple before latching on :D

[SilverMoon010]

Originally Posted by nia82 

The hospital cannot refuse the oral vitamin K, it's your baby, you bring the stuff and administer it yourself. It's one drop on your nipple before latching on :D

Thank you!

[Casha'sMommy]

Only have a minute but wanted to let you know that we did oral vitamin k with our most recent homebirth and all is well.

Good luck!

p.s.

He's also uncircumcised.

[cat13]

I just wanted to say that you could always delay the Vit K right away and then re-assess after the birth. If the baby is bruised or had some trauma, then you could administer it. Or, you could just go without if all seems ok.

[SilverMoon010]

Originally Posted by cat13 

I just wanted to say that you could always delay the Vit K right away and then re-assess after the birth. If the baby is bruised or had some trauma, then you could administer it. Or, you could just go without if all seems ok.

I was thinking about that....How do you know how much to give if you go with the oral, and is it daily and for how long?
 

[cat13]

Originally Posted by SilverMoon010 


I was thinking about that....How do you know how much to give if you go with the oral, and is it daily and for how long?

Sorry but I don't know. Anyone else?

[Casha'sMommy]

Here's a link from someone in a post about this a while back.

This also states a dosage at the bottom.

HTH

Cate

[Cassaba]

Vit K was the one thing that I was on the fence about up until the time I got to the hospital. We ended up refusing it because we had a normal birth and I couldn't imagine someone poking a needle and inserting 10,000x the "normal" amount (or whatever it is) of anything in my brand-new perfect baby girl! However, I will tell you that I left my first pediatrican appointment (1-week later) nearly in tears becuase the doctor gave us a stern lecture about the risk of hemmoraging and said "I am very concerned about this baby" not having the vit K shot. She told us of the risk of death, etc. Even though I had done my research and felt convinced that nature would provide for my baby, I was still pretty shaken by the doctor's speech. My DD is a thriving 8-month old now and has had nothing but mommy's milk and homemade organic baby food. No vit K and no vax. Oh, and we found a new pediatrician who can support our parenting decisions. 

Good luck with your decision - it is the first of many!

[Smokering]

However, I will tell you that I left my first pediatrican appointment (1-week later) nearly in tears becuase the doctor gave us a stern lecture about the risk of hemmoraging and said "I am very concerned about this baby" not having the vit K shot.

You too, huh? I took DS to see a ped for a dermatology issue and the guy got all up in my face about vitamin K. He said "Would you drive a car without a seatbelt?" and ranted at me for a good five minutes. I was NOT impressed.

The cancer thing is probably bogus, OP; a lot of studies have shown no correlation. It's possible for a mother to take vitamin K in sufficient disage for it to pass through breastmilk, if that appeals at all?

[nia82]

Yeah some peds get really offended.

[1love4ever]

I would not get the K or antibiotics.  I am completely against circ, but I know that is not what you are asking so I will just tell you that if a person is to circ they should wait til the 8th day of the babys life when the babys blood starts clotting on its own, then he will not bleed out.

Although I have not done any research on it, I imagine that there is a REASON why a babys blood does not clot much for the first 7 days.  I dont think we are born with things that we are better off without, I think that we are born the way that is best for us to be, and the current medical system is trying to improve nature, but I think that nature makes us the way we were meant to be made.  Also, just think about how many babys have been born without these shots and such.   Yes there is oral K also, but like I said before, if we truely needed K when we were born, I believe that we would be born with it!