Vitamin D supplementation for breastfed newborns/babies????

[SilverMoon010]

I just got back from my 7-day-old baby's well check.  I am breastfeeding him.  (I didn't BF my first, however, so this is new for me.)  The ped recommended a D supplement, which is apparently what they recommend now for all BF'ing babies.  I tried looking up past posts on this and am still unsure about this.  I live on the East Coast and as of right now it is 40 degrees outside with a chance of snow.  I surely can't take my newborn outside to get sunlight in this weather.  I wanted to see what others do regarding this.  The ped recommended D Vi-Sol, which I wouldn't give because of the ingredients, lots of artificial crap in it. I didn't know if there was a good supplement out there or if a newborn even NEEDS this type of supplementation, but what if he's not getting a ton of sunlight, as I mentioned above? (He will be able to get sun exposure in the warmer months though, like April, just not right now.) I am definitely on board with keeping things as natural as possible but I'm having a hard time weeding out what is truly necessary and what's not!

My other question would be are there risks with giving a D supplement that I need to be aware of?  I notice many are against giving a D supplement and am just wondering why that is and if there is something I need to know.   I give my 3-year-old a D3 supplement in the wintertime to keep his immune system up to par since he can't get much sun, but I never gave him supplementation as a newborn and would never have expected to have to do such a thing, especially when I am BF'ing this time around.

Edited by SilverMoon010 - 2/8/12 at 11:56am

[motherhendoula]

Id like to hear what other moms have done - i know my doc didnt recommend any supplement until LO was eating solids - 7 days seems VERY young for a D supplement!  The last baby i nursed was 13 years ago - i dont recall anyone pushing Vit D back then- so its a new concept for me too!

[OrangeMoon]

Hmmm, I am curious what others have to say as well!

[PatioGardener]

Here are my thoughts...

I live up north too (Canada) and I know that most Canadians have low vit D levels. We just can't get enough sunlight to make enough vit D, and very few of us eat a traditional northern vit D rich diet anymore.

I know I have low vit D because I got tested. I take a supplement. I took enough during my baby's first 6 months of life so that my milk would likely provide him all he needed.  I feel really strongly about the virgin gut and did not want to give him a daily vitamin until he was eating solids.

Once he started solids I started to give him the supplement too.

Here is kellymom's take on vit D.

And here are the drops we use.

[SilverMoon010]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener 

Here are my thoughts...

I live up north too (Canada) and I know that most Canadians have low vit D levels. We just can't get enough sunlight to make enough vit D, and very few of us eat a traditional northern vit D rich diet anymore.

I know I have low vit D because I got tested. I take a supplement. I took enough during my baby's first 6 months of life so that my milk would likely provide him all he needed.  I feel really strongly about the virgin gut and did not want to give him a daily vitamin until he was eating solids.

Once he started solids I started to give him the supplement too.

Here is kellymom's take on vit D.

And here are the drops we use.

I agree.  I do not want to give my baby a supplement at this stage either.  I don't feel comfortable with that.

I assume because your levels were tested, you were under the guidance of a doctor when it came to how much D you should supplement yourself with?  I would like to take a D supplement myself but I guess I would need to get tested first before I do that, or can I just take a small amount of D supplement daily without actually getting tested?

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by SilverMoon010 

I agree.  I do not want to give my baby a supplement at this stage either.  I don't feel comfortable with that.

I assume because your levels were tested, you were under the guidance of a doctor when it came to how much D you should supplement yourself with?  I would like to take a D supplement myself but I guess I would need to get tested first before I do that, or can I just take a small amount of D supplement daily without actually getting tested?

I actually started taking the supplement myself based on reading I did. I started at 400 IU/day, and then went up to 1000 IU/day, then 2000 IU/day in pregnancy. Then I got tested and my doctor increased it again. I think the kellymom link may have information about supplementing mom.

[lisamarie1081]

We had our 2 week well baby check this past Monday and the doc mentioned this, though I had heard the same thing from a friend who had a baby around Thanksgiving so I was prepared.  He told me it was sold over the counter; I honestly didn't even look at the notes her wrote because I know it's all propaganda.  I've been doctoring naturally for nearly 10 years and know that we have nearly everything we need and what we don't, we need to be sure we're low on before supplementing.  Here's an example:

As a child, I had very weak lungs and was generally sick all winter long each and every winter.  Though my parents smoked all those years and quit when I was about 10 or 13, my immune system didn't get much stronger and my lungs always took a hit.  Anyway, one winter when I was 16, my mom suggested I take a vitamin C supplement.  I did -- I think it was 500 or 1000 mg, whatever was standard, over the counter -- and had my healthiest, most comfortable winter ever!  In May, though, I was hit with a bout of MAJOR kidney stones which hospitalized me for two weeks because of the pain.  When they collected them, they analyzed them and found that they were caused from an abundance of vitamin c.  I never took another vitamin c supplement.

I take vitamins now, as an adult, but they are always food-derived, never over-the-counter synthetics like Centrum or those gummy things you see on TV.  So, i might have needed the vitamin c as a teen, but it wasn't the kind that my body was used to processing.

IF I DECIDE TO SUPPLEMENT MY BABE WITH D,  I will search long and hard for a "natural" alternative.

And I will likely lie to the doc if he asks if I'm giving what he recommended -- it's easier than the fight.  If it were up to me we wouldn't probably even be seeing a pediatrician, but a naturopath.  My husband isn't familiar with that world though and I'm lobbying hard for no vax, so my compromise might be close observation by the peds.  :/

Hope this helped!

[EuroMama]

I was also told to Vit D supplement, and the kind that they ask us to use is horrible tasting, not good for babies immature digestive system.

I told them I will not supplement my baby with this stuff and we will just go outside (Arizona).

AND I don't think I should have to lie to them, its my child not theirs and I know what is best for my child.

[Devaskyla]

Breastfeeding mothers need at least 4000IU/day and blood levels over 50 (optimally 80) for their babies to get enough in the milk. http://www.007b.com/vitamin-d-breast-milk.php http://www.betterbabybook.com/the-most-affordable-way-to-increase-fertility-and-baby-health/

D drops are a good way to supplement. They make 400 & 1000 IU drops.

[Mom2M]

I have taken 6500 iu's of Vitamin D since I was pregnant and have not given a supplement to DD. One of the articles I read was this one http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/VitDGenScience/Hollis%20breastfeeding%20D%20level%2007.pdf
It's especially effective before six months when still EBF.

[Quinalla]

I supplemented myself since I am in the same climate as you where we don't get enough sun in the winter to make Vitamin D, in the summer we just get plenty of outside time. I personally would not have a problem giving DD a supplement of Vitamin D if she needed it if there is a good one out there for newborns (ie not full of a bunch of crap they don't need or shouldn't have), but her pediatrician didn't bring it up and since I had supplemented during pregnancy and was continuing while nursing, I didn't worry about it too much.

[SilverMoon010]

Well, I just ordered my Vitamin D kit from Vitamin Council (ZRT) to check my levels.  (I'm also going to check my 4-year-old's levels again as he has been getting D3 supplementation over the winter.) 

I may be back with my results as I may have some questions for you mamas  I surely hope I'm not deficient!!

[PatrickSvejzi]

Vitamin D-3 is a form of fat soluble vitamin which can be naturally found in most food products, including egg yolk, milk products, fish-oil, along with other greens. Considering your system can also make it just after contact with natural light, it's also generally known as sun vitamin. Inside the all round body system operation, vitamin d-3 is necessary for having regular quantities of calcium mineral and phosphorus inside of the bloodstream. It improves calcium mineral intake through bone tissues and the teeth, therefore selling the bone and teeth's health.



Vitamin D-3: Information and data



The epidermis, immediately after getting ultra-violet sun's rays, builds vitamin D supplements. New studies have said the the sun vitamin helps to protect your body in opposition to a number of constant disorders, for instance muscles lack of strength, high blood pressure levels, diabetic issues, depressive disorder, most cancers, weakening of bones, and various other immune system associated health conditions. Utilization of sunblocks that has sunrays defense factor of 8 or even more obstructs the ultra violet rays, thereby reducing the production of that vitamin. To learn the outcomes of vitamin d3 deficiency on health and wellness more desirable, allow us to take a brief peek at certain vitamin d3 info.

[MichelleZB]

I do the DDrops when I remember. We live in Northern Canada so I guess it's probably best for us to get a little help...

[JudiAU]

My ped recomends the same thing because it is the APA rec.

But are you a dark-skinned veiled woman living in Northern Canada with low light levels? Because if you are not, then I doubt you need it. Link to the research: http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d/ .

My ped agreed too, after I gave her a copy of the study.

[Mom2M]

Originally Posted by JudiAU 

My ped recomends the same thing because it is the APA rec.

But are you a dark-skinned veiled woman living in Northern Canada with low light levels? Because if you are not, then I doubt you need it. Link to the research: http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d/ .

My ped agreed too, after I gave her a copy of the study.

I read this article that you have linked here from kellymom. Then I read the articles that were cited as resources. It's absolutely ridiculous.
Maybe the author thought no one would actually go look at the sources and read them? Blog posts and a facebook post. The actual journal articles and even the little newspaper articles and booklets that are listed all support vitamin D supplementation, whether it is maternal supplementation during pregnancy and/or lactation or infant supplements.
I can't imagine why your ped. would agree that vitamin D supplementation is not necessary based on this article and its sources.
In fact, it proves the opposite is true.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by JudiAU 

My ped recomends the same thing because it is the APA rec.

But are you a dark-skinned veiled woman living in Northern Canada with low light levels? Because if you are not, then I doubt you need it. Link to the research: http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamin-d/ .

My ped agreed too, after I gave her a copy of the study.

The kellymom page actually says if you live in Canada, then you need to think about supplementing. Most Canadians have low vit D levels, and vit D supplementation is advised for all Canadians.

There is decent research to say you can supplement a breastfeeding mom if you don't want to supplement baby directly.

[tri31]

The kellys mom site has links to the research, too.

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/9241562110.pdf

http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309043913&page=155

[JudiAU]

My ped agreed that the *baby* did not need direct supplementation. My own levels of vitamin D are very good and thus the level of vitamin D in my bm is more than adequate.

I live in Southern California, have exposure to abundant sunlight, and Vitamin D is for supplied by prenatal/nursing vitamins I take. The point is that *babies* do not need direct supplementation if the mother's supply is adequate.