Oral Vitamin K

[nia82]

My birthing center only administers the Vitamin K shot, which I don't want. However I want oral Vitamin K, and they said they don't provide it, I have to talk to a pediatrician. It seems they don't do consultations/prescriptions until after the baby is born though...
How could I obtain oral Vitamin K like Konakion? Does anybody have experience with that?

Thanks, nia

[Xenopus]

My CNM recommends the following oral vitamin K be ordered with her birth kit supplies:

http://tinyurl.com/6mgck6


Best,
Xen

[treehugginhippie]

Originally Posted by Xenopus

My CNM recommends the following oral vitamin K be ordered with her birth kit supplies:

http://tinyurl.com/6mgck6


Best,
Xen

This is the one I just ordered.

[daughteroftruth]

I don't know how far along you are, but have you concidered taking a vit. K rich supplement during your pregnancy vrs giving your baby one? I take chloraphill (sp?) throughout my pregnancies, then up the dosage at 36weeks and maintain that till several weeks after labor. That way baby is getting whatever he need through me.

As far as obtaining a vit.k supplement, you should be able to get one through any ND in your area. (you can get supplements rich in vit. K at most healthfood stores as well...but I trust an ND suppliers first.)

[MrsTani]

I found out my birth center doesn't offer the oral vitamin K - they don't think it's as effective or else they think the parents will forget to do it - and the director (an RN/BSN, not a midwife) seemed to be pushing the vitamin K shot and the arythromycin (sp?) ointment as a precautionary measure against potential eye infections (though no dangers of STD-related infections from me, since DH and I were virgins when we married).

[nashvillemidwife]

Originally Posted by daughteroftruth

I take chloraphill (sp?) throughout my pregnancies, then up the dosage at 36weeks and maintain that till several weeks after labor. That way baby is getting whatever he need through me.

I'm not aware of any evidence that the baby receives therapeutic levels of vitamin K through the placenta, and any that he is born with will soon metabolize out of his system. Do you have a source of such information?

[california_mom]

Got mine here

[treehugginhippie]

Originally Posted by nashvillemidwife

I'm not aware of any evidence that the baby receives therapeutic levels of vitamin K through the placenta, and any that he is born with will soon metabolize out of his system. Do you have a source of such information?

This is what I've read that other moms are saying too. That's the reason why I'm choosing the oral vitamin K for the baby. I suppose I *could* drink or take alfalfa (high in vit K) instead (transferred to baby via breastmilk) but I didn't want to be responsible for keeping up with it post-partum.

[nashvillemidwife]

I'm not aware that you can raise the baby's vitamin K to therapeutic levels through breast milk either. And if you can, certainly not soon enough to prevent early-onset deficiency bleeding.

[treehugginhippie]

Originally Posted by nashvillemidwife

I'm not aware that you can raise the baby's vitamin K to therapeutic levels through breast milk either. And if you can, certainly not soon enough to prevent early-onset deficiency bleeding.

Good to know!

[nashvillemidwife]

I'm not saying it's not a good idea to boost mom's supply, but the point of giving it to the baby is to give them a high enough dose to effectively medicate them against deficiency-bleeding, and to do that you need to dose the baby directly. If you don't think that's necessary, that's fine - it's your decision. But if you're not concerned with preventing disease, there's really no other reason babies need to be supplemented.

[nia82]

Thanks... Is the medication sent from within the US or Canada? I know that if it's from Canada customs might throw a fit right? If so, what's the success rate in receiving it?

[nashvillemidwife]

Order it from Birth With Love (from california_mom's link) and you'll have no problems.

[Rogelito's Mommy]

Not sure how this weighs in but my midwife told me she did the oral vitK w/ babies for a while but that it tastes aweful and she didn't want there firt oral experience to be something that tastes bad, so she went back to the shot. Not sure if being poked is better...but I thought she had an interesting point.

[nashvillemidwife]

She was probably giving them the regular injection fluid orally. That stuff is nasty. The vitamin K solution that is made for oral use is pretty tasteless. I tried it myself because I don't want to be giving babies anything that tastes hideous either and it was fine.

[hapersmion]

Originally Posted by nashvillemidwife

Order it from Birth With Love (from california_mom's link) and you'll have no problems.

I got mine from there, no problem. It doesn't last forever, though, so I wouldn't order it more than six weeks or so before the birth - ours dried up after about that long. Just a note.

And it doesn't have much taste. I tried it too, before giving it to the baby. He didn't object either. (And it certainly wasn't his first oral experience! He had nursed several times before we got around to giving it.)

[nia82]

Ok I got it It arrived really quickly.

One question: can I give him the drop in front of the doctors / staff at the birthing center or will they object? Is there a law/rule that prevents me from administering the oral vitamin K there?
Because I remember that they said if I want to do the oral vitamin K, I gotta do it through my pediatrician. But the first dose is supposed to be given within 2 hours of birth, so I gotta do it there. Any thoughts?

Thanks

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by daughteroftruth

I don't know how far along you are, but have you concidered taking a vit. K rich supplement during your pregnancy vrs giving your baby one? I take chloraphill (sp?) throughout my pregnancies, then up the dosage at 36weeks and maintain that till several weeks after labor. That way baby is getting whatever he need through me.

As far as obtaining a vit.k supplement, you should be able to get one through any ND in your area. (you can get supplements rich in vit. K at most healthfood stores as well...but I trust an ND suppliers first.)

I read at the link below that Vit K in pregnancy does NOT transfer to the baby in utero. Through the breastmilk, yes, but in small amounts.

http://www.babyreference.com/VitaminKinjectORnot.htm

[mkmoro311]

I'm still a big believer that if you let all of the blood transfer from the placenta to your baby then the need for Vit K is few and far between!