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Oral Vit. K

1K views 31 replies 12 participants last post by  pazerific 
#1 ·
I am actually having a hospital birth with MW and a doula, but I want to give oral Vit. K.

I asked my mw about oral vit. K. and she said that the nurse administers injectable vit. K orally if the parents request it.

I ordered the natural vit. K online-- it's derived from plants, not synthetic like the injectable one. I will bring this to the hospital and I want to give it myself to the baby.

How does one administer it? (Put the dropper in the baby's mouth, drip it down your finger, etc?)

How much do you give? I have heard 1-2ml.

When do you give it? Right after birth? Is a couple of hours after birth ok? Is the next day ok?

Thanks!
If you think there's a better place to post this question please let me know.

Lorette
 
#2 ·
If you ordered the vit. k from birthwithlove, you give one drop. It is super-potent. It is also oily and relatively easy to just suspend the bottle above baby's mouth and then let the drop fall in.
 
#3 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorette View Post
I ordered the natural vit. K online-- it's derived from plants, not synthetic like the injectable one. I will bring this to the hospital and I want to give it myself to the baby.

I have been wondering about oral vit K...where did you get yours and what is the name brand?
 
#13 ·
I emailed my MW asking her about oral instead of shot and she said to get it from my Pediatrician which I will be meeting with next week. When I see my MW this week for my prenatal I will get more details on it because I want to make sure that it is the plant based Vit K and not synthetic.
 
#15 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by swissmiss2584 View Post
I mentioned the oral Vit K to my MW and told her that it was plant based and she questions the effectiveness of the plant based vs the synthetic. Does anyone have any stats or info on that? Thanks!
Read the info here about the natural vit k:
http://www.birthwithlove.com/categor...s%2DOral+Vit+K

Why would something synthetic be better than something natural?
Human beings are meant to ingest natural substances.
From my research, it seems most HB mws give the newborn the natural vit. k.

Natural is better, IMO.

Lorette
 
#17 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorette View Post
Read the info here about the natural vit k:
http://www.birthwithlove.com/categor...s%2DOral+Vit+K

Why would something synthetic be better than something natural?
Human beings are meant to ingest natural substances.
From my research, it seems most HB mws give the newborn the natural vit. k.

Natural is better, IMO.

Lorette
Oh I agree that natural is better. I guess she is thinking that synthetic is stronger? I'm not sure what her thinking is. She uses the Vit K shots and I would have to provide the oral if I wanted it. She told me to get it from my pediatrician but I assume that she only has the synthetic oral vit k.
 
#18 ·
It's easier to measure the actual quantities of the vitamin K made available to the body when you're dealing with a synthetic. Natural ingredients are susceptible to a multitude of discrepancies, from the soil it's grown in, to when it was harvested, how it was processed. You know more about what exactly you're getting when you use a synthetic.
 
#19 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by nashvillemidwife View Post
It's easier to measure the actual quantities of the vitamin K made available to the body when you're dealing with a synthetic. Natural ingredients are susceptible to a multitude of discrepancies, from the soil it's grown in, to when it was harvested, how it was processed. You know more about what exactly you're getting when you use a synthetic.
Ok, but with something like Vitamin K, don't you think it would be preferable-- or at least as good to give the natural form?
Do you think it would really make a difference?
I know with something like prenatal vitamins it is better to take the naturally derived vitamins (rather than synthetic) because they are more easily assimilated into your body. Wouldn't it stand to reason that giving natural vit k to a newborn would be better assimilated too?

Lorette
 
#22 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by swissmiss2584 View Post
So if I use the natural vit k should I give it more often than the synthetic oral vit k?
This is from:
http://www.birthwithlove.com/categor...s%2DOral+Vit+K

"Vitamin K Protocols
1 drop at birth, 1 drop at 1 week and 1 month
From Nursing Times, October 14, 1998: Researchers have found that plasma vitamin K concentrations were at least equal to or significantly higher in babies who are given the new oral form compared to those who are given the vitamin via injection. The oral form is given in doses of 2 mg soon after birth and again four to seven days later. It has been recommended that if the baby is being breastfed, an additional dose be given when it is one month old. I have mom take oral Vit. K for two weeks prior to EDD. I find this helps bleeding pp as well. Then I give baby 2 drops at birth (before I leave) and then again on day five."


A breastfeeding mother can also take vit. k supplements for 12 weeks (instead of giving vit. k to newborn) as it passes through breast milk.

Lorette
 
#23 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorette View Post
This is from:
http://www.birthwithlove.com/categor...s%2DOral+Vit+K

"Vitamin K Protocols
1 drop at birth, 1 drop at 1 week and 1 month
From Nursing Times, October 14, 1998: Researchers have found that plasma vitamin K concentrations were at least equal to or significantly higher in babies who are given the new oral form compared to those who are given the vitamin via injection. The oral form is given in doses of 2 mg soon after birth and again four to seven days later. It has been recommended that if the baby is being breastfed, an additional dose be given when it is one month old. I have mom take oral Vit. K for two weeks prior to EDD. I find this helps bleeding pp as well. Then I give baby 2 drops at birth (before I leave) and then again on day five."


A breastfeeding mother can also take vit. k supplements for 12 weeks (instead of giving vit. k to newborn) as it passes through breast milk.

Lorette

How much Vit K should I take? Wouldn't the Vit K from my prenatal be enough? Also I will be eating seaweed soup after birth because my mother-in-law is Korean and it is a tradition to feed the new mother seaweed soup for 10 days after birth and I read that it has large amounts of Vit K in it.
 
#24 ·
great that you will be eating seaweed soup-- standards for vitamin K intake are changing because vitamin K not only supports blood clotting it supports bone health and prevents calcification of soft tissues-- in any case as it stands the studies show that most women of childbearing age get about 1/2 of the current RDA . Studies on breastfeeding and vitamin K- mothers who have been supplemented the vitamin K content in their milk increases and their babies have higher levels,in the studies the infants still had markers of deficiency-- no one has looked at what the optimum amount a mom should get to pass on to her infant--
primitive diets averaged about 7% of the daily caloric intake from greens, that amount is probably close to optimal intake to prevent most vitamin K deficiency diseases vitamin K is not just a newborn issue but a whole life issue supplements can cover the bases but diet would be best for longterm health--
 
#25 ·
I have never heard, seen, or given (in a different life before kids I worked in OB) injectable vit k orally, I haven't done any research on this but I don't think it works like that. I have given my little one's oral vit K I ordered from birth with love, I had asked my pedi about it but they do not carry it since they prefer and most people get the vit k shot.
 
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