Two breastfeeding "myths"?

Quote:
1. Some babies with darker skin in areas with limited sun MAY need supplemental vit. D.

2. Totally false.

-Angela

no need for water. baby will nurse more on hot days to make up for hydration needs and your milk will also be more "watery" (not the best word, but the most appropriate, probably) to accomodate.

as for vit d drops, i see you are in ontario, canada (according to your location) so depending on how far north you are, you might consider vit d supplements for your baby in the winter months depending on how much sun you are getting. from the research i have read, however, people who live in more northern latitudes have bodies that adapt to vit d storage and usage based on limited sunlight exposure during the winter months. for example, a person living in southern california and used to lots of sunlight throughout the year who then moved to northern canada might have a hard time adjusting the first year or so to the lessened light in the winter months, but a person living in northern canada would store vit d in the body and use it gradually over the months that they have limited sun exposure. also, only 10-15 minutes of sun exposure a week is generally enough to maintain a healthy amount of vit d in the body for the average person.

~claudia

Hmmm...DD's pediatrician told me to give DD vitamin D drops but I forget his reasoning. I think I gave them to her once but just felt they didn't seem necessary. Our next appointment he asked if I was giving them to her and I told him no, I always forget to. He said "it's ok, it's not really necessary." I was like "huh?" :

As far as water, I'm not sure why people think this. My mom especially kept telling me I need to give DD water because she "just HAS to be thirsty" and "how is she supposed to stay hydrated?" I guess my mom thinks breastmilk is powder.

Breastmilk is perfect for babies. They don't need anything else until 6 months or later. While the amounts of things like vitamin d and iron are considered "low" in bm, they are more readily absorbed by the baby than artificial drops. My ped wrote me a script for these drops on Monday ( my son isnt even 2 weeks old ) But he is at least 70 and Im not going to change his mind, so I just smiled and thanked him. I don't know if this is true or not, but I read that giving water to a baby under 6 months old is dangerous as it can dilute the blood.