Poly-Sol Vitamins and BFing

[Tootsiemomma]

Originally Posted by Ruthe My concern with giving artificial vitamins to a breastfed baby is that they could block absorption of the natural vitamins and nutrients in breastmilk. The iron in breastmilk is highly absorbable (is that a word?) but when iron supplements are given, they are a form of iron that might block things up so that the breastmilk iron isn't absorbed as readily. Vitamin D can be obtained from the sun if you can get the baby outside. Baby vitamin drops have artificial flavor and preservatives added, and there isn't any other food I would routinely give my baby that contains these things. They seem absolutely undesirable in every way, to me.

couldn't have said it better myself!

[havanadaydreamin]

My ped recommended both vitamins and flouride drops. I basically ignored her on both of those, since my DD is in the sun enough, and gets enough iron from her other sources of food.

I also have read too many bad things about flouride, so I choose not to supplement with that as well. I told the ped that she is in daycare with city water, so I assume that she gets some flouride each day.

The ped has never said anything else about it. Maybe she just thinks that I went ahead and followed her advice?

[Natrat80]

My doc wanted me to start these when dd was 6 months, but I only gave them to her twice. They are smelly and DD always gaged. The main concern is vit D. I read somewhere that 15 min out side a day would give a baby all the vit D they need. I take dd out for 5 or 10 around 3 times a day. HTH

Same thing happened with my DD. My ped also said DD needed them for iron. I said, no thanks. Then ped said well you either need to start vitamins or cereal (at 4 months). No thanks. I continued to EBF DD until 6 months when we added solids. I gave her the vitamins once or twice before I realized that I could make the decision for myself instead of doing what the ped. recommended. I switched peds right after that BTW!

[kissum]

BF babies do not need vitamins of any kind. Silly doctors.

[Christianna]

This is something that I have been wondering too. I live in Canada and here the Dr's/nurses/everyone highly recommends Vitamin D drops due to our northern climate and less sunshine (long winters). I have given it to my ds a few times, but I really wonder if it's necessary. BM is the perfect food for babies. I don't like the other ingredients in the vitamin either.

[mamabug]

You can get fluoride drops that are not in vitamins, I gave them to my 4 kids because I EBF and we have well water. They taste and smell a lot better than the vit drops.

[rpg_mommy]

Bleh! Babies get all they need from bm! The iron in bm is much more easily absorbed than the suplimental iron in cereal or vitamins, so even though there is LESS iron in bm, babies absorb MORE of it. Vit D is easily gotten through time in the sun. City water = flouride.

No vitamins for my baby unless he gets to be a super picky eater when he's no longer bf'ing.

[mmskids]

I was also told to give them to my kids. I haven't yet since I hated the smell also.

Flouride I do start giving them when they are getting molars since I have extremely soft teeth and deep teeth and it is suppose to stop them from getting cavities. So far, none of my other 4 kids that have teeth have gotten any. Though I agree, I read too much is not a good thing.

[justanothercdmama]

I just took the twins for a checkup yesterday & asked about them... the ped said it's a waste of $ to buy them b/c BM has all baby needs.

[heather_c]

I have seen 3 different peds each of which were in different practices for well visits. None of them have even mentioned vitamin supplementation to me. It is one more area where I think it cannot be that important if all doctors do not recommend it.

I have done my research about vitamins, and I feel for us they are not necessary. The only one I would consider would be Vitamin D if we lived in a FAR nothern climate, like the Yukon or Alaska, my child was born during the winter, and my child had a darker ethnic skintone that did not absorb as much sunlight. Otherwise, I think it is relatively easy for us to get the required sun exposure.