My 6 month gags on any type of cereal, so my Pediatrician recommended Poly-Vi-Sol. Unfortunately, my ds will gag, spit and splutter on that, too.
Any vitamin supplement for babies out there that has vitamin D AND IRON that is palatable?
:)
Thanks!
Sidenote: This is my third baby so i am familiar with transition to solids and have tried all of the suggestions being given in that respect. I appreciate people trying to be helpful, but I really just need an alternative to the Poly-Vi-Sol, please.
Another sidenote: I breastfeed, so I can't mix it with my milk.
Iron stores in breastmiilk run out after 6 months
We liked MyKidzIron, but I was able to mix it with the food. BUT, my son wouldn't eat anything the Poly-vi-sol had touched, but would gobble it down with the MyKidzIron. It also has the Vitamin D. On a side note, my MIL who was watching my son told me that she tasted the food I was sending with him and that "sauce" I was putting on top of his food (the MyKidzIron) was really good! :)
Yeah, that stuff is NASTY!
First of all though, if you're breastfeeding,there is absolutely NO need for iron or extra Vit D.--Especially w/ summer on it's way. Cereal & synthetic vitamins (like Poli vi sol) are awful ways of getting iron as at least 90% of it (at least!) isn't absorbed & can actually "rob" the body of other sources of iron.
If you really feel like you need to supplement w/ a vitamin though, I always suggest a whole food, natural vitamin. Unlike synthetic ones, they're actually absorbed by the body.
I go to my local health food store & get Animal Parade brand, which is (if I remember) orange flavored. Both my kids always liked it. (They're now on Animal Parade chewables vs. liquid though).
If you're not sure if the vitamin is whole food or not, just look at the ingredients. If it's whole food, it will list plants, etc... from which the vitamins came.
Hope that helps!
Can you mix the cereal with applesauce so that it tastes better.
Are you just starting spoon feeding? If so, the gagging may be more related to the change in texture rather than the taste of the cereal.
I just skipped that awful stuff with my daughter. There is a camp that doesn't think the iron supplement is necessary, and may be harmful. Check this out:
try flavoring it..my pediatrician gave me sample of flavorplus medicine flavoring drops and the grape flavor helped offset the bad taste of the iron
Iron stores don't run out after 6mos! Thats such an old wives tale! They may decrease, but thye never run out as long as mom has a healthy diet and is getting even a small amount of sunlight a week.
Did you know that it only takes a few minutes of direct sunlight a WEEK to make enough vitamin D for your body? Did you know that even though your milk has a lower amount of Vitamin D, its 100% absorbed by your baby? Formula has to have absurd amounts of Vit D because a baby can only absorb about 5% of it because its in an unnatural state. Getting Vit D in its natural state is absorbed 100%, and coming from your milk to your baby, he's getting all he needs.
I breastfed both my boys, both through the winter in MN, and never gave either the baby vitamins (made by formula companies... which is why they are forced upon breastfeeding moms, they want your money one way or another), and they never ate rice cereal either.
Your baby is telling you something, his body doesn't need these unnatural things. Expose him to sunlight when its out, a few minutes is all it takes. Even if its once a week, expose his face, arm, whatever, to direct sunlight for 5mins. thats it. Even through a window works. Get some sunlight yourself, and your body will add the right amount for your baby into your milk and it will be 100% absorbed by your baby, just like nature intended.
Goodness, I feel bad for you, we never had to give vitamins because the kids were on formula with iron. I hope your baby gets better.
You could mix the Poly-vi-sol with applesauce. I've not tasted it and so don't know if it's flavor is too strong to cover.
Have you had experience giving him a liquid med? There are tricks that may help him get it swallowed. Squirt it into his cheek, rather than onto his tongue is one such trick.
As I recall, babies do have difficulty with cereal until they get used to the texture. Going from drinking a liquid to a more solid food takes practice. I would continue to give him the cereal, realizing that you will have quite a mess to clean up until he masters the skills necessary for swallowing it.
Also, are you mixing the cereal with enough breast milk or formula to make the cereal quite runny?
Mixing some apple sauce with the cereal may also help.
My daughter wouldn't take teh poly-vi-sol either, so I mixed it in with her bottle (formula, milk, etc). Just a thought before you give up on that vitamin.
I'm not sure about another type of supplement as we have only used the poly-vi-sol mixed with some sort of fruit, but i would question the ped's decision to put your baby on the supplement to begin with at only 6 months. If he's formula fed, there's iron in that and if he's breastfed, there's plenty of iron in human milk so in reality, he should be getting enough iron.
Hi Suzy,
Polyvisol is really not a good choice anyway.
I recommend ShakleeBaby. You can find it at http://www.shaklee.net/healthforlife
Victoria
Poly Ci Sol is nasty! Did you ever try it? It needs to be mixed with something else to get it down. You have to decide if its more important to exclusively breastfeed or get the iron in. I would say one glass of apple juice a day won't hurt.
Is he breastfed or Formula fed? Formula contains iron and all those vitamins.
Is he anemic?
Why specifically does he need the iron and D, supplement? My kids as babies had "Poly Vitamins w/iron" which was a prescription. It may be just another "brand" of Poly Vi Sol. For my kids, I just dropped into their apple sauce or milk.
I'm sorry... but I do not understand why your Pediatrician prescribed Poly-vi-sol since your son gags on cereal? Is it because the cereal is fortified and thus Doctor feels he is not getting enough vitamins? At this age, a baby doesn't even eat much "solids" anyway.
If he is gagging on cereal... then maybe he's not ready for "solids." His gag reflex/tongue thrust reflex must still be there. Thus choking. At this age, breastfmilk/Formula is still the PRIMARY source of nutrition for a baby, in the 1st year of life. If on Formula, he'd be getting these vitamins from it.
Most iron supplements are not tasty. For babies, it is pretty much in liquid/drop form. Since they can't exactly "chew" vitamins yet. And, babies under 1-2 years old have different nutritional demands/lacks than an older child.
Maybe ask your Doc for an idea... I'm sure many babies don't like the taste of it...
I don't know if this has those 2 in it what about pediasure? you have 3 kids maybe you would know better than me.
