Vitamin D

The suggested dosage for the baby is on the box; it really isn't a lot if you give her the correct amount for the baby's age. Try putting it in cereal or whatever else is suggested, which I believe is on the box (baby cereal/formula). Yes, it is nasty, but much of what is good for you isn't going to taste good! Keep trying!!

My youngest 2 children were/are exclusively breastfed. I never used Vitamin D drops and feel they are not necessary if the child is getting sufficient sunlight. My children do not have any problems. My 3rd child was breastfed until he was almost 16 months & my 4th is 10 1/2 months old and exclusively breastfeeding.

Make it a GREAT weekend!

S.

My opinion - Vitamin D supplementation is the newest medical fad. Your daughter only needs 10-15 minutes of sunlight on her hands and face daily to produce the VitD she needs naturally. This exposure to sunlight is not going to give her cancer. We need to remember that most everything is okay in moderation. Please don't buy into the idea that breastmilk is missing something your daughter needs. This is a common medical misconception that has *no basis* in medical fact. The medical community - with it's emphasis on measuring and quantifying everything - simply CANNOT accept that breastmilk is perfect as is, and there is NO BENEFIT to formula feeding over breastfeeding. Breastmilk has been designed as nature's perfect food. Formula has not. Don't buy into the idea that breastmilk is missing something and you need to supplement your daughter. If you are concerned about Vitamin D, you might try supplementing yourself with some fermented cod liver oil. You can buy it in capsules, and it is far and away the best way to get Vit D. I have taken the Green Pastures brand before - you order it online.

If you are concerned about vitamin supplementation, please choose a high-quality, food-based vitamin, or you will simply be wasting your time and money. Most commercial vitamins are basically useless to our bodies. In trying to spend the least amount to produce their vitamin, vitamin companies use forms of the vitamin that are inaccessible to our bodies. That is why we get "vitamin pee" - that nasty smelling, bright colored pee. It is all the insoluble vitamins passing through our systems and down the toilet. If you want to get the benefits of vitamin supplementation, you need to take a good quality, *food based* vitamin. If you take a good vitamin, you will have good nutrients in your breastmilk for your baby. I particularly like the New Chapter Organics. They are 100% food based, and I can tell a difference in my energy level when I haven't taken them for a while. There are other good brands out there, but just make sure it is a food-based vitamin for the best absorption.

In the meantime, I would say to just enjoy your baby and make sure she gets a little sunshine every day. We mothers are way too scared about every little thing that comes down the pike. A few minutes of sunshine is *not* going to give your daughter cancer. An exclusive diet of breastmilk is *not* going to give her rickets.

Best of luck,
S. L

I just wanted to add that since your baby is light-skinned, you need to worry about vit D less. It takes the least time for the light-skinned babies to get theirs.

If you are breastfeeding then that is all the baby needs right now. I have breastfed both my babies exclusively and they never had a problem with not enough vitamin D. Although at your babies 2 month check up you doc will probably recommend starting your baby on vitamin drops that contain vitamin D but until then I wouldn't give your baby anything extra.

Hi C. - I got as far as opening the bottle on those vit. drops and the smell stopped me right there. The best thing you can do for your little one right now is to get really good nutrition yourself. Make sure you are taking a calcium with D supplement as well as plenty of good quality Omega 3s.

Hi Again C.!

After my inital response to your request, I came across a lot of info on Vitamin D and ended up writing a blog post about it.

You can check it out at: http://www.goodngreen.org

Thanks!

L.

Breastmilk is a wonderful source of all kinds of much needed nutrients. I don't think any supplements are necessary but just talk to your doctor.

I breastfed my daughter for 8 mos. My doctor never told me to get any supplements. The sun is the best source if vitamin D. Get her out in the natural light (not during the mid-day sun) for some exposure. I'd also recommend talking to your doctor as well.

I have a very fair skinned 6 month old as well and I have been exclusively breast feeding him. I, as in me, have been taking a Vitamin D3 supplement, you can take a vit. D2 if you are vegetarian. With me taking the supplement we both benefit and his blood work has always come back great.
Good luck.

a little bit of sun exposure is good for everyone, even very light-skinned people. we have become overly cautious about the sun in our culture. 5-10 minutes a day is more than enough to get all the vitamin D your baby needs.

I don't think you should worry about vitamin D supplements. Breastmilk is perfectly designed for your baby. Plus it only takes a few minutes (like 5) of sun to get the vitamin D we need.

C.,

Herbalife has a great multi-vitamin for infants that I love! My daughter is almost 4 months now, and the doc suggested a vitamin D supplement for her and to be honest, my pharmacist at our small town grocer was well, less than helpful in finding the one prescribed so I went back to the company that I trust. You can look for a distributor at their website www.herbalife.com or contact me and I could get you some, but I'm not sure where you are compared to where I am!

V.

Depending on the resource, some say wait 2 months before starting vitamin D. If you can find a vitamin without the "B's," it may taste better. As for sun light... most people absorb enough vitamin D in 15 minutes of sun exposure (including through a window). Sunscreen inhibits the absorbtion of vitamin D, and polarized glass etc. also would. The problem for doctors is that they can't promote skin cancer (15 minutes w/o sunscreen), so they are forced to promote vitamins. If your baby is light skinned, and you live in a sunny part of the country, chances are you are just fine. But it is a liabilty issue, and important, particularly if you have a child who would require more sun exposure (dark skinned) and lived in an area where the sun was infrequent (inner city, extreme northern climate). There are definite medical guidelines, but families can still choose what works best for them. Hope this helps!

Hi C.,
the natural source for Vitamin D is sunlight. I have read that a newborn only needs to be in the direct sunlight long enough from you to walk with them from the house to the car allowing that some skin is exposed. So a few minutes outside every day ought to be plenty. I think what you're doing is fine. Keep it up!

C.

If you're breastfeeding solely, she won't need any other supplements unless you have specific genetic problems that would otherwise say she needs it. Stop worrying so much.

Hi, C.-- There was a cover story about Vitamin D and Breastfeeding in Mothering magazine awhile ago, maybe a year. I'm sure you could find it in their archives online at www.mothering.com. I remember the general conclusion of the article was that supplements were typically not necessary since a very small amount of sunshine provided enough Vitamin D.
What a lucky baby to have such a conscientious mom! Congratulations on your breastfeeding relationship!

My son is VERY light-skinned (we just got back from a week at the beach and he is still pale as can be!) and I breastfed him to 10 months. My pediatrician recommended against the Vitamin D drops - she didn't think they would hurt, but she thought they were overkill as long as you don't live in Alaska or some place with no natural light. She said that if I was worried, I could give them to him once a week, but to avoid mixing them with breastmilk so he wouldn't associate the milk with the vitamin taste. I didn't, and he is a healthy, thriving 21-month-old now.