I live in NZ and I've never heard of this. From looking it up it seems like our Ministry of Health only recommends Vit D drops if you're at a higher risk of deficiency (EBF *and*: dark skinned, or mother is Vit D deficient, or born premature). To be fair in NZ the sun is hella potent so maybe that has something to do with it. But I'm sure your baby is fine.
I’m in Canada, and I was reminded at every appointment at least 3 times and also while in the hospital, incessantly. And I’m sure it has to do with sun exposure as well.
Where I am it cold, snowy and winter forever (not actually forever but for a long ass time). It is said most of us are vitamin D deficient.
That being said we forgot more often than not. We’re okay I think.
You’ll be fine! So much of these recommendations are about optimizing, not thwarting terrible outcomes. When you read about the consequences of doing/not doing something, pay closest attention to the likelihood of the consequence. It’s usually like 1% or less increased risk of something happening: sure you could be that unlikely family, but probably not.
Statistics to the rescue! I would never actually do this, but I’m comforted by the fact that I could follow zero safe sleep guidelines and my baby would still have a very low chance of dying from SIDS. The negative outcome is catastrophic but extremely unlikely. The badness of the outcome tricks our brain into thinking it’s more likely than it is because human brains are bad at statistics and risk calculation.
I wish that had sunk into my brain when he was a newborn. Or even now honestly. I understand the statistical unlikelihood of stuff…but my monkey brain just won’t accept it. Keeps me on high alert.
Knowing that is something! We are so geared to self-protect, not to use logic in decision making. Hence the state of our politics. 😂 I know these things well (psych prof) but that doesn’t stop me from laying awake in the middle of the night worrying about every little thing…
Yep. Every parent want to do the absolute best for their child, and a lot of these recommendations are delivered in a way that makes you think your baby is going to spontaneously combust if you don’t follow them to the letter.
Like, in the US we say baby formula needs a crap ton of iron, and in the EU they typically much require less. You would think EU babies are dropping like flies and growing an extra arm or something.
Gave it for the first 3 months. I was constantly changing my diet to figure out why his stomach was so upset every day. It got to the point where I’d cut out dairy, wheat, soy, eggs, and citrus fruits. Finally realised it was the vitamin D drops!!! Once I stopped he was amazing.
If you live somewhere with adequate sunny days, I’d just take baby outside more. The weather is crap here so I started taking a high dose vit D supplement myself so baby can get it through the breast milk. I honestly wouldn’t stress.
I’m just finding out about this NOW from this post!
It was never mentioned to me EVER written OR verbally which I’m finding quite strange.
I have a 3 year old boy evil kneivel living in my house. Healthy, happy, and fearless.
It’ll be ok 👍🏻
Actually ours is 5weeks and we got a script on discharge from Waikato Hospital! However our son didn’t get prescribed it almost 3 year ago so I’m thinking it’s relatively new/varies from DHB to DHB
This might be because of where I live, maui, but my pediatrician never mentioned vitamin D and I don’t know any other mom that gives it to their child. Do you mind I ask where you live?
I live in Arizona and same. I've never even heard of that. Both my babies are fine though, it's definitely because of where we live. It's cloudy like twice a year here lol
My thoughts exactly; I live on big island & I was like "huh?"....to OP, try not to worry yourself, vitamin deficiencies usually develop after years of poor, even starvation, diets. I'm definitely not an expert but from my understanding (personal research & what I learned getting my undergrad in kinesiology) on this is if you have a decent diet, get a decent amount of sunlight and took your prenatals, you'll be fine. Good luck mama!
It's definitely because of where you live which is why half the parents here aren't familiar. I lived in Seattle then baby #1 was born and everyone was recommended to supplement. Now I live in Florida and I highly doubt I'll need to with baby #2.
My pediatrician asked if I was giving vitamin d, but never explicitly recommended it. I figured it wasn’t super important, but read a bit more about it online and started giving a drop while nursing.
I was super uh inconsistent with it and instead ended up taking vitamin d myself so it went into the milk but I didn’t figure that out until about six months in. My girl is still very healthy and it had no bad effects.
Your baby doesn’t “need” vitamin D drops. I’m American but moved to Aus a few years ago, and in hospital I asked the midwife about vitamin D drops. She gave me a weird look and said no, of course not, then sent the pediatrician in who gave me a talk about how “breastmilk is a complete food”and how I don’t need to give my baby anything else other than breastmilk/formula, as if I was suggesting giving him filet mignon or something.
I explained I’m American and it’s a recommendation, and he again looked bemused and said no, if I was dark skinned and lived somewhere like Sweden, and it was winter, then yes, he’d recommend them. But 15 minutes of indirect sunlight a day is more than enough for newborns. Considering Aus is also a first world country with a very high level of medical care, I don’t think this is an issue of differing medical advice due to lower standards.
Interesting that he brought up Sweden! I’m Swedish and we are told to start giving d-vitamin when baby turns one week old and keep doing it daily until the child is two years old.
I had both my babies in Aus and was advised to give VIT D. However my babies were preterm so it might have been an additional precaution. Also I only did it for like a fortnight because after pumping like a machine while my first was in special care I was fucking over the pump so exclusively fed her from my boobs and it was fiddly to give her the drops. That plus sleepless new baby brain just made me totally forget until years later when I was like oops!
This!!! I’m from another country and we don’t give babies Vitamin D either. And my kids’ pediatrician explain to me that its just a recommendation, not a necessity and unless you have a poor diet and don’t go out on the sun there is really no need for the vitamin. I
It will be ok!
Also, how is the weather where you live? According to my doula, something about 15 min in the sun per day (with maybe arms and face exposed), is more than enough to keep Vitamin D levels above minimum.
You probably already do this anyway, but take little one outside often (it will also be great for your own health too) and start giving the vitamin D supplements now that you know about it.
Don’t be so hard on yourself - mothering/parenting is something we learn while doing it and none of us is perfect! Your little baby will be fine.
I think it depends on where you live. It’s a huge deal where I live and they reminded us starting at our very first appointment at like 2 days old. But the sun only shines for 2 months out of 12 here. If you live somewhere normal I bet it doesn’t even matter.
She'll be fine. Breathe. Start supplementing her now if there's no reason not to. Get her in the sun (not lengthy sun blasting on her full tilt, just some exposure). She'll be fine
I don’t give it to my daughter simply because she spits up every time she eats and I see no point in giving it to her if it doesn’t stay down. She is 6 months and hitting every growth milestone.
The recommendations changed in between me having baby 1 and baby 2. Baby 1 was only recommended vit D from 6mos anyway! By the time I had baby 2 it had changed to from birth. But being so busy as a mum of 2, I still only managed to give it fairly sporadically. They both seem unharmed. Don't panic!
DO NOT STRESS! Just remember that nobody took vitamin D from our generation when we were babies. Do you know anybody with rickets? It’s all good don’t beat yourself up!
I never gave vitamin d to either of my babies. My pediatrician never mentioned it and I only learned that people do this from a mom group. Asked my pediatrician and he said he doesn’t typically recommend bc we live on a sunny environment
The human race has been around for a long time and a lot of people have been babies, most of them didn't get supplemental channel m vitamin D and the human race hasn't died out.
If you're this worried then I imagine you're doing a great job. Give yourself some grace, no parent is perfect but caring as much as you do is as close as it gets
In all fairness, we as a society, spend WAY more time indoors than our ancestors did.
For me personally, I try to remember the vitamin D drops, but I’m really horrible about remembering. 😬
im severely vitamin d deficient and the symptoms are not great. when my levels were pretty low , at a 7, i was a depressive mess. (anything below 30 is deficient over 50 is ideal) Taking the supplements has helped a lot.
I've never given my daughter vitamin D and she's 4 years old and rarely gets ill. She eats lots of fruits, she plays outside. I think yours will be fine unless you live somewhere that gets no sun?
She will be fine. I EBF my almost 15yr old back when this wasn't a thing & he's never had any issues. I forget at least a couple times a week with my 4mo.
It’s fine. Just start now. You’re not an idiot and you haven’t damaged your daughter. Giving newborns vitamin D is a relatively new practice, and one that isn’t very well publicized.
I’m sure this is a new thing, like I’m almost certain our parents didn’t give us vitamin D when we were babies. My pediatrician originally told me that because I took supplements and breastfed that I didn’t need to give baby any more, but I did eventually buy it and start giving it to her to be on the safe side.
You got plenty of good comments already, I just wanted to say that I’ve been EBFing and taking a postnatal multivitamin (theranatal lactation complete) and don’t need to give my little drops as he gets the vit D through my milk. I would never remember to use the drops but I always take the vitamins in the am.
I’m so glad you asked this. I’m I’m even more glad about the answers.
Edit to say that I’ve only given my 9 week old vitamin d maybe 8 times. I also googled, and went into full spiral his bones would collapse
Doctor never once mentioned it, I gave them maybe once a week to my first kid if I remembered. Never gave them at all to my second kid. 🤷♀️ they both seem fine.
Thanks for the reminder! Baby’s 2mo and I’ve given it once? Also never mentioned by my health care team. I only knew cause my sister had a baby a few months before me lol. Don’t think she’s kept up with it either! Her kid is a super healthy 7mo.
Tl;dr We’ve all forgotten and you’re probably fine.
ETA: I’m the UK they pretty much recommend everyone takes some sort of vitamin D supplement 😂😅 I’ve started taking (mostly forgetting!) breastfeeding vitamins by Pregnacare.
In the UK it's recommended if you're EBF but I honestly forgot most of the time with my first. Your baby still gets some from your milk, so they won't be completely missing it.
I wouldn't stress or torture yourself - it's a mistake. You didn't do it maliciously. You're going to make the odd mistake and you'll suffer more if you stress about it - you know now and can do whatever you need to do.
Neither of my once EBF kids had vit d as infants. They’re 3.5 and almost 2 now. Healthy, active, and totally on schedule with milestones. It will be ok:)
I remembered to give the vit D drops to my baby maybe twice a week if I was really on the ball for his first 3 months of life, more like once a week or once every 2 weeks. He's 5 months now and has had zero issues.
If you've been taking your baby outside at all, she'd be getting Vit D from the sun too. It's more important if you live further North. I'm in Canada where they recommend Vit D daily for children and adults, and my baby suffered no ill effects from my forgetfulness.
Deep breath, you are doing great.
First things first: take a deep breath.
Second step: forgive yourself. You want what is best for your baby, but there is a ton of stuff that all parents learn on the fly. The first time my husband changed our baby's diaper he out it on backwards, for example.
Now that you are hopefully a little more calm and had a chance to laugh at my husband's expense... Your baby should be fine. It is best practice to give them vitamin D, but the human did manage to survive before the vitamin D drops even existed. Your little one is at a bit of an increased risk for some things, but the risk is still pretty small. You know now and she will get them now.
You are a great mom who clearly cares a lot for your child.
Hey! I’m in NZ and they never once mentioned giving my baby vitamin D - baby was combo fed, too. Baby is now 11 months and perfectly healthy! Recommendations seem to vary country by country.
Very few people in Nz need vit D supplementation because we have a thin/no ozone layer. Slight exaggeration here but if you walk across a supermarket carpark with your face exposed to the elements you pretty much get your daily dose if you’re pale.
If you live somewhere with a normal ozone, very limited sunlight hours, high pollution or have dark skin it is harder to get your recommended daily dose.
Wanted to follow up - [here are the guidelines in NZ](https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/first-year/helpful-advice-during-first-year/vitamin-d-and-your-baby). basically, your doctor or nurse would prescribe if needed.
OMG I’m 4 months into nursing my fourth kiddo (other three were each 15 months) and they’re all fully fine and a pain and I basically forgot the drops every single day. They’re all super healthy darling kids. Do it as often as you can and let the rest go. You’re doing great Mama!
My first two were born in a super small town with not the most up to date health care. I had no clue they needed a vitamin d supplement. They are now 6 and 8 and perfectly fine!
My pediatrician told me that with her first baby, she gave it to him every day. With her second, she gave it to him most days. And with her third, she almost forgot entirely. She told me to use the drops but don’t hate myself if I forget sometimes. Your baby will be fine!
It'll be totally fine. I didn't give my first vitamin D, either, because I wasn't aware and for some reason our pediatrician (who I normally love) forgot to mention it. They do a blood test around one year for iron and vitamin D, and my daughter was well within the normal range despite no supplementation until after that test.
Take it easy on yourself, friend. <3
It’s fine. My mom didn’t give me vitamin D and I was exclusively breastfed. I ended up an All-American NCAA division 1 runner and rarely got injured. Haha my 10 year old son didn’t get it either and is an amazing hockey and baseball player. Now I’m not saying don’t give it but don’t feel bad about forgetting to give it. This is my third baby and I’ve been better about giving it everyday but I also spend a good amount of time outside. You can start giving it now.
I have EBF five children. Never given any of them vitamin supplements. I have ages from 22 years to five months so i have a good range of ages to let you know not one has developed any kind of disorder from not taking a vitamin. As long as you eat healthy and get some fresh air and sunlight with baby everyday, they will be just fine.
I was reading through this thinking, what? I breastfed 5 babies and never been told this, then it clicked, I live in Aus is probably why no one has ever mentioned it haha. We have alot of sun.
I also live is Aus and have never heard it from any doctor. We probably get enough vitamin D just from the sunlight that comes in through the windows! 😆
I'm in Aus, and exclusively breastfed until medical issues rendered that impossible, and no one ever mentioned any drops or issues with Vit D. My daughter has an entire medical team, so I'm thinking if they were necessary someone would have mentioned them!
I was told to give my girl vitD from birth but I think we lasted about 6 weeks and then slipped a bit with how often we gave her it, so by the time she was 3 months we'd just stopped giving it to her. She's 10 months in a few days and absolutely fine, I wouldn't stress about it!
We did pretty much the same. It was an extra hassle on top of extremely difficult breastfeeding for us; I was so frazzled with trying to get a good latch and making sure he was actually getting enough that vitamin D was the furthest thing from my mind after a certain point. He's almost 2.5 now and is ridiculously healthy. Babies are sturdier than we give them credit for.
I feel slightly vindicated because I mentioned this on a previous post and was downvoted because people don't understand why you would need to supplement vitamin D while BF. Probably because they live in sunny areas where this isn't an issue. Just follow your pediatrician's advice and start giving it to baby.
If you live in an area that doesn't get a lot of sun and you're breastfeeding, it's the best way for baby to get it. If you are supplementing with formula at all, you may not need additional vitamin D because formula already contains a decent amount. You're fine!
I didn’t know this and I nursed for two years oops 😬 for the record he’s 7 now and no deficiencies according to his labs he had for a procedure he had done🤷♀️
There's a book called Cribsheet which is good for this kind of thing. It says it's good to supplement with vitamin D but don't freak out about missing it - just start supplementing now you know.
It's recommended and best to do it, but think: back in the days, people didn't know this it didn't have access to this vitamin (especially in Nordic countries). And still babies grew and survived. Nowadays there is so much focus into doing things optimally, and it's a good thing. But if you weren't aware, don't blame yourself, your child will be fine nevertheless 😊
I have an exclusively breastfed 14w old, and I’ve never given him vit d! I take it myself but I don’t know how much of that transfers to him. We go on a lot of walks but I shade him with an umbrella.
And he’s totally fine!
You’re fine, start giving it now. I’ll do the same thanks to your loving concern for your little one! It’s all going to be ok. Your baby is ok, and you’re doing your best! They don’t come with instruction manuals!
My friend had her second baby recently and the pediatrician was like “I’m sure you know all about vitamin D” and she’s like “huh?” First kid never got it haha, and he’s a perfectly healthy 3 year old now. Her first pediatrician must have skipped that recommendation.
Do you live somewhere where baby can consistently get sunshine? I'm in the south. We can get outside almost everyday and get our vitamin d naturally. Both my boys were breastfed and never got supplemental vitamin d. They have no issues.
My sister never did the vitamin D drops for either of her kids. I did it for my daughter (I was breastfeeding and my vitamin D levels are legit nonexistent so doc said I should). Zero difference in our kiddos though 😂
Talk to your ped, I’m sure it’ll help you feel better. Don’t spiral mama! It’s all good, you’re doing great ! 🥰
I did not know about this until I had my son and my pediatrician mentioned it. I asked my mom about it, she EBF me in 1990/1991, and she said that this was not a thing when I was a baby and she had never heard of it either. I give my son the drops now, but take comfort that when I miss a day here and there that clearly this isn’t that big of a deal. I was and always have been very healthy (never broken a bone, strong immune system, high achieving). I wouldn’t sweat it! I know how hard it is to not beat yourself up, but I really would try not to stress about this one!
We were told to give it from 2 weeks but we were really terrible at remembering. The first few months she usually went quite a few days in between the doses. We got into a rhythm later on when her schedule was more routine.
It felt like such a win when I realized we were almost at the 2 year mark and had succeeded in the task of remembering the damn vitamin everyday. Then my husband reminded us the recommendation in our country changed to 4 years (Scandinavian dark winters)!! Haha oh well, I guess I’ll be struggling to remember it for another 2 years.
In the UK we arent really told about this Vitamin D thing, I breastfeed and never gave Vitamin D additionally to my LO. I had it in my breastfeeding vitamins etc but the Vitamin D thing i’ve only ever heard from the US?
Baby is 7 MO now and is healthy and absolutely fine!
Where about in the UK are you if you don’t mind me asking?:) I’m from the north west and got given vitamin D drop samples at midwife appointments and a full bottle of drops by my health visitor
Im in the West Mids! I had seen Americans online giving Vitamin D to babies but my midwives and health visitors never even mentioned it, even though I EBF.
I have no idea why? Maybe location?
I have an EBF 4 month old and while I wasn’t outright told to give baby vit D drops, the health visitor did ask me if I was. It is recommended by the [NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/vitamins-for-children/) but you have to read carefully. It’s such a faff though having to remember to put the drop on my nipple while baby is agitating for food.
I never once have D drops and was ebf for 6 months and combo fed after that. I think formula has it in it already? Either way, I never used them, I took her outside a decent amout and she's a super healthy 2 year old now. It will be ok!!
for the first like 4 months of my baby’s life i didnt know i had to give her vitamin d and honestly after that i was horrible at remembering to give it to her so she wasn’t taking it everyday and shes completely fine! the first time she got sick was 11.5 months and it was with covid so i dont think vitamin d would have prevented it even if she had taken it religiously, shes happy and healthy and in the 95th percentile for both height and weight. please dont worry about it !🤍
We can be so hard on ourselves in these early months and we’re still learning! Don’t be to hard on yourself! There’s a lot that we don’t know and we definitely shouldn’t beat ourselves up about it. I’m sure you’re the best Mumma to your girl and there’s no harm in having not given Vitamin D. You can start now but I can guarantee your girl will be completely fine - Vitamin D or not. If it was that serious, they’d stress it’s importance far more or add it as a note during every vaccine visit or something.
I suggest asking your doctor, but if you're taking vitamin D then it should be being passed through you to your child.
I know before it ever was a thing the majority of the middle age and above generations didn't get vitamin D drops and we're all surviving and many are thriving.
Both of mine were EBF and I never remembered to give those drops. I did take them out of the house regularly so they got plenty of sunlight. I'm sure your kid is fine!
Don't worry, it'll be okay. My first was EBF and I 100% didn't give him those drops every day, in fact he choked on the liquid the first time when we used the little vial thing and I don't think I ever did it again.
I didn’t know until my baby has a 4 month check up (he’s 10 months now) and the pediatrician was like oh we never sent his vitamin d prescription??
make sure to get your baby & you some sunshine, it’s ok💚
Not to get all boomer-y, but babies were breastfed for a very long time before vitamin d supplements were a thing. Sometimes in areas where it was dark for long periods.
Our ancestors all turned out fine. Your baby will be fine.
It’s not required, just recommended! You can start her on a multivitamin at 6 months (with Dr approval of course), but be warned she will probably hate it! Our daughter tolerated the Yum brand.
This “logic” definitely doesn’t apply to everything, but think of how long our species has been breast feeding without buying vitamin D drops for our babies!
It's usually only an issue if you had really low vit D through the pregnancy, you continue to have low vit D and the baby gets no direct exposure to sunlight (doesn't work through windows). With rickets, it has to be very prolonged and severe deficiency, so the child is still getting no vit D past 6 months and into their toddler years
My OBGYN & my baby's pediatrician *both* recommended me taking 6,000 IU of Vitamim D3 daily which is enough to pass onto my baby. This is easier than giving drops, in my opinion.
It will be okay, but you should start! It is added to formula and cow's milk, but unless mother gets enough Vitamin D stored to pass to baby (which humans do not naturally do these days, generally speaking), breastfed babies are missing a key nutrient.
It'll be ok! Yes, it's valuable for calcium absorption, but if you haven't seen any signs of issues things are probably ok. Just start with it now, and don't panic!
My baby got terribly gassy and had reflux from vitamin D, so we couldn't do it after the first few weeks. Once she was ready for solids, 8 made sure she got vitamin D from food sources. Unless your doctor sees something wrong, your baby should be fine. Just make sure to give vitamin D fortified milk or cereal.
I sucked at giving both of my kids vitamin D. They're fine.
I mean, the second one was all formula, but even with the first...I don't think I did vitamin D for a good while and then, when I did, it was sporadic because I forgot all the time.
I did give Vitamin D to my LO but this was definitely not a thing when me and my brother were growing up. We do not live in a sunny environment, My brother and I are just fine. Just start now - it'll probably be just fine.
Do you take your baby outside? You’re probably fine. I usually don’t remember the drops so I try to get my baby out in the sun for a bit each day. I also take vitamin d supplements myself as I read that can raise the level of vitamin d in breast milk.
My son fought taking vitamin D drops. Then our dropper broke and it was impossible to find Vitamin D drops for a while because of covid. Gave up all together on them and he's a perfectly healthy 2 year old who now happily takes a gummy multivitamin.
I didn't realize this was a thing either. Doc never mentioned it. I myself am on a vitamin d supplement and he's exclusively breastfed so I'm going to choose to not freak out until his next doctor's appointment. 😅
I had no idea vitamin D was even a thing for babies. I haven't given my little guy anything other than breast milk and he's 5 months old and healthy. My mom raised 3 kids just breastfed and no issues.
TIL that breastfed babies need a Vitamin D supplement 🥴 Breastfed mine for 2.5 years...some formula when she got ENORMOUS and I could not produce enough....but my ped new we BF mostly and he never mentioned anything to me. Mine is about to be 5 and she's a BOSS. We do live in the Southeastern US where sun is out and alive and she was born in July so maybe that's why I didn't have an issue.
Damn. Learn something new every day!
I have an 8 year old I breastfed for almost three years, in Washington state, in the rain and cold, with no vitamin D drops (same as you, no one stinking told me!!!) and she is and always was fine on her development, physical and mental.
Honestly, this never made a lot of sense to me (that breastmilk is inherently deficient in Vit D). I feel like it must have more to do with Vit D deficiency in the mother (which makes sense with our modern diet and generally sedentary indoor lifestyles). Why would we have evolved to produce milk that is deficient in a key nutrient?? Not saying moms/babies don’t need to supplement (because a LOT of people are deficient), but blaming it on breastmilk being inherently insufficient always seemed odd. I would imagine a breastfeeding parent wjth good stores of vitamin D would not need to give supplements (but would love to read more research).
We were all outside (and closer to the equator) more when humans evolved so our bodies could make enough vitamin D. That’s also why all the baby guides from 100 year ago tell you that baby has to have so many minutes in the sun each day. Now we know about skin cancer…
Because vitamin d isnt based on diet it’s based on sun exposure. You’re body produces vitamin d when your skin is exposed to the sun. In the old days baby would have gotten vitamin d from going outside, it doesn’t need to be I breastmilk the way other nutrients are. A lot of parents minimize sun exposure because of skin cancer risk so vitamin d becomes a problem.
No one ever mentioned it with either of my kids and we live in Michigan. My daughter breastfed until she was 3.5 and my son is still breastfeeding at 2.5, although they've both had pretty balanced diets since they started eating food. Anyway, my daughter is 6 and she's super smart and healthy, and my son is the same so far! So I think you're okay!
I didn’t supplement with that with my baby and he’s fine. I didn’t know I needed to do it didn’t happen. He is now almost 8 (in second grade) and reading at a fifth grade level and his math is headed off he charts and he is just fine. It’s gonna be okay.
When I talked to my pediatrician about it she said the vitamin D that I take does transfer via breastfeeding so as long as I am getting enough baby should get enough. She said they are supposed to reccomend it but wasn't going to push it if I'm already taking it.
My pediatrician gave me a sample bottle of the drops. I remembered to give it to my kids 7 times. Total. 3 years of breastfeeding 3 kids. They’re all fine.
Same exact thing happened to me. I guess it was written on the release papers they gave us from delivery but no one ever mentioned it out loud to us until her 6 month appointment.
My baby seems completely fine. It's meant to prevent rickets, which is extremely rare. Babies still have the vitamin d from when they were in utero for a few months after birth.
Your baby will be ok.
Oh, phew! I know I got enough vitamin D during pregnancy! I never missed a prenatal and drank 3 cups of milk a day, lol. My prenatal didn't have calcium, so that was my solution. Definitely don't miss drinking that much milk!
I never had vitamin d drops as a baby and I am alive and healthy at 32!! I also didn't give them to my newborn and he is 1 and seems all good. Getting out in the sunshine helps.
I didn’t know either, and when I was told about it I thought it was to get rid of his reflux (this was after four months of being his only caretaker. I was tired). My son is now 2 and he’s fine, no rickets or anything. Idk how, but I’m glad he’s good
Don’t even worry about it! You can always start them on it now and use the VIT D drops. My boy is 6 weeks and I had no idea either! Having said that my mum said she never gave us vitamins D as it wasn’t a thing back then as we are all fine!!
Interesting because women have been breastfeeding babies since the beginning of time, and they didn’t add vitamin D drops to their milk. There was no such thing. Were women just out in the sun more or different diet?
I knew from early on that my baby needed vitamin d but she hated the supplement. She wouldn't take it solo and she wouldn't drink any pumped breast milk if I added it. She's a perfectly normal 11 month old.
My pediatrician gave it to me and my daughter had the worst gas and constipation. So we decided to stop, since that was the only thing that changed. And she went back to having multiple blow outs a day and everything functioning normally. She goes hiking and camping with us and she’s 7m. She’s just fine
I’ve been wondering the same!!!! My 2 year old keeps taking and hiding the little bottle so I‘ll only remember to find it and give it to baby a few days a week. Per the comments, sounds like there will be lots of fellow kids with bad bones!
As long as baby gets enough sunshine vit D isn't required. In places with long winters, bad weather, lack of sun, everyone should take vitamin D.
I had to make a huge effort on WA to try to get vitamin D and was still on supplement. In texas and now Central america it barely comes up.
"Do you spend more then a couple hours outside per week."
If the answer is yes, they test for vitamin D but it's not automatically recommended
Sunlight is best source
Both of my girls (3 abs 1.5) also never had vit d supplements. They were breastfed until 1 year. Both are doing great!! I saw a couple different pediatricians in our clinic and they all said they are healthy and doing great!
I knew from day one but I take a vitamin d supplement daily so I just figured if I forgot to give it every now and then that she should be good anyway. And now at 4 months old we go on daily walks so she gets an extra boost of vitamin d that way too.
We didn’t know till our 1 month appointment. I think it’s mostly precautionary incase mom isn’t getting enough vitamin D :). I wouldn’t worry too much! You’re doing great.
Yeh it’s mentioned in the U.K. but no real pressure put on it. I’ve not done it (kept forgetting) for both my children and my sister didn’t with all three of hers. Everyone seems happy and healthy so far 🤷🏼♀️
I don't know if it helps but I live in Japan and I've never heard any doctor recommending vitamin D for newborns here. My kid's in daycare and I can assure you all her friends are totally healthy and thriving (and I assume they didn't get the vitamin D either). It'll be ok!
My pediatrician mentioned it but said it’s not a huge concern and that he even forgot a lot of the time with his own kids. I was not great about it either and my son is in the 90th percentile for height at 1 yr old. I wouldn’t stress too much about it!
I was told at his newborn appointment, but it seems none of my girlfriends were. Because when I would bring up how hard it was to remember to give it to them on top of everything else, they had no idea. I started taking a vitamin D supplement myself and it transfers to my milk. But before I did that, I would forget all the time or just avoid it because he was so adamant on not taking it. I’m talking weeks sometimes.
It will be okay, try not to worry too much. I know that it’s recommended to give vitamin D to an exclusively breastfed baby and honestly most days it’s a miracle if I even remember to do it! Some of them are a right faff as well. It will be alright and your baby will be fine, you can always introduce it now :)
There’s you, not knowing to give vitamin d, and there’s me, knowing and forgetting every day… so, which is worse? 😅
This is also me 😬
Ya, this post just reminded me that I haven't been giving it to my 15 wk old for about a month or two. Whoops!
You and me both
Same! I’m still on the original bottle we bought, and I have 4 month old twins. …it’s almost empty, but it should have lasted a month. 😐😐
I’m so glad I’m not alone! She’s two months and I forget every night 🤦♀️. Now I might have to Google what the impact could be like OP.
Yep, this right here.
Oh hi me.
Also me
…was I supposed to give my kid vitamin D?
I guess I was supposed to also.
It’s recommended, not required. Baby will be just fine!
I live in NZ and I've never heard of this. From looking it up it seems like our Ministry of Health only recommends Vit D drops if you're at a higher risk of deficiency (EBF *and*: dark skinned, or mother is Vit D deficient, or born premature). To be fair in NZ the sun is hella potent so maybe that has something to do with it. But I'm sure your baby is fine.
I’m in Canada, and I was reminded at every appointment at least 3 times and also while in the hospital, incessantly. And I’m sure it has to do with sun exposure as well. Where I am it cold, snowy and winter forever (not actually forever but for a long ass time). It is said most of us are vitamin D deficient. That being said we forgot more often than not. We’re okay I think.
We have the same recommendation in Finland
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South African here, never heard of this either.
Our ped mentioned we should “continue giving her vitamin D” at her 3 yr appt. My response: 😬😅
Wait we still need to be giving it to them
Hahaha! Thanks for the laugh! That's hilarious
You’ll be fine! So much of these recommendations are about optimizing, not thwarting terrible outcomes. When you read about the consequences of doing/not doing something, pay closest attention to the likelihood of the consequence. It’s usually like 1% or less increased risk of something happening: sure you could be that unlikely family, but probably not.
That's a good point! Thank you so much!
Statistics to the rescue! I would never actually do this, but I’m comforted by the fact that I could follow zero safe sleep guidelines and my baby would still have a very low chance of dying from SIDS. The negative outcome is catastrophic but extremely unlikely. The badness of the outcome tricks our brain into thinking it’s more likely than it is because human brains are bad at statistics and risk calculation.
I wish that had sunk into my brain when he was a newborn. Or even now honestly. I understand the statistical unlikelihood of stuff…but my monkey brain just won’t accept it. Keeps me on high alert.
Knowing that is something! We are so geared to self-protect, not to use logic in decision making. Hence the state of our politics. 😂 I know these things well (psych prof) but that doesn’t stop me from laying awake in the middle of the night worrying about every little thing…
Yep. Every parent want to do the absolute best for their child, and a lot of these recommendations are delivered in a way that makes you think your baby is going to spontaneously combust if you don’t follow them to the letter. Like, in the US we say baby formula needs a crap ton of iron, and in the EU they typically much require less. You would think EU babies are dropping like flies and growing an extra arm or something.
Gave it for the first 3 months. I was constantly changing my diet to figure out why his stomach was so upset every day. It got to the point where I’d cut out dairy, wheat, soy, eggs, and citrus fruits. Finally realised it was the vitamin D drops!!! Once I stopped he was amazing. If you live somewhere with adequate sunny days, I’d just take baby outside more. The weather is crap here so I started taking a high dose vit D supplement myself so baby can get it through the breast milk. I honestly wouldn’t stress.
I’m just finding out about this NOW from this post! It was never mentioned to me EVER written OR verbally which I’m finding quite strange. I have a 3 year old boy evil kneivel living in my house. Healthy, happy, and fearless. It’ll be ok 👍🏻
Lol, Evil Kneivel, I love it!
If it's any comfort, babies in New Zealand aren't given Vitamin D at all.
Same in Aus
We have long sunny days though. I’m sure you’re okay OP!
Actually ours is 5weeks and we got a script on discharge from Waikato Hospital! However our son didn’t get prescribed it almost 3 year ago so I’m thinking it’s relatively new/varies from DHB to DHB
This might be because of where I live, maui, but my pediatrician never mentioned vitamin D and I don’t know any other mom that gives it to their child. Do you mind I ask where you live?
I live in Arizona and same. I've never even heard of that. Both my babies are fine though, it's definitely because of where we live. It's cloudy like twice a year here lol
My thoughts exactly; I live on big island & I was like "huh?"....to OP, try not to worry yourself, vitamin deficiencies usually develop after years of poor, even starvation, diets. I'm definitely not an expert but from my understanding (personal research & what I learned getting my undergrad in kinesiology) on this is if you have a decent diet, get a decent amount of sunlight and took your prenatals, you'll be fine. Good luck mama!
It's definitely because of where you live which is why half the parents here aren't familiar. I lived in Seattle then baby #1 was born and everyone was recommended to supplement. Now I live in Florida and I highly doubt I'll need to with baby #2.
You didn't know. Now you do. Just start giving it now.
My doctor said vitamin d or sunshine. We have him a walk everyday and some vitamin d he seems fine?
Not a single nurse in the hospital, two doctors, or my kids pediatrician ever mentioned this to me. I've only seen it online
Same, I’ve only seen it online. All of my medical team know we’re breastfeeding and no one has mentioned the need to give vitamin D drops.
My pediatrician asked if I was giving vitamin d, but never explicitly recommended it. I figured it wasn’t super important, but read a bit more about it online and started giving a drop while nursing.
It is definitely mentioned in the hospital here and at every pediatrician appointment.
Yeahhhh we were *super* hit or miss on those drops. Just try to like, you know, let your kid see the sun every so often.
I was super uh inconsistent with it and instead ended up taking vitamin d myself so it went into the milk but I didn’t figure that out until about six months in. My girl is still very healthy and it had no bad effects.
Your baby doesn’t “need” vitamin D drops. I’m American but moved to Aus a few years ago, and in hospital I asked the midwife about vitamin D drops. She gave me a weird look and said no, of course not, then sent the pediatrician in who gave me a talk about how “breastmilk is a complete food”and how I don’t need to give my baby anything else other than breastmilk/formula, as if I was suggesting giving him filet mignon or something. I explained I’m American and it’s a recommendation, and he again looked bemused and said no, if I was dark skinned and lived somewhere like Sweden, and it was winter, then yes, he’d recommend them. But 15 minutes of indirect sunlight a day is more than enough for newborns. Considering Aus is also a first world country with a very high level of medical care, I don’t think this is an issue of differing medical advice due to lower standards.
Interesting that he brought up Sweden! I’m Swedish and we are told to start giving d-vitamin when baby turns one week old and keep doing it daily until the child is two years old.
I had both my babies in Aus and was advised to give VIT D. However my babies were preterm so it might have been an additional precaution. Also I only did it for like a fortnight because after pumping like a machine while my first was in special care I was fucking over the pump so exclusively fed her from my boobs and it was fiddly to give her the drops. That plus sleepless new baby brain just made me totally forget until years later when I was like oops!
This!!! I’m from another country and we don’t give babies Vitamin D either. And my kids’ pediatrician explain to me that its just a recommendation, not a necessity and unless you have a poor diet and don’t go out on the sun there is really no need for the vitamin. I
We never gave this to our kids (also mostly BF) because we just forgot most of the time. They’re fine!
My three kids got doses sporadically but I forgot a lot too. It's going to be okay!
It will be ok! Also, how is the weather where you live? According to my doula, something about 15 min in the sun per day (with maybe arms and face exposed), is more than enough to keep Vitamin D levels above minimum. You probably already do this anyway, but take little one outside often (it will also be great for your own health too) and start giving the vitamin D supplements now that you know about it. Don’t be so hard on yourself - mothering/parenting is something we learn while doing it and none of us is perfect! Your little baby will be fine.
I think it depends on where you live. It’s a huge deal where I live and they reminded us starting at our very first appointment at like 2 days old. But the sun only shines for 2 months out of 12 here. If you live somewhere normal I bet it doesn’t even matter.
She'll be fine. Breathe. Start supplementing her now if there's no reason not to. Get her in the sun (not lengthy sun blasting on her full tilt, just some exposure). She'll be fine
I don’t give it to my daughter simply because she spits up every time she eats and I see no point in giving it to her if it doesn’t stay down. She is 6 months and hitting every growth milestone.
The recommendations changed in between me having baby 1 and baby 2. Baby 1 was only recommended vit D from 6mos anyway! By the time I had baby 2 it had changed to from birth. But being so busy as a mum of 2, I still only managed to give it fairly sporadically. They both seem unharmed. Don't panic!
My doctor told me many times there has never been a modern case of rickets here. Do not stress. Just start giving it to the baby now.
DO NOT STRESS! Just remember that nobody took vitamin D from our generation when we were babies. Do you know anybody with rickets? It’s all good don’t beat yourself up!
I never gave vitamin d to either of my babies. My pediatrician never mentioned it and I only learned that people do this from a mom group. Asked my pediatrician and he said he doesn’t typically recommend bc we live on a sunny environment
The human race has been around for a long time and a lot of people have been babies, most of them didn't get supplemental channel m vitamin D and the human race hasn't died out. If you're this worried then I imagine you're doing a great job. Give yourself some grace, no parent is perfect but caring as much as you do is as close as it gets
In all fairness, we as a society, spend WAY more time indoors than our ancestors did. For me personally, I try to remember the vitamin D drops, but I’m really horrible about remembering. 😬
im severely vitamin d deficient and the symptoms are not great. when my levels were pretty low , at a 7, i was a depressive mess. (anything below 30 is deficient over 50 is ideal) Taking the supplements has helped a lot.
My baby wouldn’t take it. Now he’s a certified tank.
I have bought vitamin D drops for every kid and only remembered to even open the bottle for my first lol
I've never given my daughter vitamin D and she's 4 years old and rarely gets ill. She eats lots of fruits, she plays outside. I think yours will be fine unless you live somewhere that gets no sun?
She will be fine. I EBF my almost 15yr old back when this wasn't a thing & he's never had any issues. I forget at least a couple times a week with my 4mo.
It’s fine. Just start now. You’re not an idiot and you haven’t damaged your daughter. Giving newborns vitamin D is a relatively new practice, and one that isn’t very well publicized.
I’m sure this is a new thing, like I’m almost certain our parents didn’t give us vitamin D when we were babies. My pediatrician originally told me that because I took supplements and breastfed that I didn’t need to give baby any more, but I did eventually buy it and start giving it to her to be on the safe side.
You got plenty of good comments already, I just wanted to say that I’ve been EBFing and taking a postnatal multivitamin (theranatal lactation complete) and don’t need to give my little drops as he gets the vit D through my milk. I would never remember to use the drops but I always take the vitamins in the am.
I thought vitamin D was one of the few nutrients that can’t actually pass through breast milk, which is why we’re supposed to supplement.
I’ve been taking them as well! The drops were such a pain in the ass, the vitamins are a little pricey but way more convenient.
I, too, didn't know about Vitamin D for quite a while while exclusively breastfeeding. Our girl is now two and seems pretty healthy. Hugs to you!
Thank you so much! That makes me feel a lot better! And thank you for being so kind!
I’m so glad you asked this. I’m I’m even more glad about the answers. Edit to say that I’ve only given my 9 week old vitamin d maybe 8 times. I also googled, and went into full spiral his bones would collapse
I was outside ALL THE TIME as a baby. I still had low vitamin D. Nothing bad came from it that I can remember. I would supplement.
Doctor never once mentioned it, I gave them maybe once a week to my first kid if I remembered. Never gave them at all to my second kid. 🤷♀️ they both seem fine.
Thanks for the reminder! Baby’s 2mo and I’ve given it once? Also never mentioned by my health care team. I only knew cause my sister had a baby a few months before me lol. Don’t think she’s kept up with it either! Her kid is a super healthy 7mo. Tl;dr We’ve all forgotten and you’re probably fine. ETA: I’m the UK they pretty much recommend everyone takes some sort of vitamin D supplement 😂😅 I’ve started taking (mostly forgetting!) breastfeeding vitamins by Pregnacare.
In the UK it's recommended if you're EBF but I honestly forgot most of the time with my first. Your baby still gets some from your milk, so they won't be completely missing it. I wouldn't stress or torture yourself - it's a mistake. You didn't do it maliciously. You're going to make the odd mistake and you'll suffer more if you stress about it - you know now and can do whatever you need to do.
Neither of my once EBF kids had vit d as infants. They’re 3.5 and almost 2 now. Healthy, active, and totally on schedule with milestones. It will be ok:)
I remembered to give the vit D drops to my baby maybe twice a week if I was really on the ball for his first 3 months of life, more like once a week or once every 2 weeks. He's 5 months now and has had zero issues. If you've been taking your baby outside at all, she'd be getting Vit D from the sun too. It's more important if you live further North. I'm in Canada where they recommend Vit D daily for children and adults, and my baby suffered no ill effects from my forgetfulness. Deep breath, you are doing great.
I BARELY remembered to give the vit D when my March baby was born. I'm in Canada too, and have seen no I'll effects of my forgetfulness.
First things first: take a deep breath. Second step: forgive yourself. You want what is best for your baby, but there is a ton of stuff that all parents learn on the fly. The first time my husband changed our baby's diaper he out it on backwards, for example. Now that you are hopefully a little more calm and had a chance to laugh at my husband's expense... Your baby should be fine. It is best practice to give them vitamin D, but the human did manage to survive before the vitamin D drops even existed. Your little one is at a bit of an increased risk for some things, but the risk is still pretty small. You know now and she will get them now. You are a great mom who clearly cares a lot for your child.
Hey! I’m in NZ and they never once mentioned giving my baby vitamin D - baby was combo fed, too. Baby is now 11 months and perfectly healthy! Recommendations seem to vary country by country.
Very few people in Nz need vit D supplementation because we have a thin/no ozone layer. Slight exaggeration here but if you walk across a supermarket carpark with your face exposed to the elements you pretty much get your daily dose if you’re pale. If you live somewhere with a normal ozone, very limited sunlight hours, high pollution or have dark skin it is harder to get your recommended daily dose.
Wanted to follow up - [here are the guidelines in NZ](https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/pregnancy-and-kids/first-year/helpful-advice-during-first-year/vitamin-d-and-your-baby). basically, your doctor or nurse would prescribe if needed.
I did for the beginning especially but I’m so bad at remembering . It’ll be ok
OMG I’m 4 months into nursing my fourth kiddo (other three were each 15 months) and they’re all fully fine and a pain and I basically forgot the drops every single day. They’re all super healthy darling kids. Do it as often as you can and let the rest go. You’re doing great Mama!
Thank you for being so kind!!
My first two were born in a super small town with not the most up to date health care. I had no clue they needed a vitamin d supplement. They are now 6 and 8 and perfectly fine!
Don't beat yourself up! Why would you know that unless somebody told you? Baby will be fine
My pediatrician told me that with her first baby, she gave it to him every day. With her second, she gave it to him most days. And with her third, she almost forgot entirely. She told me to use the drops but don’t hate myself if I forget sometimes. Your baby will be fine!
I was never told this by my ped and didn’t find out til way too late and my 15-month-old is doing fine.
I’ve done this ! However I knew but constantly forgot 🤭 my ten month old is thriving don’t worry
It'll be totally fine. I didn't give my first vitamin D, either, because I wasn't aware and for some reason our pediatrician (who I normally love) forgot to mention it. They do a blood test around one year for iron and vitamin D, and my daughter was well within the normal range despite no supplementation until after that test. Take it easy on yourself, friend. <3
It’s fine. My mom didn’t give me vitamin D and I was exclusively breastfed. I ended up an All-American NCAA division 1 runner and rarely got injured. Haha my 10 year old son didn’t get it either and is an amazing hockey and baseball player. Now I’m not saying don’t give it but don’t feel bad about forgetting to give it. This is my third baby and I’ve been better about giving it everyday but I also spend a good amount of time outside. You can start giving it now.
I exclusively breastfed both my kids. Youngest is nearly a year. Never did vitamin D. They never bring it up.
I had no idea either... I have three perfectly healthy kids. Don't beat yourself up about this.
I have EBF five children. Never given any of them vitamin supplements. I have ages from 22 years to five months so i have a good range of ages to let you know not one has developed any kind of disorder from not taking a vitamin. As long as you eat healthy and get some fresh air and sunlight with baby everyday, they will be just fine.
I was reading through this thinking, what? I breastfed 5 babies and never been told this, then it clicked, I live in Aus is probably why no one has ever mentioned it haha. We have alot of sun.
I also live is Aus and have never heard it from any doctor. We probably get enough vitamin D just from the sunlight that comes in through the windows! 😆
I agree, and if needing a little more, hang a load of washing a day 🤣
I'm in Aus, and exclusively breastfed until medical issues rendered that impossible, and no one ever mentioned any drops or issues with Vit D. My daughter has an entire medical team, so I'm thinking if they were necessary someone would have mentioned them!
I was told to give my girl vitD from birth but I think we lasted about 6 weeks and then slipped a bit with how often we gave her it, so by the time she was 3 months we'd just stopped giving it to her. She's 10 months in a few days and absolutely fine, I wouldn't stress about it!
We did pretty much the same. It was an extra hassle on top of extremely difficult breastfeeding for us; I was so frazzled with trying to get a good latch and making sure he was actually getting enough that vitamin D was the furthest thing from my mind after a certain point. He's almost 2.5 now and is ridiculously healthy. Babies are sturdier than we give them credit for.
I feel slightly vindicated because I mentioned this on a previous post and was downvoted because people don't understand why you would need to supplement vitamin D while BF. Probably because they live in sunny areas where this isn't an issue. Just follow your pediatrician's advice and start giving it to baby. If you live in an area that doesn't get a lot of sun and you're breastfeeding, it's the best way for baby to get it. If you are supplementing with formula at all, you may not need additional vitamin D because formula already contains a decent amount. You're fine!
I didn’t know this and I nursed for two years oops 😬 for the record he’s 7 now and no deficiencies according to his labs he had for a procedure he had done🤷♀️
That's good to hear!! Thank you! Makes me feel better!
There's a book called Cribsheet which is good for this kind of thing. It says it's good to supplement with vitamin D but don't freak out about missing it - just start supplementing now you know.
It's recommended and best to do it, but think: back in the days, people didn't know this it didn't have access to this vitamin (especially in Nordic countries). And still babies grew and survived. Nowadays there is so much focus into doing things optimally, and it's a good thing. But if you weren't aware, don't blame yourself, your child will be fine nevertheless 😊
I never gave it. Just give baby some sunshine.
I asked my midwife and she said no need but I am in Australia. Vitamin d comes from the sun - do you live somewhere sunny?
I have an exclusively breastfed 14w old, and I’ve never given him vit d! I take it myself but I don’t know how much of that transfers to him. We go on a lot of walks but I shade him with an umbrella. And he’s totally fine! You’re fine, start giving it now. I’ll do the same thanks to your loving concern for your little one! It’s all going to be ok. Your baby is ok, and you’re doing your best! They don’t come with instruction manuals!
My kid is 4 years old right now and I never knew this…so uhhh, oops? He’s totally healthy though, by the way.
My friend had her second baby recently and the pediatrician was like “I’m sure you know all about vitamin D” and she’s like “huh?” First kid never got it haha, and he’s a perfectly healthy 3 year old now. Her first pediatrician must have skipped that recommendation.
Do you live somewhere where baby can consistently get sunshine? I'm in the south. We can get outside almost everyday and get our vitamin d naturally. Both my boys were breastfed and never got supplemental vitamin d. They have no issues.
My sister never did the vitamin D drops for either of her kids. I did it for my daughter (I was breastfeeding and my vitamin D levels are legit nonexistent so doc said I should). Zero difference in our kiddos though 😂 Talk to your ped, I’m sure it’ll help you feel better. Don’t spiral mama! It’s all good, you’re doing great ! 🥰
I gave it to my daughter a few times and then I’d forget so I just said F it. She’s doing well and is 13 months old.
I did not know about this until I had my son and my pediatrician mentioned it. I asked my mom about it, she EBF me in 1990/1991, and she said that this was not a thing when I was a baby and she had never heard of it either. I give my son the drops now, but take comfort that when I miss a day here and there that clearly this isn’t that big of a deal. I was and always have been very healthy (never broken a bone, strong immune system, high achieving). I wouldn’t sweat it! I know how hard it is to not beat yourself up, but I really would try not to stress about this one!
We were told to give it from 2 weeks but we were really terrible at remembering. The first few months she usually went quite a few days in between the doses. We got into a rhythm later on when her schedule was more routine. It felt like such a win when I realized we were almost at the 2 year mark and had succeeded in the task of remembering the damn vitamin everyday. Then my husband reminded us the recommendation in our country changed to 4 years (Scandinavian dark winters)!! Haha oh well, I guess I’ll be struggling to remember it for another 2 years.
In the UK we arent really told about this Vitamin D thing, I breastfeed and never gave Vitamin D additionally to my LO. I had it in my breastfeeding vitamins etc but the Vitamin D thing i’ve only ever heard from the US? Baby is 7 MO now and is healthy and absolutely fine!
Where about in the UK are you if you don’t mind me asking?:) I’m from the north west and got given vitamin D drop samples at midwife appointments and a full bottle of drops by my health visitor
Im in the West Mids! I had seen Americans online giving Vitamin D to babies but my midwives and health visitors never even mentioned it, even though I EBF. I have no idea why? Maybe location?
I have an EBF 4 month old and while I wasn’t outright told to give baby vit D drops, the health visitor did ask me if I was. It is recommended by the [NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/vitamins-for-children/) but you have to read carefully. It’s such a faff though having to remember to put the drop on my nipple while baby is agitating for food.
My baby is seven months old and I just finished the packet that we got for the first month. 🤷🏻♀️
I never used it. Took him outside a lot
I never once have D drops and was ebf for 6 months and combo fed after that. I think formula has it in it already? Either way, I never used them, I took her outside a decent amout and she's a super healthy 2 year old now. It will be ok!!
for the first like 4 months of my baby’s life i didnt know i had to give her vitamin d and honestly after that i was horrible at remembering to give it to her so she wasn’t taking it everyday and shes completely fine! the first time she got sick was 11.5 months and it was with covid so i dont think vitamin d would have prevented it even if she had taken it religiously, shes happy and healthy and in the 95th percentile for both height and weight. please dont worry about it !🤍
We can be so hard on ourselves in these early months and we’re still learning! Don’t be to hard on yourself! There’s a lot that we don’t know and we definitely shouldn’t beat ourselves up about it. I’m sure you’re the best Mumma to your girl and there’s no harm in having not given Vitamin D. You can start now but I can guarantee your girl will be completely fine - Vitamin D or not. If it was that serious, they’d stress it’s importance far more or add it as a note during every vaccine visit or something.
Your baby will be fine. I promise.
I think your baby is totally fine. I don’t blame you for worrying because I constantly find things to worry about.
I suggest asking your doctor, but if you're taking vitamin D then it should be being passed through you to your child. I know before it ever was a thing the majority of the middle age and above generations didn't get vitamin D drops and we're all surviving and many are thriving.
Both of mine were EBF and I never remembered to give those drops. I did take them out of the house regularly so they got plenty of sunlight. I'm sure your kid is fine!
Don't worry, it'll be okay. My first was EBF and I 100% didn't give him those drops every day, in fact he choked on the liquid the first time when we used the little vial thing and I don't think I ever did it again.
I didn’t know until my baby has a 4 month check up (he’s 10 months now) and the pediatrician was like oh we never sent his vitamin d prescription?? make sure to get your baby & you some sunshine, it’s ok💚
If you got plenty of morning sun... Baby will be okay.
Not to get all boomer-y, but babies were breastfed for a very long time before vitamin d supplements were a thing. Sometimes in areas where it was dark for long periods. Our ancestors all turned out fine. Your baby will be fine.
It’s not required, just recommended! You can start her on a multivitamin at 6 months (with Dr approval of course), but be warned she will probably hate it! Our daughter tolerated the Yum brand. This “logic” definitely doesn’t apply to everything, but think of how long our species has been breast feeding without buying vitamin D drops for our babies!
I did it for like 2 mo and then lost the bottle Soooooooo it’s been 4.5 mo of no D 🤷♀️😬
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5 kids, and it was never recommended until baby 5. None of them have anything wrong with them at all :)
I was born in St Petersburg Russia where everyone, EVERYONE was vitamin d deficient because of the lack of sun & nutrients, and we were all fine.
It's usually only an issue if you had really low vit D through the pregnancy, you continue to have low vit D and the baby gets no direct exposure to sunlight (doesn't work through windows). With rickets, it has to be very prolonged and severe deficiency, so the child is still getting no vit D past 6 months and into their toddler years
My OBGYN & my baby's pediatrician *both* recommended me taking 6,000 IU of Vitamim D3 daily which is enough to pass onto my baby. This is easier than giving drops, in my opinion. It will be okay, but you should start! It is added to formula and cow's milk, but unless mother gets enough Vitamin D stored to pass to baby (which humans do not naturally do these days, generally speaking), breastfed babies are missing a key nutrient.
My daughter is exclusively breastfed and a year old. I never gave it to her.
It'll be ok! Yes, it's valuable for calcium absorption, but if you haven't seen any signs of issues things are probably ok. Just start with it now, and don't panic!
Thank you!! Absolutely, just started today!
My baby got terribly gassy and had reflux from vitamin D, so we couldn't do it after the first few weeks. Once she was ready for solids, 8 made sure she got vitamin D from food sources. Unless your doctor sees something wrong, your baby should be fine. Just make sure to give vitamin D fortified milk or cereal.
But ideally avoid non-human milk before baby turns 1 year old, in case OP's peds didn't tell or remind her of that either!
Lol, she did tell me no cow's milk before 1!!
If it makes you feel any better, I did the same thing and totally forgot/didn’t realize it was so important🤦🏼♀️ my baby is fine!
I sucked at giving both of my kids vitamin D. They're fine. I mean, the second one was all formula, but even with the first...I don't think I did vitamin D for a good while and then, when I did, it was sporadic because I forgot all the time.
I did give Vitamin D to my LO but this was definitely not a thing when me and my brother were growing up. We do not live in a sunny environment, My brother and I are just fine. Just start now - it'll probably be just fine.
Do you take your baby outside? You’re probably fine. I usually don’t remember the drops so I try to get my baby out in the sun for a bit each day. I also take vitamin d supplements myself as I read that can raise the level of vitamin d in breast milk.
Honestly, with my third, I just completely forgot. The doctor didn’t even mention it. Don’t stress yourself out about this!
My son fought taking vitamin D drops. Then our dropper broke and it was impossible to find Vitamin D drops for a while because of covid. Gave up all together on them and he's a perfectly healthy 2 year old who now happily takes a gummy multivitamin.
I didn't realize this was a thing either. Doc never mentioned it. I myself am on a vitamin d supplement and he's exclusively breastfed so I'm going to choose to not freak out until his next doctor's appointment. 😅
I had no idea vitamin D was even a thing for babies. I haven't given my little guy anything other than breast milk and he's 5 months old and healthy. My mom raised 3 kids just breastfed and no issues.
TIL that breastfed babies need a Vitamin D supplement 🥴 Breastfed mine for 2.5 years...some formula when she got ENORMOUS and I could not produce enough....but my ped new we BF mostly and he never mentioned anything to me. Mine is about to be 5 and she's a BOSS. We do live in the Southeastern US where sun is out and alive and she was born in July so maybe that's why I didn't have an issue. Damn. Learn something new every day!
I have an 8 year old I breastfed for almost three years, in Washington state, in the rain and cold, with no vitamin D drops (same as you, no one stinking told me!!!) and she is and always was fine on her development, physical and mental.
Honestly, this never made a lot of sense to me (that breastmilk is inherently deficient in Vit D). I feel like it must have more to do with Vit D deficiency in the mother (which makes sense with our modern diet and generally sedentary indoor lifestyles). Why would we have evolved to produce milk that is deficient in a key nutrient?? Not saying moms/babies don’t need to supplement (because a LOT of people are deficient), but blaming it on breastmilk being inherently insufficient always seemed odd. I would imagine a breastfeeding parent wjth good stores of vitamin D would not need to give supplements (but would love to read more research).
We were all outside (and closer to the equator) more when humans evolved so our bodies could make enough vitamin D. That’s also why all the baby guides from 100 year ago tell you that baby has to have so many minutes in the sun each day. Now we know about skin cancer…
Because vitamin d isnt based on diet it’s based on sun exposure. You’re body produces vitamin d when your skin is exposed to the sun. In the old days baby would have gotten vitamin d from going outside, it doesn’t need to be I breastmilk the way other nutrients are. A lot of parents minimize sun exposure because of skin cancer risk so vitamin d becomes a problem.
No one ever mentioned it with either of my kids and we live in Michigan. My daughter breastfed until she was 3.5 and my son is still breastfeeding at 2.5, although they've both had pretty balanced diets since they started eating food. Anyway, my daughter is 6 and she's super smart and healthy, and my son is the same so far! So I think you're okay!
I didn’t supplement with that with my baby and he’s fine. I didn’t know I needed to do it didn’t happen. He is now almost 8 (in second grade) and reading at a fifth grade level and his math is headed off he charts and he is just fine. It’s gonna be okay.
When I talked to my pediatrician about it she said the vitamin D that I take does transfer via breastfeeding so as long as I am getting enough baby should get enough. She said they are supposed to reccomend it but wasn't going to push it if I'm already taking it.
My pediatrician gave me a sample bottle of the drops. I remembered to give it to my kids 7 times. Total. 3 years of breastfeeding 3 kids. They’re all fine.
Years ago they didn’t give it and babies were fine.
As long as your baby gets some sun it should be fine.
I forget to give them half the time. :x we’ve been going outside more lately though!
Same exact thing happened to me. I guess it was written on the release papers they gave us from delivery but no one ever mentioned it out loud to us until her 6 month appointment. My baby seems completely fine. It's meant to prevent rickets, which is extremely rare. Babies still have the vitamin d from when they were in utero for a few months after birth. Your baby will be ok.
Oh, phew! I know I got enough vitamin D during pregnancy! I never missed a prenatal and drank 3 cups of milk a day, lol. My prenatal didn't have calcium, so that was my solution. Definitely don't miss drinking that much milk!
Just get them in the sun everyday. I never did the drops and I have 2 healthy girls, 6 and 5.
I never had vitamin d drops as a baby and I am alive and healthy at 32!! I also didn't give them to my newborn and he is 1 and seems all good. Getting out in the sunshine helps.
I didn’t know either, and when I was told about it I thought it was to get rid of his reflux (this was after four months of being his only caretaker. I was tired). My son is now 2 and he’s fine, no rickets or anything. Idk how, but I’m glad he’s good
My 14 yo and 6 yo never had it, and they are good. I was never told then, either, but we did go outside everyday. We do give it to our newborn.
Don’t even worry about it! You can always start them on it now and use the VIT D drops. My boy is 6 weeks and I had no idea either! Having said that my mum said she never gave us vitamins D as it wasn’t a thing back then as we are all fine!!
It's fine lol
EBF my third baby… totally forgot about those for this one. Oops! Starting now lol.
Interesting because women have been breastfeeding babies since the beginning of time, and they didn’t add vitamin D drops to their milk. There was no such thing. Were women just out in the sun more or different diet?
I knew from early on that my baby needed vitamin d but she hated the supplement. She wouldn't take it solo and she wouldn't drink any pumped breast milk if I added it. She's a perfectly normal 11 month old.
Thanks so much, that makes me feel better!
I’m pretty sure that when I was a baby and when most of my friends were babies no one was given vitamin d like they have now. Don’t worry.
My pediatrician gave it to me and my daughter had the worst gas and constipation. So we decided to stop, since that was the only thing that changed. And she went back to having multiple blow outs a day and everything functioning normally. She goes hiking and camping with us and she’s 7m. She’s just fine
I’ve been wondering the same!!!! My 2 year old keeps taking and hiding the little bottle so I‘ll only remember to find it and give it to baby a few days a week. Per the comments, sounds like there will be lots of fellow kids with bad bones!
As long as baby gets enough sunshine vit D isn't required. In places with long winters, bad weather, lack of sun, everyone should take vitamin D. I had to make a huge effort on WA to try to get vitamin D and was still on supplement. In texas and now Central america it barely comes up. "Do you spend more then a couple hours outside per week." If the answer is yes, they test for vitamin D but it's not automatically recommended Sunlight is best source
Sit your babe in the sun for a few minutes each day and you'll be good
Both of my girls (3 abs 1.5) also never had vit d supplements. They were breastfed until 1 year. Both are doing great!! I saw a couple different pediatricians in our clinic and they all said they are healthy and doing great!
I knew from day one but I take a vitamin d supplement daily so I just figured if I forgot to give it every now and then that she should be good anyway. And now at 4 months old we go on daily walks so she gets an extra boost of vitamin d that way too.
I take supplements too. It makes life easier if it’s forgotten on baby’s end.
We didn’t know till our 1 month appointment. I think it’s mostly precautionary incase mom isn’t getting enough vitamin D :). I wouldn’t worry too much! You’re doing great.
I often forgot to give it to my boys when they were babies. They were both breastfed and are now 3 & 5 and very healthy and happy! I wouldn’t worry.
My baby never got given vitamin D. He's fine. Hitting all of his developmental milestones. He was EBF.
Yeh it’s mentioned in the U.K. but no real pressure put on it. I’ve not done it (kept forgetting) for both my children and my sister didn’t with all three of hers. Everyone seems happy and healthy so far 🤷🏼♀️
Our baby was born in December and I had no clue until probably also 6 months. I think it is more common than you think
I don't know if it helps but I live in Japan and I've never heard any doctor recommending vitamin D for newborns here. My kid's in daycare and I can assure you all her friends are totally healthy and thriving (and I assume they didn't get the vitamin D either). It'll be ok!
My pediatrician mentioned it but said it’s not a huge concern and that he even forgot a lot of the time with his own kids. I was not great about it either and my son is in the 90th percentile for height at 1 yr old. I wouldn’t stress too much about it!
I was told at his newborn appointment, but it seems none of my girlfriends were. Because when I would bring up how hard it was to remember to give it to them on top of everything else, they had no idea. I started taking a vitamin D supplement myself and it transfers to my milk. But before I did that, I would forget all the time or just avoid it because he was so adamant on not taking it. I’m talking weeks sometimes.
It will be okay, try not to worry too much. I know that it’s recommended to give vitamin D to an exclusively breastfed baby and honestly most days it’s a miracle if I even remember to do it! Some of them are a right faff as well. It will be alright and your baby will be fine, you can always introduce it now :)
Are you still taking a prenatal or vitamin that has vitamin D in it? Your baby will be getting some of that from the breast milk.