Anyone been told to give baby supplements while BF????

Deli3 · May 29, 2008 8:47AM

Hi
had a 3 month check of my baby Amelia. she is my 5th but the 3rd to BF. I plan to BF till she 6 months then I will wean her to solids and gradually to formula from a beaker so no dummy/bottle dependancy as that is the hard one to break.
Anyway, my doctor (we live in Bahrain and he is South African) insists that BF alone is not enough and I need to give her some supplements like Iron and Vitamin drops. I was so mad with him and told him that I eat a varied diet and she gets all from me and surely that was the whole point of BF? He said that she needs extra vitamins and iron and I should either give her them or top up one feed with formula.

I BF because I enjoy the closeness and its so easy and convienient. The biggest reason though is that my family have eczema and asthma and I wanted to do my best to protect her from these things. the 2 I bf have suffered from these things so much less than the two I formula fee. It may just be coincidence but it makes me feel i am doing my best. I now annoyed and upset to be told Bf alone is not good enough.

What is general advice you get from UK health visitors and I not home till August so cant check at my local doctors.

Thanks
d xxxx

EnglebertW_nkface · May 25, 2008 7:48AM

As far as I know the current advice is that breastfed babies don't need anything else up untill 6 months. After that the stores of iron in their bodies are used up and they can't obtain this from breastmilk. As most 6 month olds have a fairly limited solid diet they do recomend that at this stage vitamin drops are given to ensure they are getting enough iron. We got round it by giving Millie breakfast cereal made up with formula instead of breast or cows milk so that she got the extra iron from that untill she was eating enough meat etc to provide her iron. Hope that helps, I managed to never give Millie a bottle and it made weaning soooo much easier!
Kerry xx

MrsC06 · May 25, 2008 8:53AM

At three months she doesn't need anything but breastmilk! Not even water!
You're giving her everything she needs until she's 6 months.
xx

fragsjones · May 26, 2008 4:17PM

I wouldn't give anything extra.
If you want a good point of advice check out La Leche League www.llli.org - I think their advice is good.
xxx

missymoo-40064 · May 27, 2008 4:05AM

Hi dee dee, I live in Cyprus and good breastfeeding support/advice here is not readily available so I follow advice from the uk. As far as I'm aware our lo's should be getting all the nutrients they need from breastmilk alone until 6 months. Unless your doctor has a valid reason (which it doesn't sound like he does) I wouldn't give her anything else. x

Deli3 · May 27, 2008 1:07PM

thanks for all your replies. It is so annoying when advice is different depending on doctor. I will stick to my feeding and give the iron and vit drops to my 2 year old who eats nothing so could use them...

d x

robynsmummy · May 29, 2008 6:34AM

hi. just thought you'd like to know that in canada they prescribe vitamin d drops for breastfed babies. my friend lives there and she had some hassle from the hv for not giving them. she now has to pay $21 for a months supply of vitamin d drops. her first 2 kids were born in uk and breastfed but the third was born in canada. she says advice is completely different over there.
i agree that a breastfed baby needs nothing extra for the ist 6 months.

jewsora · May 29, 2008 8:47AM

The only supplement I had to give my daughter was Vitamin K. She was exclusively BF until 21 wks. Now she is being weaned (currently 7 1/2 mths) she apparently needs vitamin drops. My oh disagreed but a few other mums I know have given their lo's them from 6 months if they are bf. But up until 6 months all she needs is you!!!

Good luck

Rachael

Anyone been told to give baby supplements while BF????

Replies

Featured Discussions

Promoted Content