Vitamin D drops

[fairfax]

Does anyone know about an alternative to vitamin d drops for babies on breast milk?

I finally got my supply up enough to feed DS (5 months this week) exclusively BM. I stopped supplementing with formula about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Prior to that he was getting about 12 oz of formula each day. His pedi said that we should start giving the vitamin d drops. They make him SO fussy and uncomfortable. He hasn’t slept through the night since we started (previously was sleeping 7-9 hours each night with minimal wake-ups) and has multiple crying fits each day/night. I’ve tried 2 different brands, giving them to him at various times throughout the day, even splitting the dose over 2 bottles.

There seem to be some studies suggesting that I myself could take a large amount of vitamin d and then there would be enough in my BM, but I asked our pedi and she said that wouldn’t work. She only suggested gas medicine which we’ve already tried.

Any advice? I’m desperate to help him - he just seems SO uncomfortable.

[dcn]

I used the ones where it was just one drop. I put it on my nipple before a feed and that was it. I’d switch to that.

[isabel]

Huh. That seems weird. What we gave was literally a single drop swiped on the inside of the cheek. I can't imagine how it would be enough to create upset stomach. Are you giving a larger quantity of liquid? There are several brands that are just the single drop.

[lessel]

Could this be a correlation not causation issue? Coincidental timing? For DS1, he had a reflux issue that peaked in terms of fussiness around 4-5mo.

[icedcoffee]

Yeah we did the 1 drop ones. No issues. We used these: www.amazon.com/Ddrops-Vitamin-drops-2-5mL-fl-oz/dp/B003CT36NE/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=vitamin+drops&qid=1583843959&sr=8-5

BUT!!

If he's 5 months I'd start the vitamins with iron if he's EBF. Iron is really important in BF kids (formula has it). I'm surprised your pedi didn't recommend that? We use this one:

www.amazon.com/NovaFerrum-Multivitamin-Supplement-Infants-Toddlers/dp/B00S7K1432/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3GPWF0QMHHD4X&keywords=novaferrum+multivitamin+with+iron&qid=1583844050&sprefix=nova%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEySVZWVUZRTjgzRkxMJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTI5Nzk1M0w4R0JCSkJXUkRFVSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTM3MjQ4M1Y1NDhaNUE5MDFVSyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[CloudBee]

I'm wondering if it's something else that's making him fussy. I have never heard of Vitamin D causing fussiness. Iron, maybe, but not Vitamin D. It's really a tiny bit. Literally a drop or two. We used Carlson brand (available on Amazon) and I put it on my nipple per the LC's suggestion.

[Susie]

Mar 10, 2020 7:41:36 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Yeah we did the 1 drop ones. No issues. We used these: www.amazon.com/Ddrops-Vitamin-drops-2-5mL-fl-oz/dp/B003CT36NE/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=vitamin+drops&qid=1583843959&sr=8-5

Same.  I can't imagine that amount causing an issue.

At 6m, the pedi switched both kids to Rx vitamin drops with Fe and Fl.  That is a whole dropper-full, but we haven't had a problem with that either.  I put it in his first bottle of the day for daycare, or stir into purees on the weekend.

[fairfax]

Both brands I’ve tried are just the 1 tiny drop. I know it seems like such a tiny amount to cause issues but it’s literally the only change in his little life. It’s definitely possible that something else is going on, but if so I can’t identify it 😢

[smock]

When I was EBF, my pediatrician had me take 5,000 IU of vitamin D a day.

[isabel]

Mar 10, 2020 9:43:42 GMT -5 fairfax said:

Both brands I’ve tried are just the 1 tiny drop. I know it seems like such a tiny amount to cause issues but it’s literally the only change in his little life. It’s definitely possible that something else is going on, but if so I can’t identify it 😢

How are you splitting the dose into multiple bottles if you're doing a single drop? What happens if you stop giving it? I'd stop giving it for a couple of days and see if he returns to normal. If he doesn't, it's likely the two are unrelated and he's having some other reflux issue or growth milestone. It seems highly unlikely that his fussiness is related to getting a single drop of Vitamin D.

FWIW, DS2 was this totally chill unicorn baby until about 4 months. Around then, he started getting SO fussy. It was maddening. Turned out he had really bad reflux and he was on Prevacid until almost a year. Those things can crop up at any time, so it could just be that's it's popping up now.

[fairfax]

Mar 10, 2020 10:51:58 GMT -5 isabel said:

Mar 10, 2020 9:43:42 GMT -5 fairfax said:

Both brands I’ve tried are just the 1 tiny drop. I know it seems like such a tiny amount to cause issues but it’s literally the only change in his little life. It’s definitely possible that something else is going on, but if so I can’t identify it 😢

How are you splitting the dose into multiple bottles if you're doing a single drop? What happens if you stop giving it? I'd stop giving it for a couple of days and see if he returns to normal. If he doesn't, it's likely the two are unrelated and he's having some other reflux issue or growth milestone. It seems highly unlikely that his fussiness is related to getting a single drop of Vitamin D.

FWIW, DS2 was this totally chill unicorn baby until about 4 months. Around then, he started getting SO fussy. It was maddening. Turned out he had really bad reflux and he was on Prevacid until almost a year. Those things can crop up at any time, so it could just be that's it's popping up now.

I put the drop into about an ounce of BM and then pour half into 2 bottles. Maybe not the most scientific but I was trying to see if spreading out the dose might help?

I have tried not giving it a few days and he seems to do better. But I may just bring seeing what I want to see.

Did your DS have any other symptoms of reflux? How did you figure out that was the issue?

[knx9211]

Oh Hi I’m here to commiserate my DD was sleeping well with one wake up until around 5 months and now is up multiple times a night, including some nights where she’s waking crying every hour. And no naps. This all started before we had any changes (even before we started solids) I vote it could be something other than the Vitamin D.

[gastro]

Maybe he is allergic to the oil or whatever other ingredients is in the vitamin D? I would cut it out for a week or two and see if it changes anything if your mom instinct is telling you it might be the vitamin D.
Maybe up your intake and give him some indirect sunlight in the meantime....

[fairfax]

Mar 10, 2020 13:44:51 GMT -5 knx9211 said:

Oh Hi I’m here to commiserate my DD was sleeping well with one wake up until around 5 months and now is up multiple times a night, including some nights where she’s waking crying every hour. And no naps. This all started before we had any changes (even before we started solids) I vote it could be something other than the Vitamin D.

Oh man, sorry you are going through it too! It’s brutal.

[fairfax]

Mar 10, 2020 14:05:55 GMT -5 gastro said:

Maybe he is allergic to the oil or whatever other ingredients is in the vitamin D? I would cut it out for a week or two and see if it changes anything if your mom instinct is telling you it might be the vitamin D.
Maybe up your intake and give him some indirect sunlight in the meantime....

Thanks, I think I’ll give it this week to see if he adjusts and then try this. I just ordered the supplement in case...

[fairfax]

Mar 10, 2020 9:43:59 GMT -5 smock said:

When I was EBF, my pediatrician had me take 5,000 IU of vitamin D a day.

I asked her about this but she said it would help me, but not him. Maybe I will push back a bit... thanks!

[isabel]

Mar 10, 2020 13:27:03 GMT -5 fairfax said:

Mar 10, 2020 10:51:58 GMT -5 isabel said:

How are you splitting the dose into multiple bottles if you're doing a single drop? What happens if you stop giving it? I'd stop giving it for a couple of days and see if he returns to normal. If he doesn't, it's likely the two are unrelated and he's having some other reflux issue or growth milestone. It seems highly unlikely that his fussiness is related to getting a single drop of Vitamin D.

FWIW, DS2 was this totally chill unicorn baby until about 4 months. Around then, he started getting SO fussy. It was maddening. Turned out he had really bad reflux and he was on Prevacid until almost a year. Those things can crop up at any time, so it could just be that's it's popping up now.

I put the drop into about an ounce of BM and then pour half into 2 bottles. Maybe not the most scientific but I was trying to see if spreading out the dose might help?

I have tried not giving it a few days and he seems to do better. But I may just bring seeing what I want to see.

Did your DS have any other symptoms of reflux? How did you figure out that was the issue?

Maybe try for a week and see if that does the trick. I understand it's tough at that age to really gauge whether things are better or not. It might be helpful to keep a journal for a few days so you have something more objective to compare it to if/when you take him off the drops.

Mostly he was crazy colic-y in the evening and couldn't lay flat without screaming his head off. Tons of spit up and some gagging. Initially Zantac helped a ton and was an easy thing to try, but then he outgrew the max dose for it. We tried weaning him off it, but the symptoms returned (mostly inability to lay flat), so we moved to Prevacid.

[sdlaura]

Same thing happened time with my DD. They made her super fussy. We just stopped doing them. Perfectly healthy 7 year old now.

[swiftlyirun]

One thing our pediatrician recommended was try the vitamin D drops that are also a probiotic. Gerber “soothe” is what they gave us.

[knx9211]

Mar 10, 2020 20:25:20 GMT -5 sdlaura said:

Same thing happened time with my DD. They made her super fussy. We just stopped doing them. Perfectly healthy 7 year old now.

Oh yeah there’s this, too. We had the ones that were in the little dropper for DS. he choked on them once around 5 months old I think? I was traumatized and never gave them to him again.

[pooh8402]

Tbh, I did the drops (the ones that were a single drop) for my kids for the first month or two, then stopped. I just kept forgetting. Taking the baby outside in the sunlight for 15 minutes a day without sunscreen will give them vitamin D too. My kids are fine, they don't have rickets, nice strong bones.

So I honestly wouldn't stress over this.

I also know I'm deficient and try to remember to take my own supplements because I'm still breastfeeding (although not as often as before). When I do remember, I take 4000 IU of D3.