Vitamin K

[itiswhatitis1984]

Originally Posted by Green Decals I also wanted to add that I have done some pretty extensive reading on the idea of mom boosting her vitamin k so baby gets it through milk. While this may seem ideal, and may work for some women/babies, there just isn't enough data or even scientific theory to put my mind at ease should I have a baby with a bleeding disorder. I am not one who requires hard proof for convincing, but in the risk/benefit equation, I chose the oral dose for my babies. The only "risk" I could find in giving the oral dose is that I wanted to make sure they got a good shot of colostrum first, so we didn't do the vitamin K until about 24 hours after birth, when breastfeeding was established and their guts had been colonized. If my children had been subjected to traumatic birth, I may have done it sooner than the 24 hours but certainly not before nursing them.

I agree with you! I don't feel comfortable increasing my vitamin k and hope the baby gets it. I'd rather know our baby is getting their dose full dose. Thanks for your input!!

[Momma2theJs]

I'm 34 weeks and have read extensively on the subject. There is no conclusive research linking the injection to childhood leukemia. I wanted to go with the oral supplement too, just on principle, but the problem is that most babies throw it up, and even if they don't, they can't absorb it efficiently orally, which is why the shot is given in the first place. I did find a place to get it through a website for midwives, you can google it. It's about $40/bottle, and you have to buy the whole bottle. We are not circ'ing, but have still decided to go with the injection. Good luck with your bundle of joy!!

[songbird516]

Personally I didn't do the drops or the shots. I beleive that babies were designed the way that they are born for a reason, and that even though we aren't perfect right now that there is probably a reason that babies aren't born with high levels of Vitamin K. I would probably administer in the event of traumatic birth, etc, but otherwise I didn't think it was necessary. Babies' levels naturally rise, and I didn't have a compelling reason to make them rise faster. The chance of a clotting disorder was low for us, so I didn't feel like I was taking an unacceptable risk in not administering any extra Vitamin K. I myself ate foods high in Vitamin K as often as I felt like it. Even though there isn't any "research" into this, it makes sense to me.

[Green Decals]

Originally Posted by Momma2theJs I'm 34 weeks and have read extensively on the subject. There is no conclusive research linking the injection to childhood leukemia. I wanted to go with the oral supplement too, just on principle, but the problem is that most babies throw it up, and even if they don't, they can't absorb it efficiently orally, which is why the shot is given in the first place. I did find a place to get it through a website for midwives, you can google it. It's about $40/bottle, and you have to buy the whole bottle. We are not circ'ing, but have still decided to go with the injection. Good luck with your bundle of joy!!

I've never known of a baby to throw it up. It's only a wee bit, and real food - the shot is synthetic and fat-soluble, and often preserved with horrible chemicals that have no place in the body of a newborn. Not to mention the actual pain of the injection - not how I like to welcome a baby into the world. We would never circ either, but the bleeding issues for which vitamin K was first introduced have nothing to do with elective surgical risk factors. There is no conclusive scientific evidence linking vaccines to SIDS either but to me the lack of proof doesn't justify the risk. Please, at the very least, consider giving the injectable preservative-free form as an oral dose - your baby can then use what he/she needs in an appropriate form of introduction into the body instead of innundating their fragile system with a foreign injection which artificially circumvents the body's natural lines of defense.

[Momma2theJs]

I asked both the pediatrician and my ob about it because we had such a tough time making a decision, then after we talked to them came home and read more about it. There is a lot of information about it not being absorbed well and about it being thrown up because of the natural lines of defense you talked about. Their little digestive systems are ready for breastmilk, nothing else. I TOTALLY agree with you on the injections having yucky preservatives, plus being painful. ( We just had to decide which was more important for our family. It's been a tough call because we can see both sides so well, and we don't have any history of clotting or bleeding issues, so we had to decide if it was really necessary in the first place. It basically came down to a "better safe than sorry" kind of deal. We aren't doing the hep B, circ, or eye gunk, but we got talked into vit k, plus they throw a HUGE fit about it at the hosp if you don't allow it to be administered. They are required to refer you to DCFS. It's complete BS, but it's Illinois.

[Green Decals]

Originally Posted by Momma2theJs I asked both the pediatrician and my ob about it because we had such a tough time making a decision, then after we talked to them came home and read more about it. There is a lot of information about it not being absorbed well and about it being thrown up because of the natural lines of defense you talked about. Their little digestive systems are ready for breastmilk, nothing else. I TOTALLY agree with you on the injections having yucky preservatives, plus being painful. ( We just had to decide which was more important for our family. It's been a tough call because we can see both sides so well, and we don't have any history of clotting or bleeding issues, so we had to decide if it was really necessary in the first place. It basically came down to a "better safe than sorry" kind of deal. We aren't doing the hep B, circ, or eye gunk, but we got talked into vit k, plus they throw a HUGE fit about it at the hosp if you don't allow it to be administered. They are required to refer you to DCFS. It's complete BS, but it's Illinois.

My oldest was born in the hospital, pre-term, and they administered it orally per our wishes, with instructions for follow-up doses at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. They cannot force you to put anything into your child's body that you do not want. The amount that they get is so miniscule, and can be re-administered if they spit it up, because you cannot overdose on it. Give it after the baby has nursed, baby will be just fine. The injection is 20,000 times what their body needs and goes directly into their blood stream - they cannot process it off!

[itiswhatitis1984]

I posted this question a while ago but am still looking to see where I can get it. I asked my midwife and they don't carry it I've tried finding it online but haven't had any luck. I'm only 5 1/2 weeks from my due date and from what I'm reading it has to come from over seas so I need to get this sooner than later! Any help/recommendations are greatly appreciated!!

[MyLovely]

Won't oral Vit K disrupt the virgin gut?

[KingsDaughter76]

I think birth with love has it...? Its online

[gingerpeachee]

In NY you're not legally allowed to refuse the Vit. K shot or the eye ointment. My hospital was pretty cool about the eye goop (unless they did it during the ear test and wiped it right off so I wouldn't know....) we go for the lowest dose of Vit K shot allowable by law. I've read the propaganda from both sides of the debate and I don't think the shot is all that big a deal, so we'll get it again. I'm also really big about the virgin gut though.... don't worry, whatever decision you make will probably be perfectly fine.