Best Vitamin D Drops For Breastfed Babies (2024)
Did you know most people are simply not getting enough vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin)?
People are naturally deficient because we spend so much time indoors these days.
Breastfed babies are no exception.
Even though breast milk is considered a perfect food for your baby, it doesn’t contain enough vitamin D to support your baby’s needs.
Babies usually need to be supplemented as early as a few days postpartum.
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What Is The Vitamin D Recommendations For Infants?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all breastfed babies receive 400 IU of vitamin D daily for infants under 12 months. And 600 IU for children 1 year and older.
NOTE: In some cases, women may take a Vitamin D supplement herself and no supplementation would be necessary for her breastfed baby. Discuss this with your baby’s doctor if you’d prefer to take a high dose of daily Vitamin D. (6400 IU or higher) One downside is it’s almost impossible to know how much Vitamin D your baby is actually getting in breast milk if you supplement yourself.
Vitamin D is important because it:
promotes healthy growth and development
maintains skeletal integrity
prevents infection and inflammation
promotes strong bones and teeth
prevents certain conditions such as rickets, infertility, and eczema
3 Ways To Get Vitamin D Into Your System
1. Food
Once your baby starts eating solid foods at around 6 months, they’ll naturally get some vitamin D from the foods they eat.
Foods high in Vitamin D:
Cod liver oil
Fish, such as mackerel, tuna, and salmon
Egg yolk
Beef liver
Fortified foods like cereals and oatmeals
Fortified drinks like orange juice and alternative milks
2. Sunlight
Human bodies naturally produce vitamin D as a result of exposure to direct sunlight.
However, it’s advised to keep babies out of the sun for the first 6 months of life. And after 6 months you should protect them with sunscreen whenever they DO go in the sun. (which limits Vitamin D production)
…so relying on sunshine is not a good option for meeting baby’s vitamin D requirements.
NOTE: Darker skin tones require longer exposure to soak up vitamin D than lighter skin tones.
If you’d like to naturally increase your vitamin D levels in the sun, the safest time to do so is in the morning when UV index levels are lower.
3. Supplements
Infant vitamin D drops are the most commonly used supplement to ensure your baby gets their daily dose of vitamin D.
You should give them 400 IU (internation units) of liquid vitamin D daily, starting soon after birth.
3 Ways To Administer Vitamin D Drops:
add them to baby’s bottle nipple or pacifier
apply a drop to the nipple during nursing
drop directly into baby’s mouth
The Best Vitamin D Drops For Breastfed Babies
Our favorite pick for vitamin D drops for breastfed babies is Nordic Naturals.
The carrier oil for it is organic extra virgin olive oil and it’s non GMO with no added colors or flavors and contain none of the unnecessary ingredients other brands have.
It’s third party purity tested and has a super easy-to-use dropper bottle that makes giving it to baby effortless.
BONUS: It contains 365 doses, which means you only have to buy one bottle for baby’s first year!
Our 3 FAV Breastfeeding Products
🌛 1. This nursing bra is the absolute BEST for breastfeeding at night. It’s super comfortable and made of the softest material ever. You’ll want to wear it forever to sleep in, even after you’re done breastfeeding.
💪 2. Boost supply and tone up postpartum. Milk Dust is protein powder made just for breastfeeding moms. It nourishes and tones postpartum bodies (and contains milk boosting ingredients too!) Get 10% off Milk Dust using the code MILKOLOGY at checkout
🤱 3. If your nipples are sore, these are an absolute lifesaver. They’re super cheap, can be worn for multiple days (perfect when you’re trying to get a good latch), and are soooo soothing.
Related Article:
The 4 Best Pacifiers For Breastfed Babies
