For decades, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Institute of Medicine have suggested the breastfed babies receive vitamin D drops – beginning within days after birth and spanning the entire time you breastfeed.
The problem is that many parents don’t see the need give their healthy, breastfed baby any kind of supplements. So, compliance is low and vitamin D deficiency prevails.
By some reports, roughly ½ of babies and toddlers aren’t getting enough vitamin D. And of that group, 32% show signs of bone demineralization.
But nature didn’t get it wrong. Breast milk can – and does – provide babies with enough vitamin D as long as mama gets at least 10 times the current recommended amount, which is 400 – 600 IU each day. According to Professors Bruce Hollis and Carol Wagner from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Children’s Hospital,
We have shown in various vitamin D studies that mothers are more likely to take their own vitamin D supplement than to give their infants a supplement.
One of the major reasons why vitamin D deficiency is so common in babies and toddlers is because mamas aren’t getting enough vitamin D while pregnant and while breastfeeding. This has to do with less time spent outdoors, less sun exposure, and a shift away from unprocessed foods that are naturally high in vitamin D.
In my free eBook First Foods That Nourish, I talk about a study that shows how a breastfed baby can get enough vitamin D. In short, researchers found that when mama takes 6400 IU of vitamin D each day, her exclusively breastfed baby has the same levels of vitamin D if she had given her baby daily vitamin D drops.
Vitamin D matters because it supports the development of your baby’s immune system, with low levels possibly playing a role in the development of allergies, asthma, eczema, and autoimmune disease. Vitamin D also protects against intestinal infection. And of couse, there’s bone health.
According to Hollis and Wagner,
During lactation, a woman needs about 20% extra vitamin D intake, as about that much is excreted daily into her breast milk.
For everyone who scrolled to the bottom of this post, the message is this: Pregnant mamas, take at least 4,000 IU per day – here are seven good reasons why. And while breastfeeding, aim for at least 6,000 IU every day.
If you prefer to use drops instead, make sure it also contains vitamin K2. Like this one from Seeking Health.
Irene says
November 10, 2017 at 8:32 AMGreat article! Is that the only brand you recommend?
Megan Garcia says
November 10, 2017 at 9:45 AMHey Irene,
I would check the ingredients. For example, if you do a quick search on Amazon a brand called Zarbees pops up. The packaging is really cute but in the ingredients, it says agave nectar, which a baby (especially a newborn) doesn’t need.
Look for a brand that only uses MCT oil as a carrier – like this one http://amzn.to/2ypXgBU or this one http://amzn.to/2i2jtQG
Irene says
November 10, 2017 at 2:03 PMThank you SO much Megan for those links! My ped rec’d Carlson’s Vit D and was curious what your thoughts were. Thanks!
Sandy says
December 30, 2018 at 8:13 AMHi Megan, which brand do you recommend for nursing mamas? I’ve been taking extra virgin cod liver oil but after reading Dr Mercolas update on CLO (vit A vs D imbalance), I recently stopped taking it. I’m hesitant on vit D supplements because so many are synthetic so I’d like to hear any suggestions you may have for us. Btw I’m tandem breastfeeding a 2 yo and 11 mo, is the dosage different for me?
Megan Garcia says
December 31, 2018 at 5:40 PMHey Sandy,
Cod liver oil doesn’t offer enough daily vitamin D and prenatals also tend to be low so I like to supplement when breastfeeding. I would look for a vitamin D3 supplement that also contains vitamin K2, like Seeking Health https://amzn.to/2BQry3Z or Thorne Research >> vitamin K2 helps vitamin D do its job and supplementation transfers to breast milk.
xxo!!
Fabiana says
April 10, 2020 at 10:14 PMAre the D3+K2 drops you recommend for baby or mom? If for mom, does the K2 transfer into milk? Thanks
Megan Garcia says
April 13, 2020 at 11:43 AMBoth! Depending on whether or not mama breastfeeds. D3 and K2 do transfer to breastmilk.
xxo!!
CT says
October 8, 2020 at 11:05 PMWhat dosage would you recommend for a nursing mother? I believe packaging says 500 IU per drop. So would I take 12 drops a day? Thanks
Megan Garcia says
October 9, 2020 at 7:45 AMHey CT! Right, depending on if you’re taking a prenatal and how much is in that, I would aim for overall 6500 iu.
xxo!!
Julianna Beckett says
May 10, 2019 at 5:17 PMWhat about the risks of overdosing vitamin D on the mother? That has negative effects to that would seem to outweigh the inconvenience of giving the baby the supplement…. https://www.thespec.com/living-story/9338374-vitamin-d-too-much-or-too-little-can-lead-to-health-problems/
Megan Garcia says
May 10, 2019 at 5:36 PMHey Julianna,
This is blog post is pulled from a 2015 study published in Pediatrics. Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital and the University of Rochester reported that 6400 IU of vitamin D3 is a safe dosage.
xxo!!