Infant Contipated After Taking Vitamin Drop with Iron

I don't think a 2 month old baby should be on vitamins. I did not give my baby vitamins until 6 months as per doctor recommendation.

Years ago the doctor told me to give a small amount of clear caro syrup to help constipation . Maybe it will help

Hi K.,

The AAP does recommend supplementing breastfed babies with 400 IU Vitamin D per day starting by 2 months http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125317.php. I think when I had my last breastfed baby, it was 200 and starting at 4 or 5 months but I didn't opt for any supplements. However, he should not need additional Iron and if you do supplement the vitamin D, you may wish to get the type that doesn't contain Iron
good luck !

Hi K.,

That is the iron. He will probably have very dark stool when it does come. If you are eating a well balanced diet & nursing on demand your baby should be getting all the nutrients he needs. The breastmilk also has a laxative effect so just try to nurse him more frequently. If you really want to give the vitamins, try doing a lower dose or maybe just once or twice a week. Best of luck! Enjoy your boys.

Is there a specific reason your doctor suggested supplementing your baby with Vitamin D/iron? If not, there's no need to add iron to the diet. Healthy breastfed babies get all the iron they need from breastmilk. Supplementation decreases their ability to maximize the iron they get from breastmilk.

The iron supplement you are using is constipating him. Stop it. If you truly need a supplement look into floradix (I think that's the name)--it's more bioavailable and less constipating than other iron supplements.

I'm sure your doctor suggested the vitamins because of the vitamin D, not the iron. Babies can get all the Vitamin D they need from the sunlight. Even just the sunlight they get from getting in and out of the car or being near a window in the house is enough. Also exclusively breastfed babies can go up to 10 days without pooping and still be fine. Because everything in breastmilk has already been broken down by your body they do not have as much waste as a formula fed baby.

because you are breast feeding it should have been you increasing your vitamin intake eating more greens and red meats. A baby that young i don't believe should be taking iron drops. He has plenty of time to build up his iron later when he eats foods. You can also ask the doctor if you can give him some prune juice to help him have a bowel moement.
take care and good luck
From H.

K.,
I think you are right about the iron. Switch him to the iron-free vitamins until he's a little older.
At such a young age -- and I remember what prolific poopers those little ones are! -- I'd call the pediatrician now.
I usually gave my infant jarred baby food prunes when she was constipated, but you should ask your doc about that - He may be too young. I think you could give him the Mylicom gas drops to help his discomfort some, too.
Take care!

Hi K.,

Iron makes you consitpated. Remember those prenatal vitamins. I would give the doctor a call.

Hi,
My cousin's pediatrician (whom my midwife highly reccomended) said to take Calsons Vit D liquid drops 400 IU. And for her (the mom) to take probiotics. You can get at most natural stores. There is no iron in it just vit D. Its the iron that is constipating your baby. I would definately stop taking it. My son is 4 months and I dont go to my cousins pediatrician cause it is far from me but I think I will switch because our pediatrician did not tell me to take probiotics or Vit D for baby. And they are bothVERY good to take. But the iron is too ealry for your baby. Baby still has iron reserves in his body from you. When baby starts iron fortified cereal should be when gets iron. No earlier.

My unprofessional ;) but also-exclusively-breastfed-my-baby opinion is drop the drops! But tell your doc you are doing it. Babies get everything they need from breast milk, so, if it's troubling your baby, why mess around? Good luck!!

I know that the pediatricians always wanted me to give all three of my boys when they were infants vitamin D. I told them no. I am into doing things healthy as possible. If they were in need of medication where my oldest needed antibiotics for ear infection and the ear infection wasn't going away because the dr told me sometimes they go away on their own and other times not and need antiobiotics and now, my son is allergic to penicillin. I know with this last pregnancy before I miscarried and I had vitamin D deficiency and my dr wanted to give me vitamin D. I called my midwife and she sent me papers with foods that have vitamin D in them and I ate those foods (and you can google to get them) and my vitamin D went up where it was supposed to be. This was during the early months where you couldn't get much sunlight. Sunlight right now is good for your baby. Getting out walking and go from inside places to the car and ride around in the car and etc. But, foods you eat will be passed to the baby so eat vitamin D foods and your baby will get them. Don't assume the drs know it all.... :) Congrats on your baby and you're a wonderful mother to those children.

When my boy was on vitamin drops he got constipated too. I tried some watered down prune juice or jar food. This helped. Maybe it could help your little one too.

I exclusively breastfed my baby for 10mo. I go to a holistic pediatrician who actually recommended NOT to use the Polyvisol since it has a lot of other fillers in it. If you take 1200mg of vitamin D yourself the baby will get enough from you. My daughter is now over 13 months old and has never been sick so I don't think those vitamins make a difference!
Good luck!

K., I am going to go adamently against most of the responses because I JUST went through the EXACT same thing with my 4 month old girl (also breastfed, also on those vitamins, same issue with the farting)! It may not have anything to do with the vitamins. The pooping thing was a weird phase. She was pooping 8-9x/day and then one day just stopped. I was freaking out, so on Day 2 of "poop-strike" I called the doctor, thinking she was constipated, but they said no because she is breastfed. They said to wait 5 days, then stick a thermometer in her butt a little ways to stimulate her, but I ended up not having to do that. She finally pooped on Day 5 (the color had totally changed), and then every day or two since then. Her digestive system must have just changed. She is still on the vitamins now. So my advice is to give it a couple of days (even though it feels odd to you...).

I am sure it is the type of iron that is in those vitamin drops that is contributing to you little ones constipation. I am sure you will get some wonderful suggestions to help relieve your little one.e

I would like you to reconsider those vitamins. The American Acadamey of Pediatrics recently raised the recommendation of Vitamin D for infants and toddler.

Here is a link to a baby line that meets those requirements and does not contain synthetics that can constipate.

http://healthmatters4u.myshaklee.com/us/en/whynow.html#/h...

Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you.

L.
www.nosickvisits.com

Babies are born with iron store to last for 6 months. At this point they start eating food and can get the iron from food. I don't believe there is any reason to give him extra iron.

Hi K.,

I had thisproblem with my oldest daughter when I switched from breastmilk to formula which has a higher iron content. All I did was get a jar of the gerber apple juice, and watered it down with by 1/2 and it helped her go. It is safe and all natural. It only took the 1 jar which you get 2 uses out of.

Personally I would quit the vitamins. You baby is probably getting enough Vitamin D from the sun at this time of year, and your breastmilk has enough iron for the babies first 6 months. Your breastmilk also contains some Vitamin D as well. Drs will say that breastmilk contains very little of these nutrients but what they don't tell you is that the composition of these in breastmilk as very easy the baby to absorb. I would stop the vitamins and if you want to stated them again later, do that. But for an exclusively breastfeed infants they really aren't NEEDED at 2 months.

I agree to stop the drops. Since you are breastfeeding you
need to be eating healthy. The less you can give a child or yourself that is not natural the better. Iron supplements are very harsh on any system. Also Vitamin D comes from sunshine !!! So go outside and enjoy !!

I don't believe there is any real documentation that iron constipates. But, ask your doctor if he needs the iron. Also, breastfed babies slow down their stooling patterns as their bowels get bigger. Unless he is passing a large, HARD stool, he is probably ok. He needs the Vit D found in the vitamin supplement but not richly available in breastmilk.

not unusual. should increase fluids
talk with dr.

My pediatrician also recommended supplementing with Vitamin D. I gave my daughter the Tri-Vi-Sol, which does not have iron if I remember correctly. It just has vitamin D and two other vitamins. I would recommend asking your doctor about that one as an alternative.