Vitamin K for Newborn

I had a water birth at Morristown Memorial. I declined the vitamin K for several reasons:
First, from my research it appeared that introduction to vitamin K in the hospitals came after the wide use of forceps, suctions and other tools that caused bleeding. Vitamin K is used to control blood clotting. A normal birth would not require Vitamin K.
Secondly the dosage was kind of high. If I had choosen to supplement my infant with it, I would a chosen a lower dose over a period of a few days.
Third, I planned on breastfeeding. Since Vitamin K was in my prenatals and other foods I consumed, then the baby would naturally get it in her system anyway.

Hi there! Congratulations on your home birth choice. I had my first two at home with a midwife and it was great. My second was a waterbirth and I loved it! We did not accept the Vitamin K shot or have it administered orally. My midwife gave me a booklet to read and we decided against it. It seems so many of the procedures are done because a small percentage are at risk, i.e. eye drops. You have a choice since you are more in control of your birth, so if you don't feel right about it then feel free to say no. (Personally I think that the lower level of Vitamin K must be for a specific reason as that is the way God designed it.) Happy home birthing!

Hi H.. Well, I don't have to tell you this as you are having your second child, but I had no idea, when faced with this particular decision, that it was just the first of many, many choices I would have to make. How wonderful that they are choices and not givens! I had a wonderful home birth experience myself. I researched everything I could about the vitamin K and decided, for me personally, the pros out-weighed the cons. This is pretty much the status quo for all of the decisions that I have made for my daughter so far (with regard to immunizations etc) so I guess that is just the kind of person that I am. Still, I am happy to have the opportunity to read about what my daughter is going to be exposed to and make an informed choice. A.

Hi there. My daughter got the Vitamin K shot at birth. I have never heard that there is a link between the shot and leukemia. The shot is to help prevent clotting in the newborn. I didn't have a choice, the hospital did it as a routine thing. I questioned the pediatrician about it and she didn't have any reservations about it.

You have a right to refuse any routine meds for your newborn. I didn't give my daughter (home-birthed) either vit K or eye antibiotics. She is 6 & fine. Breastfeed from birth, that will help the baby develop the intestinal flora needed to produce vit K.