B12 Deficiency And Breastfeedin

[Annaem]

I recently heard that if you are often b12 deficient it is not wise to breast feed because the fluctuating levels are damaging to the baby. Does anyone know if this is true?????

[loraleena]

I am a certified lactation counselor. This is something I did not learn in my training. Please consult with a certified lactation consultant at your local hospital for advice on this. They have more training than me. Good luck.

[Annaem]

I am a certified lactation counselor. This is something I did not learn in my training. Please consult with a certified lactation consultant at your local hospital for advice on this. They have more training than me. Good luck.

They have decided to suppliment with b12 drops while i am breast feeding him because his stores may run out sooner than other babies. Everything is going well.

[Ursa Major]

They have decided to suppliment with b12 drops while i am breast feeding him because his stores may run out sooner than other babies. Everything is going well.

That sounds like a sensible solution!

[MammaW]

I have an 11 month old who has been through so much this year....I have another posting with all the horrible details-but with regard to the b12.....i have always been very defficient, in fact my levels are often down in the low 100s which is pretty bad. I never gave it a thought, but with all my little guys issues it occurred to me to have him tested and he was actually low too! So yes, it is very true and rare I understand from my doctors/specialist who have never had any personal experience with the situation. So I am doing injections for myslef and my little one took a supplement for a few weeks and was retested and his levels were fine. This means his defficiency was due solely because I was deficient and not because he can't absorb it- which I considered since I don't absorb it either.

Hope that helps!

[Mindyshew]

For those of you that don't know, there is a sublingual (to be placed under the tongue) vitamin that contains B6, B12, and Folic acid. Since it dissolves under the tongue, it bypasses the digestive system and is very well absorbed into the blood stream. This is much more pleasant than a shot. The company I buy it from is called Tri Vita and you can find them on line. Hope this helps.

Mindyshew