Iron supplements while breastfeeding

Currently the best evidence is that this is achieved by prolonged breastfeeding avoidance of unfortified formulas and cows milk and the introduction of iron-fortified and vitamin C-fortified weaning foods at approximately 6 months of age. How Are Babies Affected By Their Mothers Iron Supplements.

The iron levels in a mothers milk are not affected by the amount of iron in her diet or by iron supplements she may take.

Iron supplements while breastfeeding. Human milk contains relatively small amounts of iron but it is very well absorbed so breastfed babies rarely need iron supplements says Dr. In fact introducing iron supplements and iron-fortified foods especially during a babys first six months can actually decrease the effectiveness of the babys natural iron absorption according to lactation consultant Kelly Bonyata of the KellyMom website. If you had anemia during pregnancy check with your healthcare provider to see if you need to continue taking iron supplements when breastfeeding.

Iron supplements are perfectly safe to take when youre breastfeeding. For breastfeeding women the recommended dietary allowance RDA for iron is 9 milligrams mg per day. If you lost a lot of blood during birth from a postpartum hemorrhage you may.

Iron normally is present in breast milk in small amounts. When prescribed by a health care professional iron preparations are not known to cause problems during breast-feeding. However nursing mothers are advised to check with their health care professional before taking iron supplements or any other medication.

How Are Babies Affected By Their Mothers Iron Supplements. According to the Cleveland Clinic the recommended daily amount of iron for pregnant women. Breastfeeding mothers need the same amount of iron as they do during pregnancy.

The AAP clinical report Diagnosis and Prevention of Iron Deficiency and Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Infants and Young Children 0 Through 3 Years recommends giving breastfed infants 1 mgkgday of a liquid iron supplement until iron-containing solid foods. Research shows that it is your age that will determine the amount of iron you will need when breastfeeding. To be more specific it is recommended that you consume around 10 mg of iron a day if you are between 14 and 18 years of age.

For women in the age group of 19 to 50 years around 9 mg a day is the required dosage. Women are often advised to continue to take prenatal vitamins as long as they are breastfeeding and these vitamins often include a large dose of iron. The iron levels in a mothers milk are not affected by the amount of iron in her diet or by iron supplements she may take.

Iron is added to formula at a higher concentration than breast milk to compensate for the fact that the iron supplements added to formula milk are much harder for a baby to absorb. Babies can absorb 50 of the iron in breast milk compared with only 2-9 of the iron in artificial milk and 4 from fortified baby cereals 4. Most mineral supplements eg iron calcium copper chromium zinc taken by the mother do not affect breastmilk levels.

Water soluble vitamin supplements eg B vitamins vitamin C taken by the mother usually increase breastmilk levels. Currently the best evidence is that this is achieved by prolonged breastfeeding avoidance of unfortified formulas and cows milk and the introduction of iron-fortified and vitamin C-fortified weaning foods at approximately 6 months of age. Iron During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding During pregnancy and breastfeeding most women need more iron due to the demands of pregnancy.

Its important to monitor and boost iron levels through this phase as many women become deficient due to. If a breastfeeding woman was advised by her doctor to take iron supplements to improve her own iron levels then it is fine for her to take the iron w. In addition iron supplements can overwhelm the iron-binding abilities of the proteins in breastmilk thus making some of the iron from breastmilk which was previously available to baby only available to bacteria also.

Baby tends to get a lower percentage of the available iron. It is safe to continue taking iron supplements for you and the baby while breastfeeding. Your body will absorb the iron most efficiently if you take.

In fact introducing iron supplements and iron-fortified foods especially during a babys first six months can actually decrease the effectiveness of the babys natural iron absorption according to lactation consultant Kelly Bonyata of the KellyMom websiteIron supplements are perfectly safe to take when youre breastfeeding. The amount of iron you need while breastfeeding depends on your age. If you are between the ages of 19 and 50 you need 65 milligrams according to the Institute of Medicine 1.

You need 7 milligrams a day if youre between the ages of 14 and 18. Its fine to take an iron supplement while breastfeeding if you are still anemic. Are you taking a prenatal vitamin.

We usually encourage breastfeeding women to continue taking a prenatal vitamin while breastfeeding and most of these vitamins include iron.