Below are vitamins and minerals to pay attention to in addition to eating a healthy diet.¹

Iodine

Iodine is a mineral that helps to make thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones are necessary for your baby’s growth and brain development during and after pregnancy. If your intake of iodine is low, it can affect the iodine amount in your milk. The recommended amount of iodine during lactation is 290 micrograms (mcg) a day.² You might be at risk for iodine deficiency if you:²

• Do not regularly eat dairy products or seafood
• Smoke cigarettes
• Do not use iodized salt (e.g., table salt)

During pregnancy, moms should take a daily prenatal supplement that contains 220 mcg of iodine.² Talk with your health care provider to make sure you are taking the right one.²

Iron

Iron is a mineral that helps make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen through blood. Many babies have stored iron in their body’s for up to the first 6 months of their lives, so iron supplementation is often not required as long as mom and baby are not anemic (have low iron).^3,4 At around 6 months of age, your baby should be offered iron-rich solid foods in addition to your milk. Some examples are:

• Pureed/mashed meat  
• Pureed/mashed tofu 
• Pureed/mashed beans

Talk with your healthcare provider and/or baby’s health care provider about if you or your baby should take an iron supplement.^3,4

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is important for healthy brain development and making red blood cells. It is found only in animal foods. The majority of babies who are receiving breast milk are not deficient in Vitamin B12. The recommended amount during lactation is 2.8 mcg a day.⁵ If you do not eat animal products, have had gastric bypass surgery, have been diagnosed with pernicious anemia (type of Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia) or have a stomach condition, talk with your health care provider to make sure your Vitamin B12 is at a healthy level for you and your growing baby.⁵

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important for bone, brain cells, immune health and muscle function. Vitamin D is found naturally in some foods (e.g., fish), fortified or added to food (e.g., dairy, plant milk products and orange juice) and is made in our skin when exposed to the sun’s rays.^4,6  Your milk may be low in Vitamin D if you:

• Do do not spend enough time in the sun
• Wear the recommended amount of sunscreen that blocks the sun’s rays (a good thing!)
• Live in areas where the sun’s rays are not strong enough to make enough vitamin D

Because of the above reasons, your baby should receive a liquid vitamin D supplement of 400 IU/day.^4,6 The type of supplement should be vitamin D3 (also known as cholecalciferol) because it is absorbed better in the body than other types of vitamin D. If there is a concern or problem giving your baby a vitamin D supplement, you can take a supplement of 6,400 IU a day.⁴ Talk with your health care provider before taking high dose vitamin D supplements.^4,6

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is needed to form blood clots and to help stop bleeding when we have a cut.⁷ Breast milk is low in vitamin K and your baby has very small amounts of it stored in their body. It is  recommended that all babies receive a vitamin K shot during the first 6 hours after their birth. Talk with your health care provider if you have any questions.⁷

Zinc

What If I Have Questions?

If you are interested in learning more, these Aeroflow classes expand on some of the topics discussed above:

• Healthy Eating for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding 
• Solid Foods for the Breastfed Baby

Want More Info?

For a directory of Aeroflow’s other Care Guides offering information on pregnancy, baby care, and more, browse our comprehensive list of titles:

References