Low/deficient in Vitamin D?

Hey all,

Wondering other people's experiences with being low or deficient in Vitamin D during pregnancy...

At my 12wk blood screen, it was noted that I was "low" in Vitamin D. Not deficient, just low. It wasn't picked up until I saw an Obs at 24wks (going through a birth centre and the MWs didn't say anything at my 18wk check) and he advised me to take Ostelin - the Vitamin D supplement. He also said they would recheck it at my GCT blood test. That was all he said at the time

Have just had my GCT, had a check up on Friday (32wks) and the MW said they rechecked my Vit D and it has increased and I am no longer considered "low". I am on the low side of the spectrum but within the "normal" range.

However - I was told to still take the Ostelin supplement and that at birth, my new bub will need to have a one-off oral liquid dose of Vitamin D and that he will need to take Pentavite orally for 12 months from birth :o

Apparently it is a "new" recommendation, within the last 6-12mths... Has anyone else heard about this????

Interestingly, my sister went thru the same BC with my nephew (12 wks old) and was low in Vitamin D, she is still taking the supplement and thinks she will take it forever just about but no one ever mentioned anything to her during her pregnancy about supplements for bub. Her low Vit D was first noted when she had her "confirming the pg" blood tests, so she was low for the entire pregnancy.

The Mat Child Health nurse commented on it at her first visit and made a big deal about her being "low" as opposed "deficient" and said that if she'd been classed "deficient" then the bubs would be on Pentavite. But I have been told different!

I'm a bit confused!

My bub was born 4 weeks ago, and i was low in Vit D during pregnancy and have been given the same recomendations as you. It is the new fad to check for Vitamin D deficiency. I am also interested to hear if anyone knows how legitimate the need for supplements long term is.

hmm sounds a bit of a hype for pentavite more than anything
twins were on pentavite for 12 months but were prem as you know - they were also on flaxseed oil
bubs would be getting all vitamins from your milk so no need to use a vitamin supplement- esp if a full termer


most people are vit D low- a throw back from slip, slop, slapping
the best way to boost your Vitamin D supply is to go for a walk in the sun!!!! Esp this time of the year when UV is low

also delaying cord cutting will boost vitamin D supplies as well as iron and other valuable vitamins so really push for that as well
i would do some really heavy research before starting on a mulit-vitamin that is unnecessary to do- it will just be wasted
mwah hun

I am following this thread with interest, I have taken an interest in Vit D levels after my recent adventures in breast cancer land - *all* of the ladies on our BC forum had very low levels of Vit D, myself included, and lack of Vit D has recently been implicated in a number of chronic health conditions. So yeah, it's pretty important.

I found this link: Vit D and pregnancy which pretty much talks about the recommendation, but there are some links to further reading at the bottom which you might find informative.

Whilst I'm waiting for my bfp to appear... I've had Vit D levels of approx. 43 (almost normal but not quite there) for the past year. I've been encouraged to get out in the sun to increase this level and I'm also taking a supplement. I might try Ostelin as you have suggested OP.

WOW! I can't believe your little one is almost here :O

Hope everything works out well, I'll be interested in reading any other suggestions :)

Hey ladies, my Vit D was low during my PG with DD2, she is having pentivite every day, the reason i was given was that children themselves do not obtain vit d from being outside in the sun like we do until after 1yr of age, therefore they get their Vit D through us during PG and through the supplement we take while BFing... If we are deficient or low they can be too.. Vit D helps with calcium also i believe and is a requirement to assist with bone development.

HTH, not sure how accurate but this is what the hosp and my GP have informed me.

Thanks for all the replies so far...

CBG, cheers hun :D GL for your continuing journey... see my last levels came up above 50 I think, which sounds like its pretty good? Not sure.

MD - thanks, will check out that link now... I didn't know about Vit D being linked to other issues... my mum has been Vit D deficient due to having coeliac disease and she has had a BC scare... she's also severely osteoporitic (sp?) due to the calcium malabsorption... but her stems from coeliac disease, which has caused the Vit D deficiency. I've been screened for coeliacs and don't have it.

Det - was it hard to give them the Pentavite? Might chat to you tomorrow about it. I got a leaflet from the FBC about it and it says that if you bubs is born Vit D low or deficient, it *can* lead to bone density issues and even a condition called "rickets" where they don't grow properly. Clearly I don't want that, but nor do I want to be forcing an unnecessary supplement on to the little man in his first year!

Kate - what have you decided so far? Have you started bubs on Pentavite?

The thing I found strange was that as I said my sister is also low in Vit D, diagnosed by her GP, who advised her to take Ostelin INSTEAD of going out into the sun. The GP said she'd prefer my sis to take a supplement and deal with any side affects rather than risk developing a melanoma. Seems a bit strange to me.

Look at this...

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If a mother has a low level of vitamin D during pregnancy, the baby should also have a vitamin D supplement for at least 1 year and have some sun exposure. The supplement is a vitamin mixture such as Pentavite.

Breastfed babies
If a mother has low levels of vitamin D, breast milk is not a good source of vitamin D.

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It was the breastfed baby bit I was intrigued by. So Vit D cannot be simply transferred by BM. Interesting...

10 minutes per day in the sun with no sunscreen on is enough to get your RDI of vitamin D. You could try 2 10 minute lots, eg, a 10 mintute walk in the morning and a 10 minute walk in the afternoon, as well as you dietary supplement. We don't absorb much vitamin D through diet, our skin makes it when we are exposed to the sun. Calcium levels also need to be right with vitamin D

This was from the Royal Women's Hospital in Victoria's website info about Vit D and pregnancy:

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Baby

If a mother is vitamin D deficient, breast milk is not a good source of vitamin D, so babies need to be given extra vitamin D until they are weaned. Pentavite, which is a liquid multivitamin mixture available from pharmacies, is suitable for this. The dosage is 0.45ml per day. A midwife can show you how to give Pentavite to your baby before you leave the hospital.

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I seriously don't think I'd be classified as "deficient", if my levels are back within normal range now after 8wks on supplement???

Ali I was just reading about sun exposure... I would not have thought of myself as someone who hides from the sun, its so strange... but I do slip slop slap so maybe it is that...

Anyway that's a good tip, two 10min walks I could do - to and from the train station would be enough. Even if it takes me a bit longer with my waddle :lol:

My calcium should be good as I have at least two serves a day (generally more) plus a calcium supplement.

I'm taking so many supplements that I rattle when I walk :rolleyes:

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Kate - what have you decided so far? Have you started bubs on Pentavite?

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i have the pentavite in the fridge, but haven't given bub any yet. Was meaning to do a search or post a thread on here to get info first!

I am still taking the Vit D (ostelin) myself bbut also not sure whether i should continue when the bottle runs out.

I do not stay away from the sun, and spend time outside so not sure why my levels were low.

Sunscreen inhibits your skin from making vitamin D. One of the UV's is what it needs.

Vit D levels are a very interesting thing..I have heard that doctors are finding these days that most people are vit D deficient. It is becoming very common.

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Vit D levels are a very interesting thing..I have heard that doctors are finding these days that most people are vit D deficient. It is becoming very common.

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The slip slop slap message has been taken a little too well it seems

During my pregnancy with DD my doctor tested me for Vit D out of curiosity because she had been to a conference where a paper was presented that found that health care workers were showing low levels of this due to being indoors all the time. Mine were very low. I had to take a prescribed liquid vit d only supplement plus calcium (apparantly you have to take both), but no-one mentioned supplementing DD after birth. This was only last year so that bit must be new.

Since taking Vit D i have been feeling much better.

My first blood work showed my Vit D at 24 (i was told this was lower than a 90 year old! oops.)
I take 3000/ 4000 mg a day which is a lot and was still classed as low at my 12 week blood work with a reading of 54!

i will be getting tested again in two weeks wheni get my GD tests done too

And will be asking my OB about the need for baby to have Vit D at birth, interesting

forgot to add i work alot out side and dont really put any suncream on but do wear a hat! so i know getting out is not enough for me.

I usually spend about two hours outside every day MIN

I forgot to add that the reason they wanted to supplement me was for me not for bub because they said bub will take what it needs regardless and it was my bones that were going to be depleted and put at risk.

i had a vit d definciency before i was pg and was advised when i got pg that bubs could have issues with bone density and rickets. my doc said to take calcium and vit d together as well. i havent really taken much of the vit d supplements but thats mainly cause of hyperemesis (sp?) and all supplements, even ones to calm the tummy like ginger and slippery elm wont stay down (slight tangent there). i tend to try and sit in the sun everyday for a while, even if it is even just in the window when its freezing outside, not sure how useful that is but no one has mentioned bubs having supplements after birth to me either.

cmarfol, sorry but sitting getting sun inside a window will not help your Vit D levels as plate glass interrupts the UVB rays, so it may not be sufficient.

Also 10 min a day is good in summer but you need several hours per week over winter to do the same thing, depending on how far from the equator you are.

bugger! i was hoping! i got lots of sun in summer (gotta love the beach) but since its cooled down not too much...