Does he really need a multi vitamin?

Aden is now 15 months old.. and he is not on formula anymore.. he eats 3 meals a day and snacks.. does he need a muti vitamin? My mother in law has been talking about him needing one now, but I've never heard of doing that. do any other mothers have any advice??

 

Do you feed him nutrituous foods? Lots of veggies and fruits? Wholesome wheats and grains? Good, healthy meats? If that's the bulk of his diet, I wouldn't think so.

But if he eats nothing but processed foods and scoffs at veggies, maybe.

 

Vitamins aren't a bad idea, but they do seem unnecassary at that such a young age.

 

yeah that's what I thought.. I just thought that was alittle young.. do they even make vitamins for kids his age? he can't swallow them down yet..

and he's eating very good.. actually his favorite foods are apples and oranges..
I'm not really that worried. he's not picky so he has a very healthy diet.

but my mother in law brings it up alot.. so of course I'm going to look into it.. hahaha

 

Oy, MILs and Mothers......

 

huh? sorry.. that went right over my head.. hahaha

 

I just keep noticing a lot of posts or conversations where it's brought up that mothers and mother in laws push advice that seems questionable...

I'm not looking forward to what my mom has to say.

 

My kids' pediatrician says that if the kids eat a healthy variety of foods that giving them vitamins is like peeing your money down the toilet.

 

Yeah, MIL's... heeheehee! Now you can tell her you looked into it & thought it over, whatever you decide.

My kids have been on multivitamins since they were 3. Their diet is healthy enough for what they eat, but some days my daughter eats like a starving bird, and other days all my son wants is Annie's Mac 'n Cheese. So I worry a bit, and they get vitamins.

I think more than anything, they're worry-protection for me. Even on the days when all my daughter eats is a small tortilla shell with cream cheese and a small dish of berries I know that she still got some of those other vitamins & whatnots she's supposed to be getting. It makes me feel like I'm being a "good mom." And it isn't hurting them any, so I figure why not?

We get the Lil Critters Gummy Vites - they look & taste like gummy bears. I'd worry about them thinking that vitamins are candy, but they don't get gummy bears because of their teeth. I'm probably one of very few moms out there that have her kids whining when I FORGET to give them their vitamins!
love,
mom

 

Dakota reminds me if I forget his Yummi Bears. I give them to him because he will go for days without eating a bite. He's just not a big eater. But he's very healthy so I try not to worry about him.

Kathi

 

even if you eat only whole organic foods, you still might be missing out on micronutrients because of monoculture farming, antinutrients, over processing, long storage times during which nutrients degrade, etc...

take those vites. it's not just 'expensive urine'. bah.

 

Be careful with baby vitamins, chances are he does NOT need extra iron. It is actually harmful to take as a supplement, unless you are clinically iron deficient anemic.

IF he takes vits, he would need liquid ones. They taste like.....ewwwww. I didn't give my kids vits until about three, or older also. (they breastfed a long time, so I didn't start vits until after they weaned,) so Sage didn't get them until almost five. She is like Dakota. Goes days hardly eating anything, and then goes on a spree. So, I use Rainbow Light or an other food based vitamin like Juice Plus. I NEVER buy those Flintstones things from the drug store. Bleh, all full of artificial color and they taste like sweet tarts.

 

my doctor tried to give me a multivitamin for the baby! i'm taking mine and breastfeeding exclusively, my baby is in PERFECT health and thriving like a vine in the rainforest, and my doctor said he wanted me to give my baby a multi! i was like 'you gotta be kidding, right?" he said "well, breastmilk doesn't contain much iron." i said "look at this kid, does she LOOK malnourished? mom's have been having healthy thriving children since the dawn of time WITHOUT the MOM even having a multivitamin." the deciding factor in not getting the prescription? i can't get my baby to take ANYTHING, even tylenol when she's in pain.

 

You said it, MAMA!!!!

Iron in supplement form can actually PREVENT iron from breast milk from being absorbed in the baby's gut. Healty babies, on breastmilk or iron fortified forumla do NOT need iron supplements, unless they have some very serious disease.

Love ya, KC.

 

I would say, that at 15 months, if he is not getting any formula or breastmilk, I would give him the vitamins without iron. Even though they are breastfed, my children do take vitamins occassionally. Not every day. I worry about them getting adequate nutrition from the foods they eat, since we have allergy issues and they are very picky eaters.

 

hahaha I love that..

I'm sooo going to quote that to her.. haha

 

and you know, for kids that on some days eat like a starving bird, well, that's normal, too. sometimes you ust don't need as much food. we've never worried about kai going through a couple days when she just didn't wanna eat. she's perfectly healthy. everyone goes through those days.