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Three Ways Breastfeeding Mothers Can Support Their Baby’s Vitamin D Levels
- Angel
- Jul 15
- 5 min read
Why is Vitamin D recommended for Breastfeeding Babies?
Almost every hospital recommends vitamin D supplementation for breastfed babies.
I’m not going to dive into all the reasons vitamin D is routinely recommended in this post, but I do want to walk you through the different options available to breastfeeding mothers.
In short, vitamin D supplementation is recommended because of the belief that breastmilk contains little to no vitamin D.
However, there is an important caveat to consider: in some of the research, the mothers may have already been vitamin D-deficient. A mother’s vitamin D status can affect how much vitamin D is present in her breastmilk.
While oral vitamin D supplementation may offer some benefits, there are also potential downsides to consider. I’ll discuss those later in this post.
For now, let’s talk about the different ways you may be able to support your baby’s vitamin D levels.
Three Ways Breastfeeding Mothers Can Support Their Baby’s Vitamin D Levels
Option 1: Spend Time in the Midday Sun
One option is spending time outside in the midday sun.
Depending on your skin tone, this may look like approximately:
10–15 minutes for lighter skin
30 minutes to two hours for darker skin
During that time, the body may produce approximately 10,000–25,000 IU of vitamin D.
Sunlight may also support your mood and help lower the risk of postpartum mood struggles, making outdoor time potentially beneficial for both your physical and emotional health.
For sun exposure to be effective, you’ll want a good amount of skin exposed. Ideally, at least your face and arms should be uncovered so your body can receive the benefits.
You can still receive vitamin D while sitting in the shade, but you will generally need to spend more time outside. You can also split your outdoor time into shorter periods throughout the day.
Your baby can remain safely in the shade while you sit in the sun. You can also both spend a longer period of time outside together in the shade.
One important thing to remember is that the UVB rays needed to produce vitamin D do not pass through glass. If you are sitting indoors near a sunny window, opening the window is necessary for your skin to receive those rays.
Sun exposure can be a wonderful way to support both you and your baby. What many mothers are not told is that when a mother has healthy vitamin D levels, she can pass vitamin D to her baby through her breastmilk.
Contrary to what some may believe, maternal vitamin D intake can reach the breastfeeding infant.
Option 2: Eat Foods Rich in Vitamin D
Combining vitamin D-rich foods with regular sun exposure is the chef’s kiss for supporting your health and postpartum mood—and your baby may benefit too.
Some foods that naturally contain vitamin D include:
Fatty fish
Beef liver
Egg yolks
Cheese
How to Make Liver More Enjoyable
You may flinch at the thought of eating liver, but there are ways to make it easier to include in your diet.
My favorite method is blending liver and mixing it with ground beef. You can then use the mixture to make spaghetti, lasagna, or another dish with tomato sauce.
Start with a small amount, such as half of a liver. As you become more comfortable with the taste and texture, you can gradually increase the amount to a full liver.
Choosing Eggs
When possible, aim for farm-fresh eggs from local free-range or pasture-raised chickens. These eggs typically contain higher amounts of vitamin D and other nutrients than factory-farmed eggs commonly found in grocery stores.
If pasture-raised eggs are outside your budget, see whether free-range eggs are an affordable alternative. Otherwise, use whatever eggs are accessible and affordable for your family.
Choosing Fatty Fish
For fatty fish, aim for wild-caught options such as:
Salmon
Mackerel
Herring
Sardines
Anchovies
Tuna, especially bluefin and albacore
Rainbow trout
Wild-caught seafood is generally more nutrient-dense than farmed fish.
Option 3: Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation
The visit that inspired this series involved a mother who had been told that taking vitamin D herself would not provide vitamin D to her breastfeeding baby.
Yikes.
I believe mothers deserve to know that maternal vitamin D can transfer to a breastfeeding infant—with an important caveat.
Before going further, I strongly prefer getting vitamin D through food and sun exposure whenever possible. These options can support your overall health and may improve your postpartum experience.
However, there are times when oral supplementation may be beneficial.
For example, living in an area with very little sunlight may increase the risk of vitamin D deficiency. This can be especially important for people of color living in areas with limited sunlight.
So, does maternal vitamin D supplementation transfer vitamin D to the baby?
The answer is yes, but the amount matters.
In one research study, women who took 400 IU of vitamin D still had infants who became vitamin D-deficient. Women who took 6,400 IU provided adequate vitamin D through their breastmilk, and their breastfeeding infants were not vitamin D-deficient.
Having the mother take vitamin D may therefore be another option for helping a breastfeeding baby receive adequate vitamin D, although I still rank food and sun exposure above supplementation.
What to Look for in a Vitamin D Supplement
The quality and ingredients of a vitamin D supplement matter greatly.
Some vitamin D supplements contain ingredients such as:
Preservatives
Artificial colors
Mineral oil
These ingredients may be harmful to both adults and infants. Mineral oil may also interfere with the absorption of vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins.
Cholecalciferol is preferred over ergocalciferol because it is better absorbed.
In my practice, I have also seen infant vitamin D supplements contribute to:
Stomach upset
Gas
Increased fussiness
Vitamin D supplements have not been studied to determine how they affect the infant microbiome, which is foundational to a baby’s immune system and may also influence future mental health.
Inorganic supplementation, such as infant formula, has already been shown to negatively affect the infant microbiome. Although it has not been proven that vitamin D supplements have the same effect, I believe it remains within the realm of possibility that they may not have a positive effect on the microbiome.
Potential Risks of Too Much Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important, but more is not always better.
Taking too much oral vitamin D may lead to hypercalcemia, which means there is too much calcium in the blood. Excessive maternal supplementation may also cause hypercalcemia in the infant.
Other potential risks include:
Constipation
Slowed growth in children
Anemia
Kidney problems
Heart problems
Weight loss
Because dosage matters, mothers should make informed decisions and carefully consider the amount and type of supplementation they use.
Choosing the Best Option for Your Family
There is more than one way to support your baby’s vitamin D levels.
You may choose to focus on sunlight, vitamin D-rich foods, maternal supplementation, or a combination of these options.
My goal is not to tell you what decision you must make. My goal is to give you more information so you can make an informed choice about how to support your vitamin D levels and provide vitamin D to your breastfeeding baby.
Here are some more resources to dive deeper!
I hope this was helpful and gave you the tools to make an informed choice on how to optimally give your baby enough vitamin D!
