Should I Take Vitamin A When Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding women have a higher need for
vitamin A, compared to other adults (including pregnant women). However, these women have no trouble getting enough vitamin A through their diet. Certainly, most
prenatal vitamins contain plenty of vitamin A for the typical breastfeeding woman.
Recommendations on Breastfeeding and Vitamin A
The Recommended Dietary Intake (RDA) of vitamin A for breastfeeding women is 1200 mcg daily for women age 14 to 18 years old or 1300 mcg daily for women 19 and older. However, most supplement labels use international units (IUs) instead of mcg, and the conversion between the two is not straightforward (it depends on the type of vitamin A used). The easiest way to get a good idea of how much vitamin A your prenatal vitamin contains is to look at the "% Daily Value." All the calculations and conversions have been done for you. Make sure you are getting 100 percent or less.
Since vitamin A is found in a wide variety of commonly consumed foods, most people don't have any trouble getting enough. In fact, taking too much can easily lead to
vitamin A toxicity. Vitamin A passes through breast milk, but it is not clear if it is dangerous to the child for the mother to take too much vitamin A, although it is certainly dangerous for the mother.
You should talk with your healthcare provider about vitamin A and breastfeeding. Each woman's situation is different, and you and your healthcare provider understand your situation best. After considering what you want and expect, as well as your current health situation, the two of you can make a shared decision about vitamin A and breastfeeding that is right for you.
