On Vitamins

This conversation actually happened.  It was the day before Z's 1 year well-baby check-up.

"Are you giving Zoë her vitamin drops?"
"No, I haven't been for months - they were nasty, she hated them, and she just spit them out immediately.  I decided it wasn't a battle worth fighting."
"Are you going to tell the Pediatrician?"
"Of course."
"Good.  Maybe that's why she's such a small baby."
"What, because I don't give her vitamins?"
"Yes."
"That's BULLSHIT.  I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

Ironically, I heard this story on NPR on my way into work this morning.


People began taking vitamin supplements in the 1930's (shockingly little history on the supplement industry out there, sorry I resorted to Wikipedia which isn't exactly an authoritative source, but it does illustrate my point), and I can only assume widespread use didn't begin until later.  So that means that humans have managed to survive and thrive as a species without vitamins for how long?

MY BABY is NOT skinny because she doesn't get her daily vitamin drops.  She is skinny because her mom was naturally skinny (until she hit her mid 20's),  her dad was naturally skinny (until he got married), and genetically she comes from a long line of primarily not-fat people.  She was born skinny (perhaps because I ran while pregnant?), and according to her Pediatrician, as long as she stays in the same general percentage zone, there is no cause for concern.  Read: she's just a skinny baby.  Furthermore, she is breastfed, and I feed her a well-balanced diet of primarily organic solid food.  For the record, I did tell the Pediatrician that I don't give the Z her vitamins, and she didn't even bat an eyelash.

And, the American Academy of Pediatrics ONLY recommends a vitamin D supplement.  Which I was giving to the Z until the Pediatrician prescribed the nasty iron vitamin drops that made us quit altogether.  If I had done my proper research back then, I would have just bought a cheap OTC D supplement and kept calm and carried on.  Instead, I let myself get freaked out and had an over-reaction (to quit entirely).  I'll know better next time, but in the meantime, my kid is just fine.

I love this link.

Just eat a balanced, healthy diet of whole foods that you cook yourself.  Know what you're eating, and try to do a good job of getting a variety of foods.  That's it.  It isn't rocket science.  And you don't have to pad the pockets of shady vitamin companies.