The recommended intake of vitamin C for nursing women is 120 mg per day, and for infants 6 months of age or younger it is 40 mg per day. These are questions that nursing mothers or expectant first-time mothers often ask themselves. The answer to both is yes. Vitamin C passes through breast milk and, for mothers who lack vitamin C in their bodies, it's vital that they take supplements, as it has been found that the amount of vitamin doubles in breast milk when they do.
If breastfeeding mothers have adequate levels of vitamin C, dietary supplements are not recommended. Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient. Vitamins and minerals, needed in small quantities, are not produced by the body and must be taken from different sources that help the body to function properly. Malnourished mothers with low vitamin C levels should talk to their healthcare providers to make sure they are getting the recommended daily amount.
The importance of proper nutrition and the absence of vitamin deficiencies are important during pregnancy. The daily administration of vitamin supplements to achieve adequate dietary intake is, therefore, a recommended intervention for nursing mothers who are malnourished or for those who have dietary restrictions. If you use a vitamin C serum as part of your regular skincare routine, you can be sure that it's safe to continue doing so while breastfeeding. If maternal ingestion of vitamins in high doses results in high levels in breast milk, it must be determined if that higher dose is safe for the infant.
Effects of different levels of vitamin C intake on the concentration of vitamin C in breast milk and the vitamin C intake of breast-fed infants. When high levels of vitamin C are taken intravenously (directly into a vein), blood levels are much higher than normal. According to the RDA, it is recommended that women under 18 years of age who breastfeed take 115 mg of vitamin C per day, and those who are 19 years or older should take 120 mg of the vitamin. Because what you eat can affect your baby, the following infographic presents safe food sources of vitamin C for breastfeeding that you can include in your diet.
As we have seen, vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, has many benefits for the human body, and when it comes to breastfeeding, it's no different. A study on the effects of vitamin C intake on the concentration of vitamin C in breast milk revealed that the vitamin C component of breast milk did not increase when women who did not have a vitamin C deficiency took supplements. For example, both neurologists and primary care physicians recommend high doses of 400 mg of riboflavin (vitamin B) to prevent migraine (usually in combination with coenzyme Q and magnesium). Depending on the vitamin, dose and underlying vitamin status of the mother, this practice could result in vitamin concentrations in the milk that are harmful to the baby.
