Most of us have not heard about Vitamin K. But like all vitamins, Vitamin K is an essential nutrient needed for the maintenance of normal bones and protein formation in the liver. It is also needed for blood clotting¹, which helps heal our wounds. This healing is especially important during labour and just after you’ve given birth.

How Do I Get Vitamin K?

The good news is, you and your baby can get all the Vitamin K that you need from a healthy and well-balanced diet. Because Vitamin K is fat-soluble, your body is able to build up stores in your liver, and use it when you need it. The nutrient content of Vitamin K-rich foods is also not usually affected by cooking.

For a healthy dose of Vitamin K, include these in your daily diet:

•    Green leafy vegetables

•    Other vegetables and fruit

•    Meat and dairy foods¹

•    Vegetable oils¹

•    Cereal¹

How Much is Enough?

The amount of Vitamin K you need a day depends on your build – you’ll need about 1 mcg of Vitamin K for each kilogramme of body weight. If you weigh 65 kg, that works out to 65 mcg of Vitamin K per day¹.

However, some medical conditions can affect your ability to absorb nutrients. If you think you might not be getting enough Vitamin K, talk to your doctor about taking a supplement. Bear in mind though that taking a supplement unnecessarily might harm your baby³.

Protecting Your Baby with Vitamin K at Birth

Babies are sometimes born with low Vitamin K levels. Immediately after birth, it is important to ensure that your baby has sufficient levels of Vitamin K. But while deficiency is rare in babies, it can lead to a condition that increases their risk of bleeding too much².

To be on the safe side, your baby may be given a booster jab shortly after birth⁴. If you don’t like the idea of a jab for your newborn, you may opt for an oral dose instead.