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Thread: breastfeeding vegan babies

  1. #51
    treehuggingmama
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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    I'm breastfeeding my seven month old baby girl and I've been vegan since 2003. She has started baby-led weaning but still mostly bf. Her weight gain has always been really good, she is the chubbiest baby ever and is in the top 99.6th centile for babies her age in the UK! All on a diet of vegan breastmilk

  2. #52
    treehuggingmama
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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    I'm breastfeeding my seven month old baby girl and I've been vegan since 2003. She has started baby-led weaning but still mostly bf. Her weight gain has always been really good, she is the chubbiest baby ever and is in the top 99.6th centile for babies her age in the UK! All on a diet of vegan breastmilk

    I meant to add, I don't eat soy products at all, as they gave me terrible sickness when I was pregnant, and if I eat them now when breastfeeding they give baby a poorly tummy. Fermented soy is okay though, eg tofu, tempeh. x

  3. #53

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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    Quote treehuggingmama View Post
    I'm breastfeeding my seven month old baby girl and I've been vegan since 2003. She has started baby-led weaning but still mostly bf. Her weight gain has always been really good, she is the chubbiest baby ever and is in the top 99.6th centile for babies her age in the UK! All on a diet of vegan breastmilk I meant to add, I don't eat soy products at all, as they gave me terrible sickness when I was pregnant, and if I eat them now when breastfeeding they give baby a poorly tummy. Fermented soy is okay though, eg tofu, tempeh. x
    That's great! Well done so far on breastfeeding him. I'm looking forward to baby led weaning myself, but we're not there yet. I'm breastfeeding a 5-month old little boy at the moment and he's doing great

  4. #54

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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    I'm not likely to be a father anytime soon (I hope) but it's great to hear that your babies are doing great on a vegan diet. Have a nice Sunday : )

  5. #55

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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    Quote tofu_lew View Post
    I'm not likely to be a father anytime soon (I hope) but it's great to hear that your babies are doing great on a vegan diet. Have a nice Sunday : )
    Thank you, have a nice Sunday yourself!

    I just wanted to add I have a very healthy and happy 4-year old girl as well who was breastfed and has always been vegan. She was a preemie once, but she's just fine now and I'm deadproud of her

  6. #56
    JewelsStrilaiff
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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    Although I have only recently decided to be Vegan... I totally get where you're coming from.

    I feel that formula is pushed onto mothers far too often. People think they're doing good by supporting formula companies giving formula to African's who can't feed their babies. The reality is that they're doing just fine and breastfeeding their babes until sometimes after 4 years old and when we give them formula for 'free' they end up having smaller milk supplies and very quickly need to spend the no money they have to buy formula. It's disgusting.

    I would do anything in my power for my children to breastfeed as long as possible. We have an 8 month old and have been trying for another baby for a few months now. I wish to tandum feed if my body allows it If not, my dear friend will be weaning her 3 year old in 5 months from breastmilk so she can go back to work part time so she said if it didn't work out when I got pregnant, she'd pump just for me Amazing support!

  7. #57

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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    I agree that pushing formula on African mothers who have been successfully breastfeeding is totally wrong. When I heard about that, I was so angry. Yet another money-making scheme from the already privileged west.

    However, I must admit, so-called "breastfeeding support" these days seems to be more geared towards guilt-tripping than true support. I was ready and eager to breastfeed my son when he was born - we hadn't bought any formula, as I was determined bf would work - but sadly, things didn't work out quite like that. I had a breastmilk oversupply, which is quite rare: my bra went up about 4 sizes, I was at constant risk of mastitis, and my let-down was so forceful that my son frequently choked and vomited. His acid reflux was aggravated by this, so he was being sick more than he was eating.

    My midwives confessed they had never heard of a breastmilk oversupply, and so they fobbed me off with flippant comments such as "It's better to have too much than too little!" At the same time, they scowled and tutted at me when I admitted I'd like to express and give my son breastmilk from a bottle (in an attempt to decrease my milk supply and prevent the choking). All they wanted was to keep me breastfeeding, frequently reminding me that formula feeding is selfish and unhealthy. All that did was make me more depressed, anxious, and guilty, not more eager to breastfeed. I got the number for a lactation consultant and she was very helpful, giving me lots of suggestions and agreeing that an oversupply can be very distressing. I tried every suggestion: feeding in certain positions, hand-expressing for a few mins before feeds, block feeding, etc. Nothing worked. Every mealtime became a battle, with me covered in milk and vomit and with my son screaming in hunger.

    In the end, he was hospitalised for dehydration, so I put my foot down and told the midwives to fuck off. I bought an electric pump and fed my son breastmilk from a bottle. At first, my massive milk supply meant it was easy to pump and store large amounts. Gradually, my supply became more normal, and I tried to get my son to latch on and continue on the breast. By then, he was too used to the bottle, and wanted none of it. He'd just scream and make himself sick. I pumped as much as I could for as long as I could, but we began gradually weaning onto formula at around 2 months old.

    IMO, it's damaging to the mother - particularly if she has post-natal depression - to use guilt as a motivator for breastfeeding (e.g. "Your baby's going to get obesity/colds/flu/etc. Formula feeding is wrong.") All it does is make mothers who are struggling feel worthless.

    The best and kindest people, who helped me through PND as well as breastfeeding, were the lactation consultants. There was absolutely no judgment or agenda on their part, and plenty of sympathy. I knew that if I decided to continue breastfeeding, they would help me every way they could - but if I decided not to, they would not start labelling me a terrible mother. If not for those women, I would have stopped breastfeeding when my son was 3 weeks old. The fact that they recognised the importance of focusing on my health as well as my son's meant more to me than they'll ever know.

    Sorry for the rant, but I went through such a terrible time that I think it's important to urge people not to judge or guilt-trip mums who FF. There are some mums who point-blank refuse to try breastfeeding for rather weak reasons (e.g. "It just seems weird"), and I do think that's bizarre. But there are also some who tried their very best, and they deserve support just as much as anyone else.
    xox

  8. #58
    glosoli's Avatar
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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    I'm a vegan nursing mama too! Hoo-Rah!!

    Breast is best!
    On the topic, breastfeeding mama's should be consuming:

    500 calories above the norm.

    Have a b12 supplement of 10mcg perday OR eat foods with b12 4mcg per day

    Consume 11g above the usual protein amount if baby is under 6 months. After 6 months 6g above norm.

    260 mg of folic acid

    1250 mcg calcium per day

    DHA (good for babys developing eyes and brain) it's prevalent in flax seed! Add it in a yummy smoothie.

  9. #59

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    Just curious if anyone else is breastfeeding a toddler?
    Quitting something because it's hard is wrong, and quitting something because it's wrong is hard. One takes cowardice, the other bravery.

  10. #60

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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    Not now, my youngest is 14 now but he was about 4 when he stopped and his sister a bit older. It did tail off a lot as they got older. Are you, or planning to? Your teeny teeny baby is a toddler now? Wow. hats of to you, particularly after all your difficulties when you started.

  11. #61

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    She's two now, and I'm planning in child led weaning, which may or may result in tandem nursing if we press on with plans to expand the brood.

    She's very milk motivated. I'm sure she knows what her body needs
    Quitting something because it's hard is wrong, and quitting something because it's wrong is hard. One takes cowardice, the other bravery.

  12. #62

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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    That is lovely to hear. Or read, rather. I know about the milk motivated thing, mine absolutley loved it. Ah, it was so easy then, a snuggle and a feed would put the workd to rights very quickly.

  13. #63
    Pea-utiful... Peabrain's Avatar
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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    Sadly I had a very strange problem with my kids - overproduction (I went from a 32C to a 36FF)! I breastfed my first two children, and the latching was fine, the communication was fine, etc... But my body made WAAAY too much milk! So I kept getting mastitis, and with my second child in particular there was a problem with the milk spraying so forcefully and so much that he often choked or vomited. I had to adapt by letting him start the feed, and the when I felt the let down happening I used a thick absorbent cloth to catch the "turbo spray" and then let him feed once it slowed down again. But I still kept getting engorged and when he was nearly 7 months I ended up critically ill in hospital (I mean - nearly dead critical) with a breast abscess and severe infection! So with my third I'd chosen not to feed after getting ill several times with the other two. I wasn't Vegan back then, but if I had been, I would have given her the closest to vegan version I could. Even if it wasn't perfect, it would have been better than an entirely cows milk issue.
    Last edited by Peabrain; May 26th, 2013 at 01:15 PM.

  14. #64

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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    How horrible for you Peabrain. My experience of engorgement was no fun at all so I feel for you, so scary and horrible for you to end up in hospital. I've had that happen too but without a baby less than a yer old to be worrying about. I had my son with mental health issues that had me desaparate to come home, and then sorry to be away from the security of hospital and stressed by all I had to cope with. But this is a digression.

    You sound like you've not quite forgiven yourself for what you fed your third baby on. It's OK, we all have regrets over things in the past. You did the very best you could I am sure, given what information you had. I'm wondering, what support were you getting? Ms Derious had a lot of help from the NHS lactation clinic, IIRC? I was helped by someone from the NCT as the NHS were useless in that regard. I had never heard of this problem, it must have been awful for you and bubba. My eldest did get a bit swamped in the early days, but hey, tandem feeding is great for that. How my daughter delighted in her job of getting my breasts soft and unsquirty for her little brother.

    Ah MsDerious if you do tandem feed, it has its drawbacks but some very sweet moments too. Like when I would be immobilised on my back with offspring in both arms and my newborn babay losing the nipple like they do. His big sister would reach over and help him latch on again. They would hold hands over my tummy too

  15. #65
    Pea-utiful... Peabrain's Avatar
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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    His big sister would reach over and help him latch on again. They would hold hands over my tummy too
    That sounds awesome...

    I'm wondering, what support were you getting?
    I didn't go to a specific clinic, but did have support from La Leche League... I just seemed to consistently be making too much to contain... I might have been able to deal with it more carefully if the issue had not been forced and sent me into hospital, but it all went awry after that.

    Ah well, it's no longer a problem these days as I've shut up shop for good. Three babies is plenty! LOL...

    I will be sure to help my daughter if she ever gets any issues...
    Last edited by Peabrain; Mar 31st, 2013 at 02:27 PM.

  16. #66

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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    Quote Peabrain View Post
    I will be sure to help my daughter if she ever gets any issues, not like my mother, who though I loved her and admired her wisdom in many ways, in regard to breastfeeding was very unsupportive and actually called it disgusting!

    It is good to think that there are more children out there who now think of breastfeeding as the default. I like to think that I also did a bit to spread the word amongst children who had never seen it A friend of my daughter's thought like your mother, I expect her mother was saying the same things to her but she got interested and eventually didn't look horrified and leave the rooom as quickly as possible.

    Fancy your mother calling the most natural way of feeding babies disgusting. So sad. Good for you to have stopped that opinion going down the generations. My mother found it hard to accept her grandchildren feeding and turning around to talk to her mid feed, but she managed.

  17. #67
    Pea-utiful... Peabrain's Avatar
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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    .
    Last edited by Peabrain; Mar 31st, 2013 at 02:26 PM.

  18. #68

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    Not a lot to say to that Peabrain, but sending hugs to you and the memory of your mother XXX

  19. #69
    Pea-utiful... Peabrain's Avatar
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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    It's weird how that came out - I didn't mean to incorporate any info about my mum - maybe the maternal nature of the conversation... It was a stream of consciousness though, that actually helped me se something I'd never realised about that time before so it was a good thing. Thank for the hugs.

    Now, let's get back to talking about babies and boobies!

  20. #70
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    Default Re: breastfeeding vegan babies

    Quote MamaBee View Post
    I think it's important to urge people not to judge or guilt-trip mums who [don't BF]
    Just to add - I didn't see this until just now (thought I'd read all the posts but missed a chunk on this second page), but thanks for the share and I am glad to see I wasn't the only one who had this particular issue.

  21. #71

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    The support for mothers who have anything more than positioning issues is shocking. We eventually had to privately fund (which I'm against) her having her tongue tie snipped, which eventually solved much of the issue.
    Quitting something because it's hard is wrong, and quitting something because it's wrong is hard. One takes cowardice, the other bravery.

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