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My husband and I have a beautiful little 17month old girl and we are trying for our second. I was no where near being vegetarian while pregnant with my first child, but I plan on being totally vegan next time around. I was unable to breastfeed so my daughter drank formula. I don't remember seeing a soy formula, but is that okay for a newborn?
My daughter drank milk based formula and cow's milk until about a month ago. I am proud to say she loves her warm soy milk every morning and night! I am assuming since it's fine for her now, it will be fine for a newborn as well, but I have NO reference since I don't know ANYONE who has even cut out meat while pregnant.
All my friends think I'm NUTS to not be giving my daughter cow's milk now. They think that it is ESSENTIAL and I have a hard time telling them that she is not missing out on anything.
Anyway, just wondering, because I want to bring our next child into the world completely vegan. It kills me that I had given my daughter meat and milk for almost a year and a half of her life. It will not be that way next time and for the rest of my daughter's life, well as long as I can help it anyway! :)
Hi! I just did some research online, but I can't find any vegan baby formulas. Supposedly Farley's in the UK made an infant vegan soya formula, but they recalled it when it was found to have traces of cow's milk in it. I couldn't find it for sale anywhere and then stumbled upon the article that said it had been recalled. In terms of feeding your baby normal soy milk as formula, it is not a good idea. All the alternative milks have warnings on them saying, "Don't use as an infant formula," and it just wouldn't have the proper nutrients and fats in it for healthy baby development. However, soy milk is fine for children who are your daughter's age...I'm glad she loves it! I babysit children who are lactose intolerant and only drink soy milk. One has been drinking only soy milk since she was about your daughter's age! She's not vegan, but still. However, I think their mom's still used formula with cow's milk in it at some point : (. This is so worth looking into! I hope you find something, because I understand that it would be difficult to only feed breast milk until solid food. I'm not a mom, but I interact with a lot of moms with young children since I am a nanny. I wish I knew some vegan moms! Alas. Good luck with your search for vegan infant formula! Other people may have some great insights, as I am no expert on the topic. Congrats on trying for your second baby :)!
They absolutely have soy formula available. Many babies are allergic to regular formula and instead it is recommended some use soy. Check with your ped. about it, I don't know if there are any drawbacks. I definitely do not think soy milk can replace formula however. I have 3 kids, and from reading all those formula jars, there are so many added nutrients they need for healthy development, soy milk is not a complete 'meal' as formula would be. Obviously, nursing would meet all those requirements and be vegan, but I totally understand why you may not have been able to previously, I had a difficult time nursing all 3 of my children, and did it to varying degrees. If you are not going to be able to nurse, ask your ped. about soy formula, if he's not open, try to find a doc who is. Probably better if you're raising vegan kids anyways. I'm very hesitant to bring the topic up to my ped. My kids are 2,4, and 6. I don't get the feeling I'll be supported, so I'm considering my other options. Good luck!! It should be easier starting them out so young, mine, of course, have been constantly reminded to eat their meat and drink their milk, so their not so willing:)
That's so cool that there IS soy formula! Something to get when I finally have kids...haha, a long while from now, but still, I'm glad to see that there are vegan friendly options.
I've heard that soy formula is not good for boys because of the estrogen. Is this true?? Has anyone else ever heard this?? I'm wondering if this rumor was started by the Dairy Industry...hmmmm....
your other option which is better then using soy formula if you can't breast feed is to look into a breast milk bank
Yeah most of that anti-soy rhetoric does originate within meat/dairy-interest groups.
My wife nursed our son for the first 3 months and then we transitioned him to Baby's Only organic soy forumla, with some organic rice cereal usually mixed in. He has loved it and has thrived with it, never threw up or had upset stomach, he's now 21 months old and quite a strong little hercules. Now that he's a bit older we are lowering the amount of formula per bottle and adding in some almond milk, rice milk and/or soy milk at varying times for variety, as well as a little flax oil and/or blackstrap molasses a few times per week, which he loves. The molasses adds extra iron and calcium, and the flax provides extra omegas. We also sprinkle nutritional yeast on many of his foods, which he absolutely loves, and that gives him a whole variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals, from B12 to Folic to protein. He loves the Earth Balance veggie butter and/or Extra Virgin Olive oil on his toast, whole grain pasta and such, which provides lots of good fats for him. He's also a huge fan of green peas, which are good for protein and iron.
My kids are 25 yrs, 23 yrs, and 20 yrs old. My first, I had to supp. formula as I returned to work very early and the commute was long. She was allergic to reg. formula so they switched her to soy. AWFUL!!! She had colic so bad, it's a miracle we had two more kids! Diaper rashes, ear infections, the list goes on. Once we took her off the soy formula, it all disappeared and she had no problems.
My other two, I breastfed (while I was vegetarian) for 2 yrs each. Happy babies, no problems.
I agree w/Lindsay I would look into a breast milk bank if possible. Best of luck to you.
While many babies are allergic to cow's milk, there are some who are also allergic to soy formula as well, but far less often than to dairy. Maybe your child had a soy allergy Anda, sounds like it. When my mother and her siblings were infants my grandmother started them all on cow dairy, and they had many problems, once she switched them off the dairy and onto the soy they improved 100%. It all depends on the individual childs sensitivities/allergies, breastfeeding is certainly best if possible of course.
Hi Tom,
Could be-soy formula was very big in the 80s (I worked in a drs office at the time) and a lot of babies had stomach probs from it (i.e. gas!) and colic.
I don't think it's the best thing for babies, but if you can't breastfeed, there aren't many choices.
My 2nd and 3rd were exclusively breastfed for 2 yrs each, then went straight to drinking from a cup, never owned a bottle for either of them.
My first has had ZERO health problems (and now has her own healthy baby) My 2nd and 3rd have had many health problems. Go figure.
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