pediatrician who has experience with vegan babies?

[Anonymous]

This is so ridiculous. I'm the OP. I was not asking this question to flame or incite the boards. Yes I plan on breast feeding, and no I do not believe that breast milk is non-vegan. Veganism is a philosophy that you avoid encouraging animal suffering by not eating animals or wearing animal products. Once this baby is born and is able to eat solid foods, I do not plan on feeding him meat, eggs, or milk. I don' t think that is so unreasonable, and I absolutely plan on making sure he has a healthy, well-rounded diet, hence my question about pediatricians in the area that can give me information and support.

[Anonymous]

Vegan mother here that has successful EBF two children. Your child can be vegan and also breastfeed. It's compatible. You all are ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so ridiculous. I'm the OP. I was not asking this question to flame or incite the boards. Yes I plan on breast feeding, and no I do not believe that breast milk is non-vegan. Veganism is a philosophy that you avoid encouraging animal suffering by not eating animals or wearing animal products. Once this baby is born and is able to eat solid foods, I do not plan on feeding him meat, eggs, or milk. I don' t think that is so unreasonable, and I absolutely plan on making sure he has a healthy, well-rounded diet, hence my question about pediatricians in the area that can give me information and support.

Sorry you dealt with such ridiculousness. You sound amazing. I too am a vegan mother than breastfed two children. While my children are not vegan (3 and 9 months due to a plethora of reasons I won't get into here), you sound like you know what you're doing and you're going to be safe and healthy. Best of luck to you. Wish I could help with a pedi recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so ridiculous. I'm the OP. I was not asking this question to flame or incite the boards. Yes I plan on breast feeding, and no I do not believe that breast milk is non-vegan. Veganism is a philosophy that you avoid encouraging animal suffering by not eating animals or wearing animal products. Once this baby is born and is able to eat solid foods, I do not plan on feeding him meat, eggs, or milk. I don' t think that is so unreasonable, and I absolutely plan on making sure he has a healthy, well-rounded diet, hence my question about pediatricians in the area that can give me information and support.

OP, you really need to make a plan for what to do if breastfeeding doesn't work.

[Anonymous]

No pediatrician recs but I would suggest introducing avocado as a first food as it has a very good fats for babies. And my kids loved black beans cooked in olive oil. We did Baby Led Weaning and I think it would work well for a vegans b.c it avoids those spooned pure carbs and you could focus on health fats and proteins.

Best of luck to you. I admire vegans honestly. B.c regular vegetarians are kinda fooling themselves...what do they think happens to the male laying chickens or the male dairy calves?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so ridiculous. I'm the OP. I was not asking this question to flame or incite the boards. Yes I plan on breast feeding, and no I do not believe that breast milk is non-vegan. Veganism is a philosophy that you avoid encouraging animal suffering by not eating animals or wearing animal products. Once this baby is born and is able to eat solid foods, I do not plan on feeding him meat, eggs, or milk. I don' t think that is so unreasonable, and I absolutely plan on making sure he has a healthy, well-rounded diet, hence my question about pediatricians in the area that can give me information and support.

OP, you really need to make a plan for what to do if breastfeeding doesn't work.

I'm OP. I know, and I would love a doctor with experience in this area to talk to about it. Seems like no one has recommendations here, and a google search wasn't helpful. I'll just call around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so ridiculous. I'm the OP. I was not asking this question to flame or incite the boards. Yes I plan on breast feeding, and no I do not believe that breast milk is non-vegan. Veganism is a philosophy that you avoid encouraging animal suffering by not eating animals or wearing animal products. Once this baby is born and is able to eat solid foods, I do not plan on feeding him meat, eggs, or milk. I don' t think that is so unreasonable, and I absolutely plan on making sure he has a healthy, well-rounded diet, hence my question about pediatricians in the area that can give me information and support.

OP, you really need to make a plan for what to do if breastfeeding doesn't work.

I'm OP. I know, and I would love a doctor with experience in this area to talk to about it. Seems like no one has recommendations here, and a google search wasn't helpful. I'll just call around.

Hey OP, what area are you in? McLean Pediatrics is generally supportive, so they'd probably try to find a way to work with you. I have no idea whether they're experienced with vegan moms per se, but Dr Pratt has worked with us on some other issues and is generally non-judgmental. If you need to provide your baby with more than just the normal Vit D that all breastfed babies need, they can help you with that. If you need to supplement with formula, there are soy-based formulas out there - that's the most obvious non-dairy option, but obviously breastmilk is ideal, milk-best formula is next best, and soy-based is what a lot of families have to do when their kid can't digest milk, so it is what it is.

In your shoes, I would be more focused on making sure you're as well equipped to make breastfeeding work as possible. McLean has a lactation-consultation on staff. Attend a breastfeeding class while still pregnant. Know which foods boost your supply and which will dry you up.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son was vegan for the first 2 years of his life. He was allergic to dairy and eggs, and we are vegetarian, so no meat.

He did very well. He was breastfed (which mean vegan for me--how I missed my cheese!), and when he started solids, he was not picky at all. Avocado, beans, oatmeal. Calcium fortified foods. Everything covered in olive oil, and coconut milk as a drink--tons of fat in there. He did great.

By 2, the allergy to dairy passed, though he is still sensitive to eggs, so we added dairy in. But he was fine without it.

My point is children, babies especially, can be vegan and absolutely thrive, in spite of the strange straw man above trying to insist breastmilk isn't vegan. What is the point there, anyway?

What would you have done if he HAD been picky? I'm just curious. One of mine has always been picky, and he eats a lot of things I'd rather him not, because they're the only things he WILL eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was vegan for the first 2 years of his life. He was allergic to dairy and eggs, and we are vegetarian, so no meat.

He did very well. He was breastfed (which mean vegan for me--how I missed my cheese!), and when he started solids, he was not picky at all. Avocado, beans, oatmeal. Calcium fortified foods. Everything covered in olive oil, and coconut milk as a drink--tons of fat in there. He did great.

By 2, the allergy to dairy passed, though he is still sensitive to eggs, so we added dairy in. But he was fine without it.

My point is children, babies especially, can be vegan and absolutely thrive, in spite of the strange straw man above trying to insist breastmilk isn't vegan. What is the point there, anyway?

What did you do about vitamin B for your child?

He ate lots of sweet potato baked fries, bananas, nutritional yeast on pasta. I didn't worry about it that much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was vegan for the first 2 years of his life. He was allergic to dairy and eggs, and we are vegetarian, so no meat.

He did very well. He was breastfed (which mean vegan for me--how I missed my cheese!), and when he started solids, he was not picky at all. Avocado, beans, oatmeal. Calcium fortified foods. Everything covered in olive oil, and coconut milk as a drink--tons of fat in there. He did great.

By 2, the allergy to dairy passed, though he is still sensitive to eggs, so we added dairy in. But he was fine without it.

My point is children, babies especially, can be vegan and absolutely thrive, in spite of the strange straw man above trying to insist breastmilk isn't vegan. What is the point there, anyway?

What would you have done if he HAD been picky? I'm just curious. One of mine has always been picky, and he eats a lot of things I'd rather him not, because they're the only things he WILL eat.

I don't know, but he wasn't, so I guess we were lucky. Bu these kinds of foods were the only foods he ever had, and he still eats this way. I truly believe there are hard and fast picky eaters--I have seen enough of them to know this is true. But i think most kids, if the only options they have are the only things put in front of them, they learn to like them.

We took advantage of our good luck--a relatively adventurous eater--and my history: I was a picky eater like no one else. SO, I read up on some strategies to help elevate the chances of varied eating: skipped, purees, ate a wide variety of foods while breastfeeding, modeling, and making meal time fun.

This is not self righteousness. This is luck, plus doing what we had to do because of his dietary limitations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What did you do about vitamin B for your child?

He ate lots of sweet potato baked fries, bananas, nutritional yeast on pasta. I didn't worry about it that much.

There is no Vitamin B12 in sweet potatoes or bananas. There also isn't any Vitamin B12 in nutritional yeast or pasta, unless they're fortified.

[Anonymous]

Somebody here is convinced breast milk is vegan? Now I heard everything LOL Ah, the mental gymnastics some have to go through...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vegan mother here that has successful EBF two children. Your child can be vegan and also breastfeed. It's compatible. You all are ridiculous.

Your children AREN'T vegan if they breastfeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somebody here is convinced breast milk is vegan? Now I heard everything LOL Ah, the mental gymnastics some have to go through...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vegan mother here that has successful EBF two children. Your child can be vegan and also breastfeed. It's compatible. You all are ridiculous.

Your children AREN'T vegan if they breastfeed.

Just go away. Human boobs are made to feed their children. They are not "animal products" meaning animals that cannot consent to the use of their bodies for your food. I guess under your logic if a kid picks his nose and eats a booger he's not vegan because he's eating an "animal product." Stop being stupid.