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beepsandclicks
Raw Newbie
I’d like some advice regarding feeding my son. When I had my son a year ago, I (very) unfortunately did not make enough milk (yes, I tried everything I knew: 4 different lactation consultants, pumping, acupuncture, herbs, drinking Guinness, even allopathic drugs)...long story short, nothing worked and my milk completely dried up within his second month. This was (is) devestating to me, knowing all the benefits breastfeeding can bring. I had a hard choice to make and decided to cow’s milk formula (this was a hard decision, since I’m morally opposed to dairy consumption, but I was afraid of the phytoestrogens of soy and we did not have a milk bank around and anyway I would be afraid of what the donor mom might be eating…namely meat and the hormones in it).
So, he is a bit over a year old now and I have taken him off the formula. I was looking so forward to this because I didn’t like the idea of him drinking dairy, especially when it is re-formulated with many ingredients I cannot pronounce. I don’t mind him being on the bottle still at all, but what should I put in the bottle? I’ve searched around the net and some vegan sites say you should bite the bullet and feed cow’s milk, some say soy is actually okay, and I’ve read a lot about rice and nut milks not being as good in terms of calcium/fat. I tried goat’s milk on him and he hated it. Of course, his pediatrician says soy will be just fine and the real thing to fear, he says, are all the plastics we are using (of course, we use glass bottles, so not too much of an issue). But since I don’t really trust doctors :-) I’m taking what he says with a huge grain of salt. I see soy milk have sugar in it…and is it a GMO crop even if the label says “organic?”
My initial thought was to just feed him water to drink and green smoothies. It hasn’t really worked out that way…Our baby seems a bit stuck on the idea of having his “white” beverage still. I have tried watered-down fresh juices and just plain water in the bottle (he’ll drink these from his cup but not the bottle)—because sometimes only his bottle will do—but he just throws it aside.
I’m sure there are very few, if any, folks on this forum who didn’t get to breastfeed…but if there are any of you out there, I sure would like to hear from you! I STILL feel like a major failure in the mommy department, and I worry about what he’s missing because I’m not breastfeeding…but I have to make the best of the hand we’ve been dealt.
I was not raw when I was pregnant. I bet you if I were to get pregnant again, the milk would come in normally now that my diet is healthy…
Comments
i’m brand new, both to here and to raw. :)
first of all, regarding the milk. i could not breastfeed either; i did everything right but my daughter had an oral-motor dysfunction. when i could no longer keep up a supply through pumping, i used donated breastmilk and soy formula with her; i was concerned about problems with soy as well, but equally concerned about cow’s milk. it seemed like a lose/lose situation either way, so i just went with what i felt okay about ethically. (no judgments on you here; it really is just a crappy situation either way.)
i took her off of formula as soon as i possibly could, a bit after she turned 1. at the time we were vegan so i put her on hemp milk and soy milk to transition her. i just slowly diluted it more and more until finally she was only on water. that’s what she’s on now at 18 months.
it’s a myth perpetuated by the dairy industry, and pediatricians who don’t trust parents, that babies and children must have some sort of white fluid to survive and thrive. my son is 3, he’s been vegan from birth, he’s transitioning very well to raw now, and he’s never had any sort of milk on a regular basis, like just as something to drink. and he’s extremely healthy, tall, strong, active, intelligent and well-proportioned. we avoid packaged juice like the plague and never really made homemade juice either until recently. so basically what he’s always had to drink is water and occasionally tea. we’ve always done smoothies regularly as dessert also.
i’m studying to be a holistic nutritionist so i’ve always been a bit, ah, obsessive about my kids’ diet. and what is very obvious is that if your child is getting a varied diet with plenty of other sources of protein and calcium, and plenty of sunlight for vitamin d (because calcium can’t be utilized very well without vitamin d, and magnesium as well), he’ll be just fine. water is the ideal drink for anyone. red raspberry leaf tea is also great for nutrients and both of my kids love it (and me too!).
if you need something for transitioning, almond milk is great. just realize that unlike most parents, you cannot fall back on what’s in his bottle or cup (or coming out of your body) to provide him with essential nutrients. instead, rely on what’s on his plate. :) seems simple enough, right? if you’re really concerned about fat (my biggest worry), adding some coconut oil to the almond milk, or giving him coconut milk, might be a good idea, especially since, at his age, he still shouldn’t receive many nuts. if you want to wean him from the white stuff onto water, the diluting trick worked perfectly for both of my kids.
i struggled enormously, and continue to struggle, with not being able to nurse. my goal is to be a naturopathic doctor; i was a student homebirth midwife for three years, i’ve worked as a doula and i’ve studied lactation extensively. i was committed to nursing and when it failed i was completely devastated; i consider it the root of most of my PPD. now that my children are older and i don’t stick out so much as the sole non-breastfeeding mother in an attachment-parenting community, and considering the tremendous support i’ve received from women who know what i really went through, i feel that i’m finally recovering, but it’s still a very sensitive issue for me and probably always will be. it’s a big factor in my decision not to have more children – i just cannot go through that again. so YES, i understand what you are going through. if you’d like to discuss this further, please feel free to email me at earthmother213 @ gmail . com (spaces removed).
peace, chandelle
Beepsandclicks~ There is a recipe on the master cleanse site for coconut based baby formula… www.geocities.com/hotsprings/spa7244/master-cle…
Both you and earthmother213 please forgive yourselves… These situations were beyond your control, these things can’t be changed by either of you… They were NOT your fault!!! Take a deep breath and enjoy your children and knowing you are doing better than most (normal) moms on this earth… Your children are sooooo lucky to have you and your wisdom!!!
I want to thank both of you ladies SO very much. I used to buy formula at odd hours so no one would see me and pass judgement! :-( At the time we lived in a rather “crunchy” Colorado town and it really felt like I was the odd one out. I even cancelled my subscription to Mothering magazine, a mag I loved, but I was just getting too down reading all the articles on the benefits of breastfeeding.
I, too, trained as a doula, yet never practiced, so I was just sure breastfeeding would be no problem and never questioned whether I would be able to or not.
I’m starting to feel better about it lately, especially since I don’t have to mix up the powdered mix, which was a real “in my face” reminder.
I will take your advice, earthmother213, and make some almond milk. I think I’ll also take you up on your offer and email you with some more questions. I”m running out of ideas on what to feed the little guy (as far as solid food) since he does not yet have molars! I am cooking much of his food just so I can get it soft and manageable, although I know there are folks out there who must be feeding mainly raw to their vegan babies, I have not figured out how to make the food mushy…
OK, I’m giving you both cyber-hugs right now! Thanks! Debra
I’m not a mother, but I wanted to give advice regarding soft food. Do you have a vitamix? If not, it’s an excellent investment. You can put water and any raw veggie or fruit in the vitamix, and it will blend into a smooth puree. the vitamix easily handles carrots and other hard foods.
I am not a mother, but I can certainly feel the pain and anguish both of you have endured just radiating from your posts and send another round of cyber-hugs! There is an appendix on raising rainbow babies in Dr. Gabriel Cousens’ ” Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine. It gives age appropriate foods that should be OK to use and should work with their digestion. Hope this helps
Ah! I can’t believe I didn’t think of the Vitamix! I love this forum. And thanks deborah, for the heads up on the Cousens’ book. I’ll check it out!
Just wanted to add on to this. When I was pregnant, I was very “millitant” about the idea of exclusively BF and very gung ho, got my pump and all sorts of BF acourturements ready. By day 5, my DD lost too much weight and I was pressured to give her formula. I did all you describe and my supply never came up…however, I kept BF anyway, even though the most I ever gave her was about 16 oz at my peak. At 7 months, I still nurse her. she gets “snacks” from me, but mainly is on formula and I am going through wondering what other options. In the Raw Detox Diet, the author claims that anyone can BF. This section of the book really turned me off after all I went through, and hearing of your struggles helps validate for me that sometimes our bodies simply disappoint us, despite our best efforts. Anyway, I am thankful for your post and discussion. My DD has a ways to go to be where yours is at, I know for now I am hoping goats milk will be an option and plan to slowly mix it into her formula so she aquires the taste… Anyway, it is great to see mamas on this forum with young kids they are trying to steer away from a SAD. Very inspiring. Hugs to you mamas!
Bless your hearts! And remember – that’s what counts…your heart. the love, nurturing, wholesome lifestyle you offer is giving your babies all they need – THAT is what’s most important. Your babies benefit more from that than anything else. With that said, when my babies start on food, it’s usually things like fresh mango, avocado, banana, kiwi, strawberries, pineapple, rasberries, blueberries, young coconut, almond milk, grated apples and pears, And they chew spinach and arugula like cud. Oh, and a perfect “teether” – cut the core from a pineapple lengthwise and put in the fridge… yummy, cold, great to gum on, and the bromelein is soothing to the tummy with all the extra drool. That should help until those molars come in. : )
I failed at breast feeding after a month, though my breasts were oozing of milk…
Well, my folks had me changed my diet after I gave birth. BIG MISTAKE! I broke out in rashes and had diahrrea and so did baby. He was wailing in pain day and night and I got severe PPD after more meat was pushed to me out of their good intentions. Was warded in the emergency ward when I turn suicidal. It was a very sad and depressive time.
Sometimes when my son gets a running nose or fever I do find myself going through another guilt trip. But I know there’s no point brooding, it just makes me more miserable and depressed. I’m determined to learn from my mistakes and move on, so when we have another one, we woul dknow what to do.
I just want to encourage you that not been able to breakfeed does not make you a bad mother but it’s the love and nurture rendered unpon the little ones that counts.
Love, Prisca
My baby eats pretty much everything the same as me. We just blend his salad and fruits since he was 4 mth. Oh yes, we do include nuts in his blend. And he drinks juices with us 3 times a day.