Can i breast feed my DD-to-be if i'm vegan?

[GrannyGrissle]

Recently turned to a full vegan diet and it suddenly dawned on me that it can't possibly be vegan to breast feed my baby when she is born in November? How did i not know/realise this?

So based on your last comment. Do you plan to not give your baby any milk?

But you're not another species? If you don't want to breastfeed your newborn daughter, then don't but it's the most (and only) vegan friendly way to feed her

Formula milk is made from cows milk.

Do you think it’s weird for a calf to drink cow’s milk? Or for a mother tiger to feed her cubs?

By this logic, the sperm that got you pregnant wasn't vegan either

But I’m guessing she didn’t eat the sperm.

I agree TheSheep
I usually credit vegans with a modicum of intelligence. This one takes the biscuit.

BREASTMILK IS VEGAN

As a mammal it just seems weird to feed my child my milk when i wouldn't drink milk from another species.

er, you understand what the word "mammal" means, right? Did you think your baby would eat fruit straight from the womb? Are you under the impression you're not the same species as your child?

Assuming you're not a troll, you have some really... odd ideas in your head about milk and mammals.

Oh, don’t be daft. Babies need milk. That’s what they eat. They can’t drink cow’s milk. If you don’t bf, you have to feed your baby formula, which is made of chemicals. Surely better to bf?

If you don’t want to bf, that’s ok, but own it, and don’t invent mad excuses.

I fear for this child.

Rising to the bait.
Are you for real?
Feeding your child your milk is the BEST OPTION if you aren't willing to use that of another animal
Dontelk usnwhatbyiubwouldndonif you didn't Breast feed?
Your child therefore by definition ISNT DRINKING MILK FROM ANOTHER SPECIES!!!!!

breast feeding your own child is the most normal thing!
You are strange

it just seems weird to feed my child my milk when i wouldn't drink milk from another species

But that is the crux of the issue - while it may be considered unethical by vegans to forcibly take milk from other species for human food - in the case of BF you are consenting to give your own milk (produced by the vegan foods you eat) to your own baby. So vegans would not consider it being exploitation.

Okay, let's be blunt.

If you're a vegan for ethical reasons, it's pretty much compulsory to breast feed. Because formula milk is made out of cows milk. So the only way to avoid starving your baby is either to breast feed, or to compromise your vegan principles.

Evening everyone. We'll be honest - we've had a shedload quite a few reports about this one.

But we've had a look behind the scenes and we can see that the OP has been around on Mumsnet a fair while without causing any concern.

We're happy to leave the thread standing for now. Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy, OP.

You are a mammal. All mammals feed their young with their own milk. That's why they are called 'mammals' - the root of the word comes from 'mamma' which is the latin word for breast.

It’s more vegan to breastfeed your child than to give formula made from cows’ milk.

OP, are you OK?

@coolnames

That’s a very sensible argument. I fear too complex for our vegan friend

Typing legible text when utterly confused isn't a skill I possess

Rising to the bait.
Are you for real?
Feeding your child your milk is the BEST OPTION if you aren't willing to use that of another animal
Do tell us what you would do if you didn't Breast feed?
Your child therefore by definition ISNT DRINKING MILK FROM ANOTHER SPECIES!!!!!

breast feeding your own child is the most normal thing!
You are strange

'BREASTMILK IS VEGAN'
Depends who drinks it! It's not if a calf has it....

For gods sake.

As a vegan, your child can only be vegan if they breast feed You cannot give your child cows milk if you are a committed vegan.

I have had this conversation with my vegan son....he would only want to have vegan children...with a vegan mother. Presumably it would be life or death before formula, and he's quite bright level headed so I presume he would find a suitable way to nourish a baby.

...the whole point of vegan is to not be cruel to other animals by stealing things not meant for us. You seen DESIGNED to feed your baby. How would that not be vegan?!?! Unless you are actually being caged..you will struggle to find suitable vegan formula anyway so if you really want your baby to be vegan this is your only option

But you'd be feeding your baby milk from its own species if you bf. If you formula feed your feeding baby milk from a different species (cow) which has other bits added in an attempt to make it more human and less cow like, but still more suitable for a calf than human.
But your body, your choice to bf or not. Formula is adequate if you opt not to bf.

Perhaps you should reconsider eating meat products, you may absorb some brains from them.