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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that vegan/soy based formula is not the right thing to feed a growing baby

139 replies

Wingingthiswholething · 02/08/2019 16:36

Obviously in an ideal world breast milk is the better option. Some people chose not to BF, some people can't, some people struggle with milk production so mix feed. All fine. I prefer a fed baby.

But I've recently become aware that vegan formula is a thing. It is dairy free and plant based.

Surely this isn't enough to feed growing babies?

I don't really know a lot about it so am going to have a read out of curiosity, but I'm not remotely convinced that it is...well...a good idea. Same as feeding a dog a vegan diet.
Fair enough have your own dietary preferences, but is it wise to push that on an infant?

Aware this might be a triggering post. And I understand why some people don't like the dairy industry. Just very surprised that this is fed to babies.

OP posts:
SarahTancredi · 02/08/2019 16:54

Cows Milk is not even meant for us its meant for baby cows. It has to have stuff done to and added to it in order to be suitable to be fed to human babies so I dont see how soya based formula can be that much worse.

Its certainly the better option for babies who cant eat dairy. Getting a prescription isnt always easy. Drs would rather pump the baby full of gaviscon than prescribe a formula that's 30 plus pounds a tub.

TwistyTop · 02/08/2019 16:55

I'm not vegan and I do choose to consume dairy products and also give them to my children (because I freaking love cheese and think everyone should bask in it's deliciousness) but I'm confused as to why you would assume that a human baby would be nutritionally deficient without consuming milk designed for baby cows. This is an odd conclusion to come to.

aliensprig · 02/08/2019 16:56

There is direct evidence to contradict this, and also why there are alternatives available on the market to give to babies with allergies. DS2 never had soy substitutes

Yes, evidence and research funded by, surprise surprise, the dairy industry and those who support it. How convenient.

Soy oestrogen is known to have a hormonal effect on... other plants. There is no conclusive evidence that it has any affect on human males, otherwise my husband would almost certainly have bigger breasts than me and I wouldn't be expecting right now. Are you a plant? 😂

Veterinari · 02/08/2019 16:57

For someone so ignorant it seems the OP already has entrenched views...

@Wingingthiswholething
All Uk formulas have to meet the same nutritional standards. You’ve said that your OP is based on people feeding non-dairy formula by choice rather than those responding to allergies. But regardless of the reason behind it, babies from either group are getting exactly the same nutrition. So why is one group a problem for you when the experience is the same for both?

Paythosebitchesnomind269 · 02/08/2019 16:59

Nothing wrong with soya - just look at the Japanese. Cows milk on the other hand is not fit for human consumption. The China Study is a very enlightening read.

TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan · 02/08/2019 16:59

The NHS guidance is that babies shouldn't be given soy or non dairy formula alternatives unless under the instruction and guidance of a doctor. That's the advice I'm going with rather than assertions one way or another on forums or Facebook.

LizB62A · 02/08/2019 16:59

Dairy isn't really a major food group though - our bodies aren't really designed for it, hence so many people (including me) who are dairy-intolerant.

Soy formula is fine - I used it for my son due to allergies and he's 21 now, so it's been around for ages.

SarahTancredi · 02/08/2019 16:59

Also the other reason soya might not be suitable is because 50 percent of babies with cmpi/cmpa also react to soya as the proteins are similar.

So that's not necessarily because it's bad for them just that it could also cause a reaction. However if your child is older with soya ( which mine was) the dietitian recommended alpro 1+ for her milk drink when dd was just over a yr old.

aliensprig · 02/08/2019 17:01

For someone so ignorant it seems the OP already has entrenched views..

Really bizarre isn't it?

I hope that in years to come they start teaching basic nutrition early on in schools, because this level of ignorance is frightening.

cuppycakey · 02/08/2019 17:01

I am not vegan but do not consume milk/dairy because of the cruelty to the mummy cows who are repeatedly impregnated and have their babies taken away at birth.

We all have oat milk. My DC were EBF and never had any formula.

I can't see how giving a baby soy/plant based formula would be any worse than giving them cows milk formula which is pumped full of hormones and chemicals. Dairy is not a major food group.

If the formula meets the food standards then it's safe.

InTheHeatofLisbon · 02/08/2019 17:01

aliensprig oh fnar fnar I'm so superior because I'm a vegan.

How thoroughly predictable.

I bet you're a hoot at a meal out!

Maybe take your tin hat with you to your next party and you can all celebrate farmers being screwed by Brexit next!

I do hope you make sure all of your food isn't pollinated by swarms of bees created to fund vegan wants, or that it's free of palm oil. That you can trace the origin of everything you consume and can guarantee its actually vegan, not just the labels companies stick on it to make you think it is.

But you know it all, so I'm sure you do.

Siablue · 02/08/2019 17:05

Soya formula is not Vegan (the vitamin D comes from wool). It is only available on prescription. There is no vegan formula.

Thegracefuloctopus · 02/08/2019 17:05

I think if you saw my DS you would alter your view that it's not best this to feed a growing baby. He is massive. People think he's 2.. He's 10 months.
Soy shouldn't be given to baby boys due to the eostregen (or however its spelt.)

Original poster
Wingingthiswholething · 02/08/2019 17:06

I like that I am being branded ignorant.

At no point have I said that people should continue giving their child allergic reactions by feeding them dairy/lactose.
I have assumed that plant based formula may not be enough for the rapidly growing bodies of a tiny baby and that feeding them this purely due to personal dietary choices may not be the best thing for them.
I said I was going to read up on it.

Ignorant as fuck.

OP posts:
aliensprig · 02/08/2019 17:07

The fact that you think vegans are superior just shows that you don't understand veganism in the slightest.

I certainly won't be celebrating farmers being screwed by brexit since there are actually other things that need farming, you know, vegetables and stuff...

gobbynorthernbird · 02/08/2019 17:07

Lols at the idea of dairy being an essential food group. There are huge parts of the world where dairy is not a usual food (and I don't just mean for vegans).

aliensprig · 02/08/2019 17:09

I think if you saw my DS you would alter your view that it's not best this to feed a growing baby. He is massive. People think he's 2.. He's 10 months.
Soy shouldn't be given to baby boys due to the eostregen (or however its spelt.)

Is your child a plant? He must be, if the soya is affecting him!

cushioncovers · 02/08/2019 17:11

Gobby I was just going to say the same.

We have been conditioned to see cows milk as an essential part of our diet when in fact it's not. It may have been necessary in generations gone by where food was scarce. But not now.

Original poster
Wingingthiswholething · 02/08/2019 17:11

Is your child a plant? He must be, if the soya is affecting him!

Why be sarcastic to this poster?

OP posts:
NoWordForFluffy · 02/08/2019 17:12

Some babies depend on it if they are lactose intolerant and their mum can't breastfeed.

Somebody is misinformed. Lactose is ALWAYS present in breast milk (i.e. it's not like removing dairy from your diet which makes breast milk fine) so it's actually difficult to breastfeed a lactose intolerant baby (there's ways round it, but they're all a bit long-winded).

Also, many children with CMPI / CMPA can't actually tolerate soy as it has a similar molecular structure to CMP, so I'm not sure using soy formula would necessarily be that common for that intolerance / allergy either.

But soy formula does have its place, for some babies.

Original poster
Wingingthiswholething · 02/08/2019 17:13

Soya formula is not Vegan (the vitamin D comes from wool). It is only available on prescription. There is no vegan formula.

That's interesting, I didn't know that. I am genuinely reading up and learning about this, for all the posters so keen to bash me.

OP posts:
northbacchus · 02/08/2019 17:16

The WHO recently said that a Vegan diet is perfectly appropriate for growing children. There is, however, no Vegan formula in the UK as formula contains animal based vitamin D.

Original poster
Wingingthiswholething · 02/08/2019 17:19

The WHO recently said that a Vegan diet is perfectly appropriate for growing children. There is, however, no Vegan formula in the UK as formula contains animal based vitamin D.

Thank you for this reply. I don't think the people I know that are currently on an anti formula rant know that all formula has animal based vitamin d in - I certainly didn't.

OP posts:
FamilyOfAliens · 02/08/2019 17:19

I said I was going to read up on it.

Why did you not do that first - then you could have started a thread with information based on actual facts rather than assumptions?

Also, dairy isn’t a food group.

These are the food groups:

  • fruit and vegetables
  • potatoes bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates
  • beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
  • dairy and alternatives
FamilyOfAliens · 02/08/2019 17:20

Sorry, final food group:

  • oils and fats
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