AbFabT "Afaiaa, there isn't a vegan formula here in the UK, so I am hoping I can BF. Am very determined on that point. Hey, are you aware of these: Silveretter Nipple Shields - if you get cracked nipples, all the cream I've seen to combat cracked or sore nipples contains sheep grease (aka lanolin - therefore not vegan), so these silver nipple things are great for us as they do the job (and are a one-off payment, as opposed to having to replenish stocks of Lansinoh). I've already got mine. "
There were two infant soy-milks in Tesco today, suitable from birth - one was SMA and can't remember what the other was. In the same aisle as all the other baby milks Having said that, there is a lot of conflicting reports out there about the effect of soya on male fertility so it might be worth doing some research. I think as our baby gets older we might switch to oat/rice/coconut milk to avoid overloading them with soya.
As for lanolin-free nipple cream, have a look online for Earth Mama Angel Baby products - they have a nipple balm that is totally vegan and lanolin free and by all accounts lasts a million years. They also do vegan baby bum cream too amongst other things.
My OH is vegan and I am veggie, since about 18 months ago. I was just vegan initially but cheese got me in the end. As for our bubs due in December, they will eat what we eat at home once they're weaning (we are vegan at home - I eat veggie when away from home) and if they get older and make the choice to try meat then that is entirely up to them, although my OH will take it upon himself to make sure they know where it comes from!
For those who mentioned eating out - in our experience, just ringing ahead makes the world of difference. Our wedding will be completely vegan (bar milk for tea/coffee at the end as some people just cannot cope without it it seems!) and we ate at the venue recently. I phoned to book us in just a few hours beforehand and when we got there they had prepared a menu just for OH with TWO vegan options for starter and for main, and then they made up a dessert for him (melon, other fruits and sorbets) within minutes of asking. Similarly at another local restaurant we phoned ahead and the chef put together a totally unique menu for us both while the rest of the family ate from the normal menu. They even told us which breads were vegan-friendly in the bread basket! Most chefs worth their salt will relish the challenge of preparing something a bit different to the meat and two veg. It is worth just double checking that the person taking the booking understand it's no meat, dairy, eggs or honey, etc as sometimes they can be a bit unsure. Also, if you're somewhere that looks like it might be particularly difficult, it's worth just saying "I'm allergic" as they panic at the thought of killing you with cross-contamination ;)