Soy formula after 6 months? Vegan...

[coveredinhopeandvaseline]

I tried to breastfeed my son (now 7.5months) and he never latched so I pumped and ebf him using a bottle until 3 months and then combi fed as my supply tanked and finally dried up two weeks ago...I tried everything to build my supply, even took domperidone for 2 months.

We're a vegan family but I've been giving him Hipp organic...which isn't even suitable for vegetarians...all dairy formulas have fish oil in nowadays.

I am thinking of moving him onto a soy based formula but am worried about the issue with phyto-oestrogens and the long term fertility concerns for males, associated with soy products.

Part of me thinks it's scaremongering propaganda on the part of the big, dairy based formula companies and that it would be ok. Has anyone got any experience of this?

I can understand your concerns. Would you consider using donated human milk for him? Or relactation?

See, the thing is, I had relactated at 16 weeks :/ I did everything, power pumping, extra pumping sessions, fenugreek, domperidone, brewers yeast, blessed thistle...you name it! My supply just tanked beyond recover...it happens, unfortunately.

I would absolutely use donated milk but not that easy to get your hands on in my part of the country :(

It sounds like you did everything :-/ I'm sorry I have no direct experience but didn't want to read and run.
We avoid soya milk and opt for koko instead but only after a year.
Could you see a dietitian. We did we dc1 and she was really helpful and not at all sniffy about our ovovegetarian diet.
Eats on feets and human milk for human babies I assume you've seen
Take care xx

It's not just the fertility issue with soya formula. It's full of glucose which is much worse for teeth than the lactose in cow's milk.

Have you asked for donor milk on Human Milk for Human Babies?

Can you see a dietician? I think Nanny care is vegetarian isn't it? I could be wrong about that though. I also think (and again I could be wrong because it's been 5 years!) follow on miles might have different additives.

It sounds like you had a really tough time trying to get bf sorted :-(( sympathies. There is some good authoritative info on which formulas are vegan and veg, p76 of this resource
www.firststepsnutrition.org/pdfs/Infant_Milks_February2016.pdf
No idea if it's OK to give soya based formulas; the general recommendation is normally "only on health prof advice" (the phytoestrogens, and glucose as sugar source, are often quoted as reasons). So getting a referral, to discuss this as well as the weaning diet for vegan baby, may be a good idea. The doc above also cites another resource with general advice on diet for vegan kids, might be an idea to check that.

Here you go

www.firststepsnutrition.org/pdfs/Eating_well_for_veg_infants_for_web.pdf

It mentions things like which vitamin drops you can give and take yourself (as the nhs healthy start ones aren't vegan or veggie).

Here's a review article on the risk assessment of soy formulas

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2661347/

It all seems very much drawing inferences on not a huge amount of solid data on the actual effects in human babies. There is data on how much gets into the bloodstream and effects in animals -- a little bit on the baby itself. They say, not a good idea in Prem babies or those with specific medical conditions. Some evidence long term effects on women's reproductive cycle once they are grown up, who were fed soy formula as babies. Otherwise looks like pretty limited data?

I suppose one thing to think about is how advanced the nutrition of formula is today compared to when we were growing up. So the nutrition that your child receives from the soya milk is likely to be better than the formula that babies had 30 years ago. The concern about soy and oestrogen remains and the research is not completely clear. I think if you are at all worried just stick with the cows milk formula, it isn't in line with your values but it isn't for long. I am vegetarian and have taken fish oil supplements throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding to try to give my little one the best start, although I hate it, I just figure it's not for long and most people eat fish and meat all the time and I won't be doing again after this. However my position is likely to be different to your as I don't intend for him to be a strict vegetarian until he can decide for himself.

Sma comfort is at least vegetarian and dairy based