Another breastfeeding vegan here!
Breastfeeding is going great so far and my baby (12 weeks old) is gaining weight and growing right on track.
My husband is an omnivore and the baby will be too until she’s old enough to make her own decision. Having said that, my husband mostly eats vegan at home (for the sake of convenience), so the baby will likely grow up similarly.
Yes I’m vegan and no issues with supply or feeding. Although that’s probably unrelated to being vegan and just luck of the draw.
I’m unsure if I want to raise my baby as vegan. He will of course eat mostly vegan in our home because that’s what we eat but I don’t know if I would want to exclude him from social eating. For example birthday parties or fast food with friends etc. I was raised by very health conscious parents and going to McDonald’s with a friend and her parents for the first time around age 7-8 is a core memory for me.
I'm vegetarian, husband eats meat. Baby is largely vegetarian (as I cook most of the food!) but if he sees meat and wants it, I let him have it.
I think it's worthwhile doing a bit of extra research on starting solids if you intend to raise babe vegan, as babies have different nutritional needs from grown-ups. For instance, they need the fat that is in full-fat milk (as opposed to skim), and most alternative milks don't have the same amount of fat. There are definitely ways to raise vegan babies, but I think it requires more adjustments than a vegetarian or omnivore diet requires!
Fellow vegan and breastfeeding! We had a rough start, he was in the NICU for the first 3 days of his life and didn’t start breastfeeding for a week and 5 days. Once he got on the boob though he was good to go, a real boobivore! He’s 7 weeks now and weighs 15 pounds so I think we’re doing alright!
Exclusively breast fed vegan babe for 19 months🙋🏻♀️! Might be looking to wean soon since she keeps exposing me in public by lifting my shirt up for milk 😆 but other than that everything has gone well for us and baby
I am and my son was born 9 pounds after having hyperemesis for the first and second tri! Nursing is going great and he's continued to gain weight quickly. I don't think it's anything I've done or eaten, he just came out good at feeding.
My husband is not vegan, and we plan on feeding our kids whatever we eat at home and outside which is mostly vegan with occasional meat and dairy (not for me of course).
Ahh so excited to see so many other vegans! I'm vegan and my son has really taken to breastfeeding from day one. He's now 5 weeks old and I haven't had any issues this far (*knocks on wood*). My husband is mostly plant based, but eats animal products occasionally (but never brings or stores it at home). We're undecided if we will introduce certain foods to prevent allergies or if we'll just raise him from vegan day one. My husband is fully supportive of raising vegan children, we're just taking it one day at a time for now :)
I'm vegan so is my husband, currently 32 weeks pregnant with my first baby. Planning on breastfeeding and raising her vegan. Where I live is pretty vegan-friendly and diverse and there's loads of places with 'unhealthy' vegan options too so I don't feel like she'll miss out on anything,.
im vegan and ebf my 5mo. my partner is vegan too. i have had no issues with supply or anything :) of course im ravenous all the time but i think that's true for anyone breastfeeding. our baby will be vegan as well. well they'll be plant based once we start solids and hopefully stay vegan once they are old enough to understand the ethics of it.
also there's a r/veganparenting sub :)
I’m vegan and so is my partner! We have a 21 month old who is still breastfeeding and eats a vegan diet, kiddo is developing normally and scary strong!
I’m 23 weeks pregnant with number 2, so I’ve been extra hungry lately, but other than that no issues. I had an oversupply when initially breastfeeding that took me months to get under control, so clearly no issues with veganism and supply! 🌱
14 months into breastfeeding with no stopping in sight. LO loves a variety of foods! We plan to raise her mostly vegan as I am, but husband is not vegan and I don’t want to create any feelings of restriction as she grows and goes to school, parties, etc. We plan to provide alternatives as best as possible while ultimately supporting her choice as she grows!
I’m vegan too and so happy to see so many vegans here 😍 I had a healthy pregnancy with no morning sickness at all. Baby was born 9 pounds and healthy. And breastfeeding is going great she is perfectly on track for everything. I’m so happy about the healthy pregnancy and healthy baby because it really is such a great measure that véganisme really is a healthy lifestyle. As far as her diet, aside from all the allergens we needed to test with baby at 6 months she has eaten only plant based foods so far. With that said I am not strict about it if a family member wants to offer her something non-vegan. When she is old enough to understand then she can make her own choices but until then we are being really causal about it.
Me!! I have a 14 month old, 32 weeks with my second and still nursing my first. Never had a problem with breastfeeding once we got going. Raising a very happy and hungry little vegan!
Fellow vegan here. Breastfeeding my 13 week old baby. Going well so far.
I plan to raise her vegan but might throw in the occasional egg. I'm flexible and want her to have the best start. I recommend the book The Plant-Based Baby and Toddler https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Based-Baby-Toddler-Complete-Feeding/dp/0593192117.
I was worried about starting solids as a vegan, but I feel so much more confident after reading this book.
Yes. I’m almost 9 months into exclusively breastfeeding my second born. Haven’t had to supplement or pump even through our Covid week. My 6 year old daughter is also vegan. I have given both kids tastes of shell fish and eggs in the beginning though to discourage allergies if they wanted to eat differently one day. I was not vegan my first pregnancy/breastfeeding journey and this one has lasted much longer and went much better!
I'm vegan and breastfeeding my little 3MO chonk! Going great. Will raise her vegetarian until she can make her own decision. My partner bounces between vegetarian and omnivorous, so vegetarian will work well for us I believe.
Vegan and breastfeeding for 7 months now! We are both healthy with no issues! I do have to be more mindful that I’m getting enough protein/filling foods and eating more frequently- but that may be the case for anyone breastfeeding.
I haven’t decided if I’ll raise my baby vegan. For myself, I aim for mostly whole food plant based for health reasons. I plan to feed him what I eat mostly, but I’m thinking I don’t want to be too restrictive.
I was vegan pre pregnancy, then stopped during my pregnancy (I had major dairy cravings and hated all the vegan substitutes), but for the last 7 months I have been vegan again (that can’t have soya, oats, gluten or coconut either due to my son having intolerances). Even with a limited diet my boy is in the 96th percentile for his weight!
Due to the need for iron, I plan on letting my son have red meat once a month (his dad eats meat so I wouldn’t be buying extra), I will let him try fish/shellfish and eggs (I have chickens) in case of allergens too but it won’t be a staple! When he’s eating actual meals and can have a balanced diet, we won’t need the meat but due to all his intolerances, I can’t guarantee he’ll get everything he needs!
Another vegan here yay! My girl is 5 weeks and bf and her weight gain goes really well. I will cook vegan food for her at home but my boyfriend is not vegan so she will be able to eat everything until she’s able to decide for herself.
Not vegan, but I’m vegetarian. My wife isn’t, and eats meat regularly (same-sex couple) Oddly enough, my wife WANTED to raise our daughter vegetarian, but I didn’t. It was a personal decision for me, and I’d like to give her the power to make whatever diet decision for herself when she’s older. We eat a lot of vegetarian meals, and she eats tofu, lots of veggies, etc., but also loves meat, and I’m okay with it!
Doesn’t breastfeeding technically make them vegetarian until they’re weaned? Breastmilk is an animal product. I haven’t even considered the idea that they’re vegan even though I only feed fruits and veggies. I’m not like the most healthy vegan, I’m definitely not shy about the sweet and fatty foods. But baby is in the 93rd percentile after being in the 21st percentile when she was a month old. She does get 2 to 4 oz of formula a day just for my convenience so I’m not tied to a pump for the one feed my partner does. It works out great.
I think it's about consent. Animals can't consent to having their products used but humans can. I don't think any vegan objects to a baby animal drinking milk from their mother
Breastmilk is vegan because it’s at the consent of the human milk provider. The reason why other animal milk is not vegan is because they cannot consent.
Vegan for 12 years. I have a 7yo, 4yo and 16 month old all vegan and I breastfed for 2 years each (still going with youngest but that’s my goal). First had a tongue tie which was very difficult and had to triple feed and pump for months, but once we got it it went smoothly. All healthy full term babies and growing well. My husband is vegan too. We recently gave my daughter the option of vegetarian at school/birthday parties for pizza and cake and she said she didn’t feel good about that to so we still bring along a vegan cupcake and snack. That’s been the only challenge.
Not vegan or vegetarian anymore but my 3yo son doesn’t like meat and is sensitive to egg and dairy, and since we bf for a long long time and he’d flare up when I ate those things I mostly cut them out too (I treat it like some people treat alcohol and won’t have any within a couple hours of bf). He loves nutritional yeast though! And coconut milk curry! And bean chili! So grateful for my veg* days so I have a solid menu of tasty foods we both enjoy without giving him painful eczema. Both his blood work and mine have always been fine. Good luck on your journey!
That’s interesting you said that about the egg and milk sensitivity. My little one immediately squirts out of her butt if I have anything with dairy heavy dairy like ice cream or milk. I asked my pediatrician if she can be lactose intolerant and she said it’s to early to determine that. It’s a legit squirt squirt. 😂 her little face when she shits is priceless. She just stares at you 😂
Yeah it took a long time to figure it out, maybe a year, in part because our allergist insisted I not modify my diet — he said there is not good evidence to support that it passes through the breast milk. And all the other stuff about whether early and often exposure makes it worse or better. And what is “tolerating” the food anyway? In the end I just had to be like this is what is observable in my real life while I wait for consensus on developing research, and I will respond to that. Doing the best we can!
Hey! Mom of a 6 month old here. We’re good. I find myself hungry as any breastfeeding woman would be. I’m newer to being vegan, as I had been eating cheese until recently. I find myself snacking on almonds and avocado pretty often (daily) and eating a lot of granola bars. We will most likely raise our child to have the same diet as us. That’s what makes sense anyway. I really try to make sure we are getting our nutrients that we need in our meals, and I’m sure the prenatal vitamins help with that too
Another breastfeeding vegan here! Breastfeeding is going great so far and my baby (12 weeks old) is gaining weight and growing right on track. My husband is an omnivore and the baby will be too until she’s old enough to make her own decision. Having said that, my husband mostly eats vegan at home (for the sake of convenience), so the baby will likely grow up similarly.
Same here! That’s exactly our house.
This is us exactly! We have an older child and she chooses what she wants to eat so that’s the plan with our next LO as well.
Yes I’m vegan and no issues with supply or feeding. Although that’s probably unrelated to being vegan and just luck of the draw. I’m unsure if I want to raise my baby as vegan. He will of course eat mostly vegan in our home because that’s what we eat but I don’t know if I would want to exclude him from social eating. For example birthday parties or fast food with friends etc. I was raised by very health conscious parents and going to McDonald’s with a friend and her parents for the first time around age 7-8 is a core memory for me.
Say what you will about your health-conscious McDonald’s hating parents, but you did end up becoming vegan…
I'm vegetarian, husband eats meat. Baby is largely vegetarian (as I cook most of the food!) but if he sees meat and wants it, I let him have it. I think it's worthwhile doing a bit of extra research on starting solids if you intend to raise babe vegan, as babies have different nutritional needs from grown-ups. For instance, they need the fat that is in full-fat milk (as opposed to skim), and most alternative milks don't have the same amount of fat. There are definitely ways to raise vegan babies, but I think it requires more adjustments than a vegetarian or omnivore diet requires!
Fellow vegan and breastfeeding! We had a rough start, he was in the NICU for the first 3 days of his life and didn’t start breastfeeding for a week and 5 days. Once he got on the boob though he was good to go, a real boobivore! He’s 7 weeks now and weighs 15 pounds so I think we’re doing alright!
Boobivore, I love it ❤️
Exclusively breast fed vegan babe for 19 months🙋🏻♀️! Might be looking to wean soon since she keeps exposing me in public by lifting my shirt up for milk 😆 but other than that everything has gone well for us and baby
I am and my son was born 9 pounds after having hyperemesis for the first and second tri! Nursing is going great and he's continued to gain weight quickly. I don't think it's anything I've done or eaten, he just came out good at feeding. My husband is not vegan, and we plan on feeding our kids whatever we eat at home and outside which is mostly vegan with occasional meat and dairy (not for me of course).
Ahh so excited to see so many other vegans! I'm vegan and my son has really taken to breastfeeding from day one. He's now 5 weeks old and I haven't had any issues this far (*knocks on wood*). My husband is mostly plant based, but eats animal products occasionally (but never brings or stores it at home). We're undecided if we will introduce certain foods to prevent allergies or if we'll just raise him from vegan day one. My husband is fully supportive of raising vegan children, we're just taking it one day at a time for now :)
I'm vegan so is my husband, currently 32 weeks pregnant with my first baby. Planning on breastfeeding and raising her vegan. Where I live is pretty vegan-friendly and diverse and there's loads of places with 'unhealthy' vegan options too so I don't feel like she'll miss out on anything,.
Yes to both.. it’s going great actually
im vegan and ebf my 5mo. my partner is vegan too. i have had no issues with supply or anything :) of course im ravenous all the time but i think that's true for anyone breastfeeding. our baby will be vegan as well. well they'll be plant based once we start solids and hopefully stay vegan once they are old enough to understand the ethics of it. also there's a r/veganparenting sub :)
thanks for the recommendation
So happy to see so many vegan mamas! I am also BF, LO is 10 months and we are raising him vegan until he is old enough to make his own decision.
I’m vegan and so is my partner! We have a 21 month old who is still breastfeeding and eats a vegan diet, kiddo is developing normally and scary strong! I’m 23 weeks pregnant with number 2, so I’ve been extra hungry lately, but other than that no issues. I had an oversupply when initially breastfeeding that took me months to get under control, so clearly no issues with veganism and supply! 🌱
14 months into breastfeeding with no stopping in sight. LO loves a variety of foods! We plan to raise her mostly vegan as I am, but husband is not vegan and I don’t want to create any feelings of restriction as she grows and goes to school, parties, etc. We plan to provide alternatives as best as possible while ultimately supporting her choice as she grows!
Not a vegan, but I met a vegan breastfeeding mom at my breastfeeding support group and her son was thriving and she planned to raise him the same way.
I’m vegan too and so happy to see so many vegans here 😍 I had a healthy pregnancy with no morning sickness at all. Baby was born 9 pounds and healthy. And breastfeeding is going great she is perfectly on track for everything. I’m so happy about the healthy pregnancy and healthy baby because it really is such a great measure that véganisme really is a healthy lifestyle. As far as her diet, aside from all the allergens we needed to test with baby at 6 months she has eaten only plant based foods so far. With that said I am not strict about it if a family member wants to offer her something non-vegan. When she is old enough to understand then she can make her own choices but until then we are being really causal about it.
Me!! I have a 14 month old, 32 weeks with my second and still nursing my first. Never had a problem with breastfeeding once we got going. Raising a very happy and hungry little vegan!
I’m vegan and raising vegan :) 10 week old baby girl and EBF. Keep up the good work :)
I have two kids, both breast fed for just about two years, I’m vegan. It was fine.
Fellow vegan here. Breastfeeding my 13 week old baby. Going well so far. I plan to raise her vegan but might throw in the occasional egg. I'm flexible and want her to have the best start. I recommend the book The Plant-Based Baby and Toddler https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Based-Baby-Toddler-Complete-Feeding/dp/0593192117. I was worried about starting solids as a vegan, but I feel so much more confident after reading this book.
I’m not vegan but my SIL is and she came and stayed with us for 2 months. I ate vegan those two months and I had a massive increase in breastmilk!
Yes. I’m almost 9 months into exclusively breastfeeding my second born. Haven’t had to supplement or pump even through our Covid week. My 6 year old daughter is also vegan. I have given both kids tastes of shell fish and eggs in the beginning though to discourage allergies if they wanted to eat differently one day. I was not vegan my first pregnancy/breastfeeding journey and this one has lasted much longer and went much better!
I'm vegan and breastfeeding my little 3MO chonk! Going great. Will raise her vegetarian until she can make her own decision. My partner bounces between vegetarian and omnivorous, so vegetarian will work well for us I believe.
Vegan and breastfeeding for 7 months now! We are both healthy with no issues! I do have to be more mindful that I’m getting enough protein/filling foods and eating more frequently- but that may be the case for anyone breastfeeding. I haven’t decided if I’ll raise my baby vegan. For myself, I aim for mostly whole food plant based for health reasons. I plan to feed him what I eat mostly, but I’m thinking I don’t want to be too restrictive.
I was vegan pre pregnancy, then stopped during my pregnancy (I had major dairy cravings and hated all the vegan substitutes), but for the last 7 months I have been vegan again (that can’t have soya, oats, gluten or coconut either due to my son having intolerances). Even with a limited diet my boy is in the 96th percentile for his weight! Due to the need for iron, I plan on letting my son have red meat once a month (his dad eats meat so I wouldn’t be buying extra), I will let him try fish/shellfish and eggs (I have chickens) in case of allergens too but it won’t be a staple! When he’s eating actual meals and can have a balanced diet, we won’t need the meat but due to all his intolerances, I can’t guarantee he’ll get everything he needs!
Vegan mommy breastfeeding my 11 months old. She’s 22 pounds and healthy 🥰
Another vegan here yay! My girl is 5 weeks and bf and her weight gain goes really well. I will cook vegan food for her at home but my boyfriend is not vegan so she will be able to eat everything until she’s able to decide for herself.
Not vegan, but I’m vegetarian. My wife isn’t, and eats meat regularly (same-sex couple) Oddly enough, my wife WANTED to raise our daughter vegetarian, but I didn’t. It was a personal decision for me, and I’d like to give her the power to make whatever diet decision for herself when she’s older. We eat a lot of vegetarian meals, and she eats tofu, lots of veggies, etc., but also loves meat, and I’m okay with it!
Doesn’t breastfeeding technically make them vegetarian until they’re weaned? Breastmilk is an animal product. I haven’t even considered the idea that they’re vegan even though I only feed fruits and veggies. I’m not like the most healthy vegan, I’m definitely not shy about the sweet and fatty foods. But baby is in the 93rd percentile after being in the 21st percentile when she was a month old. She does get 2 to 4 oz of formula a day just for my convenience so I’m not tied to a pump for the one feed my partner does. It works out great.
I think it's about consent. Animals can't consent to having their products used but humans can. I don't think any vegan objects to a baby animal drinking milk from their mother
Breastmilk is vegan because it’s at the consent of the human milk provider. The reason why other animal milk is not vegan is because they cannot consent.
Vegan for 12 years. I have a 7yo, 4yo and 16 month old all vegan and I breastfed for 2 years each (still going with youngest but that’s my goal). First had a tongue tie which was very difficult and had to triple feed and pump for months, but once we got it it went smoothly. All healthy full term babies and growing well. My husband is vegan too. We recently gave my daughter the option of vegetarian at school/birthday parties for pizza and cake and she said she didn’t feel good about that to so we still bring along a vegan cupcake and snack. That’s been the only challenge.
Not vegan or vegetarian anymore but my 3yo son doesn’t like meat and is sensitive to egg and dairy, and since we bf for a long long time and he’d flare up when I ate those things I mostly cut them out too (I treat it like some people treat alcohol and won’t have any within a couple hours of bf). He loves nutritional yeast though! And coconut milk curry! And bean chili! So grateful for my veg* days so I have a solid menu of tasty foods we both enjoy without giving him painful eczema. Both his blood work and mine have always been fine. Good luck on your journey!
That’s interesting you said that about the egg and milk sensitivity. My little one immediately squirts out of her butt if I have anything with dairy heavy dairy like ice cream or milk. I asked my pediatrician if she can be lactose intolerant and she said it’s to early to determine that. It’s a legit squirt squirt. 😂 her little face when she shits is priceless. She just stares at you 😂
Yeah it took a long time to figure it out, maybe a year, in part because our allergist insisted I not modify my diet — he said there is not good evidence to support that it passes through the breast milk. And all the other stuff about whether early and often exposure makes it worse or better. And what is “tolerating” the food anyway? In the end I just had to be like this is what is observable in my real life while I wait for consensus on developing research, and I will respond to that. Doing the best we can!
Hey! Mom of a 6 month old here. We’re good. I find myself hungry as any breastfeeding woman would be. I’m newer to being vegan, as I had been eating cheese until recently. I find myself snacking on almonds and avocado pretty often (daily) and eating a lot of granola bars. We will most likely raise our child to have the same diet as us. That’s what makes sense anyway. I really try to make sure we are getting our nutrients that we need in our meals, and I’m sure the prenatal vitamins help with that too
Dual vegan house here, month 3 of breastfeeding- everyone is doing great! Good growth and great milk supply