Guest guest Report post Posted March 22, 2004 , " artichoke72x " <artichoke72x> wrote: > i think we have had a discussion about that 8th > continent soy milk on this list. isn't it the one > that contains vitamin d that's derived from an animal > source? anyone know? I don't know about that, but Silk is prduced on dairy equipment, and they've had numerous recalls of it due to contamination, so I won't buy it. I never liked it much anyway, it's too thick and sweet. If I can't find Vitasoy, I buy regular, unsweetened 8th continent. They do all taste different, some are more " beany " tasting, some are more sweet, so you've got to do your own taste testing. cheryll Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 22, 2004 Thanks for posting this information:) I have been considering giving up milk but wanted to find a good alternative to take the place of real milk. I'm going to try the Soy milk or possibly the Silk. Are they both the same by the way? I have never bought the stuff before so that's why I'm asking. Please reply back when you get the chance. Peace and take care:) Noel Message: 2 Sun, 21 Mar 2004 17:06:49 -0000 " matrixenos " <matrixenos Soy Milk I've finally adopted soy milk. I tried Silk awhile back and it just wasn't my thang. There was some great advice in the group, sharing what to get and what to expect but the real thing just wasn't my cup of tea..er, soy. As of late, I've been on a protein smoothie kick and I decided to get some Silk (regular flavored) soy milk again to add to it (would be gettin some soy goodness and more than likely wouldn't taste it, being blended with all the juices and fruit). Well, the smoothies are great and I've even had the Silk soy milk straight and really enjoy it. ...even better, chocolate Silk...awesome! I haven't tried cooking with it yet but I'd say I'm pretty much converted to soy milk. I'm not saying, I'll never buy milk again but I'm just extremely happy I've found a good alternative that I enjoy! Always try things twice?, S. Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 22, 2004 i know what ya mean.. i put silk soy milk instead of real milk in my lattes and mixed coffee drinks.. and i make my smoothies with silk soy milk. i even use silk soy milk in my cereal. i like the vanilla... and ive had the chocolate silk soy milk in chocolate martinis which are very good. i am a personal fan of it myself and try and drink it more then regular milk:) leah:-D matrixenos <matrixenos wrote: I've finally adopted soy milk. I tried Silk awhile back and it just wasn't my thang. There was some great advice in the group, sharing what to get and what to expect but the real thing just wasn't my cup of tea..er, soy. As of late, I've been on a protein smoothie kick and I decided to get some Silk (regular flavored) soy milk again to add to it (would be gettin some soy goodness and more than likely wouldn't taste it, being blended with all the juices and fruit). Well, the smoothies are great and I've even had the Silk soy milk straight and really enjoy it. ...even better, chocolate Silk...awesome! I haven't tried cooking with it yet but I'd say I'm pretty much converted to soy milk. I'm not saying, I'll never buy milk again but I'm just extremely happy I've found a good alternative that I enjoy! Always try things twice?, S. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 22, 2004 I like the Unsweetened Silk better than the regular. Although I haven't really been able to bring myself to drink a glass of it, like I used to with milk. I almost bought 8th Continent, but I read the ingredients and compared it to Silk and put it down. I think my overall decision to get Silk is because it's organic. Soy is one of the #1 GM foods in our country, so I'm very particular when I buy products made from soy. I have not enjoyed cooking with Silk because it leaves a strange flavor. I guess I pretty much just use it for my cereal. I haven't seen strawberry Silk, I'll have to check that out. During the holidays I tried Silk Nog and it was divine! Of course after I " discovered " it, it was always sold out and I never got anymore. Oh, well I guess I wait until this holiday season. cheers, Denise , " matrixenos " <matrixenos@h...> wrote: > Thanks for the recommendation...back in the day I did prefer > strawberry over the chocolate milk. > > I almost purchased a jug of reg. soy milk made by 8th Continent (I > believe that was the name), today...until I saw a Silk " Unsweetened " > version in a green container. Not sure if this is new but I haven't > seen this form before. I haven't tried it today however I am hoping > and thinking that this may be more similar to a milk flavor because of > the lack of sugar. If not, I'm still satisfied with the others.. > > S. > > > > , " radcsusa " <radcsusa@n...> > wrote: > > If you're just discovering chocolate soymilk, chances are you haven't > > yet met strawberry. You might enjoy the introduction :-) > > > > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 22, 2004 silk nog?? that sounds awesome! i have to try that next holiday season:) leah:) I like the Unsweetened Silk better than the regular. Although I haven't really been able to bring myself to drink a glass of it, like I used to with milk. I almost bought 8th Continent, but I read the ingredients and compared it to Silk and put it down. I think my overall decision to get Silk is because it's organic. Soy is one of the #1 GM foods in our country, so I'm very particular when I buy products made from soy. I have not enjoyed cooking with Silk because it leaves a strange flavor. I guess I pretty much just use it for my cereal. I haven't seen strawberry Silk, I'll have to check that out. During the holidays I tried Silk Nog and it was divine! Of course after I " discovered " it, it was always sold out and I never got anymore. Oh, well I guess I wait until this holiday season. cheers, Denise , " matrixenos " <matrixenos@h...> wrote: > Thanks for the recommendation...back in the day I did prefer > strawberry over the chocolate milk. > > I almost purchased a jug of reg. soy milk made by 8th Continent (I > believe that was the name), today...until I saw a Silk " Unsweetened " > version in a green container. Not sure if this is new but I haven't > seen this form before. I haven't tried it today however I am hoping > and thinking that this may be more similar to a milk flavor because of > the lack of sugar. If not, I'm still satisfied with the others.. > > S. > > > > , " radcsusa " <radcsusa@n...> > wrote: > > If you're just discovering chocolate soymilk, chances are you haven't > > yet met strawberry. You might enjoy the introduction :-) > > > > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 22, 2004 i love the silk nog! it's sooo good. it was one of the things i " craved " when i was pregnant with my son. it was also hard to come by at the time too. luckily, my friend owned a health food store and would order it by the case for me. i still haven't tried the unsweetened silk, but i think i'll pick some up next time i see it. susie --- Denise <pamperedveggie wrote: > During the > holidays I tried Silk Nog and it was divine! Of > course after > I " discovered " it, it was always sold out and I > never got anymore. > Oh, well I guess I wait until this holiday season. > > cheers, > Denise Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes./filing.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted July 12, 2004 Hi, Does anyone know a similar product sold in the UK? Catherine > > Craig Dearth [cd39] > 12 July 2004 00:42 > 001 vegan chat > soy milk > > > > > I would like to recommend a product. > I bought a Brossan soy milk maker > www.brossan.com > let me tell you it is really cheap to make soy milk and the taste > is so much better than store bought > they also make a tofu maker I have found that a little harder but > still just as tasty > anyway just thought I would pass that on > all the best > Craig > > > > > To send an email to - > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted July 12, 2004 I bought one at the vegan fair last weekend and it's excellent. Take a look at www.soyafresh.co.uk They sell non-GM soya beans too. Dave " Catherine Turner " <catherineturner2000 wrote: > Hi, > > Does anyone know a similar product sold in the UK? > > Catherine > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted July 12, 2004 hi dave were you at vegan fair?.........myself and viv went....am still eating cheese i bought there.......lol catherine >Dave <dave > > >Re: soy milk >Mon, 12 Jul 2004 20:42:40 +0100 > >I bought one at the vegan fair last weekend and it's excellent. Take a look >at www.soyafresh.co.uk > >They sell non-GM soya beans too. > >Dave > > > " Catherine Turner " <catherineturner2000 wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > Does anyone know a similar product sold in the UK? > > > > Catherine > > > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted July 17, 2004 I've got one of those, used it twice but don't like the milk it makes. Prefer the long life stuff so have gone back to that. If anyone would like to take it off my hands let me know! Dave [dave] 12 July 2004 19:43 Subject: Re: soy milkI bought one at the vegan fair last weekend and it's excellent. Take a lookat www.soyafresh.co.ukThey sell non-GM soya beans too.Dave"Catherine Turner" <catherineturner2000 wrote:> Hi,> > Does anyone know a similar product sold in the UK?> > Catherine> --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.712 / Virus Database: 468 - Release 27/06/2004 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted July 17, 2004 Viv, I know at least 3 people who would be interested. Strange you don't like the milk. I prefer it to shop bought, and two dedicated cow juice drinkers I know liked it which surprised both myself and them. Let me know how much you'd want for the machine with postage etc and I'll pass the info on to my friends. Dave " Viv Carbines " <vc27 wrote: > I've got one of those, used it twice but don't like the milk it makes. > Prefer the long life stuff so have gone back to that. If anyone would > like to take it off my hands let me know! > > Dave [dave] 12 > July 2004 19:43 Re: > soy milk > > > I bought one at the vegan fair last weekend and it's excellent. Take a > look at www.soyafresh.co.uk > > They sell non-GM soya beans too. > > Dave > > > " Catherine Turner " <catherineturner2000 wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > Does anyone know a similar product sold in the UK? > > > > Catherine > > > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus > system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.712 / Virus Database: 468 - > Release 27/06/2004 > > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted August 30, 2004 Hi Ya all, I use a product called " Silk. " It does not curdle and it tastes great. I have no commercial interest in this company. I am just a content consumer. I prefer the unsweetened variety. It is available here in Florida in most grocery stores. Chet Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted September 7, 2004 Hi Gaylene, We use Silk Organic plain (the orange carton) for everything.. i've never had it curdle. i use it in soup, cocoa, coffee, tea, cereal, oatmeal (even in the microwave with the instant kind), milkshakes, smoothies, cream sauces, pancakes, gravy.. just about anywhere i can find. If there's a recipe calling for cream or milk or even water and i can sub this soymilk.. i do it.. ups everyone's protein intake in a GOOD way! :-) Good luck! shazadi Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 23, 2005 Wow, thanks for the recipe. I will try this. - ladynomi78 3/23/2005 1:16:23 PM Soy Milk I make almond milk at home soak almonds for 3 days in water then you grind them up in a blender and strain in a fine mesh strainer. You can add more water if needed to make it the consistancy that you want. Keeps 5-7 days in fridge. Message: 14 Wed, 23 Mar 2005 03:56:07 -0000 rvijay07Subject: Soy Related Questions.If I make Soy Milk and Soy Yoghurt at home, how long can these bestored ? Anyone here make all these yourself at home ? Also, how does one make Tofu from Soybeans ?Thanks.VijayTo send an email to - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted September 1, 2005 how much soymilk should she be drinking a day? I know her doctor said 3 servings but I think that is high. There is so much fat in it. I wouldn't give her 3 servings of dairy a day. I know soymilk is healthy and cow milk isn't but it still has the same high calories and fat content. Renee --- " E.R. Bakwin " <bakwin wrote: > Renee wrote: > > <<She doesn't like boxed soymilk for some reason so > she drinks soy milk (the refrigerated kind) at home > with breakfast and dinner.>> > > You could put the soy milk she likes in a thermos or > in a lunch-type bottle (with a fold-down straw, for > example) with an ice pack, or you could get the same > soy milk she likes in juice boxes and keep them > refrigerated until they go in her lunch box. > > Liz > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > > Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour: http://tour.mail./mailtour.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted September 2, 2005 Renee asked: <<how much soymilk should she be drinking a day? I know her doctor said 3 servings but I think that is high. There is so much fat in it.>> First of all, children need fat in the first 2 years of their lives to help develop the myelin sheathing (part of the central nervous system). After that, it's like everything else: moderation in all things. We all need some fat in our diet...preferably " good " fat, of course. If you trust your doctor, then s/he must have a reason for saying 3 servings a day. Is it about adequate protein intake, or what? Certainly, the more just-plain-water you can get your child to drink, the better. But my advice is not to sweat the small stuff. If your child wants to drink soy milk at every meal right now, it's probably not such a bad thing. Kids go through feast- & -famine stages of eating all the time. You could maybe just give a small amount of soy milk each time, followed by water when that is done. Liz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted September 2, 2005 Soy milk does not have nearly as much fat as cow milk does, plus kids NEED a certain amount of GOOD fat, which is what is in soymilk. That being said, I am lucky if I can get one glass a day in my daughter (4 1/2) who much prefers either water or juice and my son (18 months) drinks about 12-14 oz a day of soy milk. , Renee Carroll <renecarol25> wrote: > how much soymilk should she be drinking a day? I know > her doctor said 3 servings but I think that is high. > There is so much fat in it. I wouldn't give her 3 > servings of dairy a day. I know soymilk is healthy > and cow milk isn't but it still has the same high > calories and fat content. > Renee > > --- " E.R. Bakwin " <bakwin@s...> wrote: > > > Renee wrote: > > > > <<She doesn't like boxed soymilk for some reason so > > she drinks soy milk (the refrigerated kind) at home > > with breakfast and dinner.>> > > > > You could put the soy milk she likes in a thermos or > > in a lunch-type bottle (with a fold-down straw, for > > example) with an ice pack, or you could get the same > > soy milk she likes in juice boxes and keep them > > refrigerated until they go in her lunch box. > > > > Liz > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > > removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mail > Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour: > http://tour.mail./mailtour.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted May 27, 2006 It seems like all soy milk gets some settlement in the bottom and has to be remixed before each pouring from the container. I used to have on of those pitchers from Pampered Chef that has a plunger in the lid. You take it up and down to mix it up. They are great for soymilk. We usually make ours from Better than Milk Powder, but have used several different kinds over the years. I saw Walmart had those pitchers with a plunger in the lid also. It moves up and down. Those pitchers are great for any drink you make up. Enjoy, Judy - <awoogala Friday, May 26, 2006 3:15 PM Re: Digest Number 1437 > > > In a message dated 5/24/2006 4:09:54 AM Eastern Standard Time, > writes: > > We buy our soy milk from Costco as it is way cheeper than anywhere > else that we can get it. They used to carry silk brand but recently > they have been selling there own brand instead. > > > Hmmm.. have you checked the back of your soymilk? We also buy from > Costco, > and our " kirkland " brand soymilk (costco's brand) still says " made by > silk " on > the back. > I'd check the dates, then just shake it a lot better. The calcium does > tend > to stick and get sludgy if it isn't moved a lot. > Also, just for a safe bet, check the dates. Most of the aseptic packages > last anywhere from 2- 10 years, but it's always a good idea to check > anyway. > At any rate, if it's really unacceptable, bring it back. Costco will > refund/ replace anything in their store that is defective. They have > taken back > canned beans , and all sorts of things that I've returned. > > Lisa > ** > SAHM to Leif and Winter > > > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 5, 2007 We went from breastmilk to soymilk. At 11, my (spoiled rotten) daughter still won't get out of bed without have a glass of warm soymilk. since it's her primary calcium, I still do it. vegolove <vegolove wrote: I'm a vegan mum however, I have a husband and a 3 year old daughter who are meat eaters. My daughter (Mia) has now acquired a taste for Soy milk and does not want her usual cow milk and I am thrilled of course however, would like to know what other parents think of toddlers and soy milk as there is a lot of controversy. I am trying to become pregnant again and would love to hear from mums who dont breastfeed (would love to try next time round but I could not with Mia) who give their babies soy formula and continued with soy milk once they were toddlers. I'm just a little concerned with what info is around these days and would love some help! Never Miss an Email Stay connected with Mail on your mobile. Get started! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 5, 2007 My kids, 3 and 2, drink soy and rice milk. I don't think there's anything wrong with them drinking it. They both love it and it got rid of my daughter's constant ear infections, so it's all good in my eyes. vegolove <vegolove wrote: I'm a vegan mum however, I have a husband and a 3 year old daughter who are meat eaters. My daughter (Mia) has now acquired a taste for Soy milk and does not want her usual cow milk and I am thrilled of course however, would like to know what other parents think of toddlers and soy milk as there is a lot of controversy. I am trying to become pregnant again and would love to hear from mums who dont breastfeed (would love to try next time round but I could not with Mia) who give their babies soy formula and continued with soy milk once they were toddlers. I'm just a little concerned with what info is around these days and would love some help! Kadee Sedtal Brain: " Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering? " Pinky: " I think so, Brain, but if the plural of mouse is mice, wouldn't the plural of spouse be spice? " Check out my new , Classical 2 at http://launch.classical2/ Access over 1 million songs - Music Unlimited. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 5, 2007 We don't have a problem with soymilk. We breastfed, but supplemented with formula in his cereal, and later in a cup (he would not take a bottle at all). We had started with regular, but then discovered that he had a dairy allergy and even the lactose free ones didn't work for him - so we knew it was the proteins, not the lactose (we were vegetarians before I got pregnant with him). We switched to the soy formula - and only ever gave it to him in cereal, and later we gave him cups of it on occasion. We were on WIC at the time, and they knew we bf, but we still got the formula as he was not gaining weight fast enough for them, but he was not FTT (our doc wasn't concerned as he followed the chart, wasn't on it per se, her concern was when he was deviating from the curve he was on )- we later found info that it was most likely from dairy in my diet (which we never made the connection until we already knew about the allergy). I don't have a problem with giving our son soy - he drinks soymilk (plain, unsweetened or very lightly sweetened -but he likes the unsweetened kind just as much as other regular plain soymilk). He loves tofu, and we give soy and rice/oat cheeses that are vegan (Tofutti Soy Slices and Vegan Rella). I think it's the kind of soy protein that is where the problems come in., there was just a huge discussion on here about it maybe a couple of weeks ago, nearly the same topic...You can probably find it in the archives. Some folks limit their soy intake because of it, but we don't. We vary our other protein sources, and once I look at our diet, we don't always have it (most breakfasts consist of tofu in some form though sometimes that is our only soy for the day), but we don't purposely limit it in our diets. Missie On 3/5/07, vegolove <vegolove wrote: > > I'm a vegan mum however, I have a husband and a 3 year old daughter > who are meat eaters. My daughter (Mia) has now acquired a taste for > Soy milk and does not want her usual cow milk and I am thrilled of > course however, would like to know what other parents think of > toddlers and soy milk as there is a lot of controversy. I am trying > to become pregnant again and would love to hear from mums who dont > breastfeed (would love to try next time round but I could not with > Mia) who give their babies soy formula and continued with soy milk > once they were toddlers. I'm just a little concerned with what info > is around these days and would love some help! > > > -- I'm all out of bubblegum. -- http://mszzzi.creepy.net/Dexter/gallery http://www.flickr.com/photos/mszzzi/ http://mszzzi.evite.shutterfly.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 5, 2007 I went from breastmilk to soy formula. The only way my kids would drink soy formula was to have it mixed with soya milk. But, they did drink it cold which made it much easier on me. At about 18 months I moved them to just soya milk. That's what they drink now (no cow's milk - we aren't vegan but I want to limit the dairy in their diets). Paula vegolove <vegolove Monday, March 5, 2007 5:17:30 AM Soy Milk I'm a vegan mum however, I have a husband and a 3 year old daughter who are meat eaters. My daughter (Mia) has now acquired a taste for Soy milk and does not want her usual cow milk and I am thrilled of course however, would like to know what other parents think of toddlers and soy milk as there is a lot of controversy. I am trying to become pregnant again and would love to hear from mums who dont breastfeed (would love to try next time round but I could not with Mia) who give their babies soy formula and continued with soy milk once they were toddlers. I'm just a little concerned with what info is around these days and would love some help! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 5, 2007 Hi! I was not vegetarian when I had my first child nor for my twins. I and my first daughter had problems breatsfeeding so I had to try my best with her and supplement with formula. We tried the origianal formula first, but she was crying constantly so someone suggested we try soy formula and that worked much better. When my twins came along, I didn't even attempt to breastfeed them at my breast because of my previous trouble, but I did pump a lot, but I could not get enough for both, so I supplemented with soy formula again. While my 6-yr-old was one month premature, and my twins were 8 weeks premature, they are now wonderfully average kids and my tiniest preemie twin is now taller than her twin. They all had milk after they were one year old until we became vegetarian. When they were 5 and 3 yrs old, we switched to Very Vanilla Soy Milk and they all love that. So, as far as my experience, soy milk is working just fine for us. Laura in Missouri > Soy Milk > > would like to know what other parents think of > toddlers and soy milk as there is a lot of controversy. I am trying > to become pregnant again and would love to hear from mums who dont > breastfeed (would love to try next time round but I could not with > Mia) who give their babies soy formula and continued with soy milk > once they were toddlers. I'm just a little concerned with what info > is around these days and would love some help! > > > > > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 6, 2007 I am going to be unpopular (haha), but the same thing happened to me with my daughter. As neither milk nor soymilk seem to bother her system, I swap the two out (organic milk, though). I have heard too much controversy on both of them. So I figure if in the future, they say " Wow, soymilk (or cow's milk) is TERRIBLE for babies, " at least she didn't get it all the time. Most of the controversy on soy is over the soy isoflavones (sp), and that is what infant soymilk is made of. On top of that, it is her main source of food, and I think you can overdo soy just like you can overdo cow's milk, although it is waaay easier with cow's milk. I would love to hear other people's input though. Like I said, neither bother her system, so if I am wrong on one of them, I really hope someone will correct me. (hopefully nicely!) My daughter doesn't seem to suffer any ill effects from either one. She is veryveryvery healthy. I do definitely use soy, though, if she has been exposed to a cold because milk can make that worse. vegolove <vegolove wrote: I'm a vegan mum however, I have a husband and a 3 year old daughter who are meat eaters. My daughter (Mia) has now acquired a taste for Soy milk and does not want her usual cow milk and I am thrilled of course however, would like to know what other parents think of toddlers and soy milk as there is a lot of controversy. I am trying to become pregnant again and would love to hear from mums who dont breastfeed (would love to try next time round but I could not with Mia) who give their babies soy formula and continued with soy milk once they were toddlers. I'm just a little concerned with what info is around these days and would love some help! Be a PS3 game guru. Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Games. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted March 6, 2007 In answer to your question and without boring you to death, I was unable to breastfeed for various reasons which I believe were, my water broke at 32 weeks and I had to reamin in hospital and was fed intravenously antibiotics to avoid infection, Mia was still 5 weeks prem. Mia was delivered by forceps and I bled quite a bit and became anaemic then i got an infected episiotomy and sat on my right cheek for 4 months. Mia could not suck as much as we tried coz she was prem so they gavage fed her immedietely. I simply had no milk, I would pump every couple of hours to get like 5mls of milk it was horrible. I tried for 4 months!!!!! Plus I was not enthusiastic about giving her my milk when I was full of antibiotics for 2 months plus other drugs for the episiotomy and I was anaemic. Surely my milk would not have done her any good. I hope you are right and that second time round I can do this, I get depressed about it all when I think back , chandelle' <earthmother213 wrote: > > without planning to attack you, may i ask why you were unable to nurse? > many women who had major struggles the first time around are able to do it > for subsequent babies. > > that being said, i have been unable to nurse either of my children, even > though i have worked as a lactation educator for 2 years and have been > studying to become an IBCLC someday as well, and even though i worked with > the best IBCLCs and LLL leaders in my area. it was a devaststing experience > for me, both times, because i wanted to nurse more than anything and i put > an incredible amount of effort into it, so much that my nipples are > permanently scarred. but it just didn't happen. my daughter willow is just > over 3 months now and she is primarily on donated breastmilk, so i would > advise that first. many women don't realize that's an option. build your > circle of support during your pregnancy and go out of your way to include a > few lactating mamas in there. then if you do have problems, you'll have > someone to turn to if you need donated milk while you're getting the hang of > breastfeeding. or if you for some reason cannot breastfeed, those people > can put out the feelers for you and maybe you can find someone, or several > someones, who can pump for you at least a little bit. as my daughter eats > more and more but my milk supply from other mothers does not increase (or > even drops off, as it is right now), she gets less and less breastmilk, but > i know she will always get some for her first year of life, and every little > bit counts. one women even had her baby a month after me and started > pumping for me right away, so the milk is even age-appropriate. and even > though i have to give her milk or formula in a bottle, i do everything i can > to replicate the breastfeeding experience by holding her close, skin-to-skin > as much as possible, not engaging in anything else while she eats, and > never, ever propping bottles or otherwise separating her experience of > eating from being bonded to me. > > also, if you do produce milk but cannot breastfeed for some reason, many > women pump exclusively. there are a couple of ! groups for this. i > tried to do this myself but, well, i had other issues. i would have done it > happily had it worked, but i had some unique problems. for most women who > try it, it does work. you may not be able to feed her with your milk > exclusively, but some women do, and even if you can't, you can get that > donated milk or even just supplement with formula if you have to. the > important thing is that your baby gets SOME breastmilk if you can possibly > manage it. > > ok, so all THAT being said, i did feed my son exclusively with soy formula > after the first couple of months and then moved him to regular soymilk after > a year or so. and he did just fine. there are a lot of horror stories > right now about soy protein, especially soy protein isolate. (actually, ALL > of the negative studies have been performed on soy protein isolate - > whole-soy studies have only been positive). so, working with SPI in soy > formula, in which babies get a much larger dose than anyone because it's > their sole form of nutrition, does make me a little nervous. but i don't > consider cow's milk formula, which is laden with far more dangerous hormones > than SPI (even the so-called " organic " stuff is still going to have > dangerous naturally-occurring hormones) to be a viable option, especially as > i have a girl and those hormones are far more volatile for females. some > people will suggest making your own formula from goat's milk, but it is an > expensive endeavor and is not, IMO, after doing a lot of research, > particularly safe. > > so the bottom line is, if you absolutely must use formula, there are > benefits and drawbacks to both forms. to me, because i had already used a > soy formula with my son with no obvious detriments, and since health didn't > concern me much based on my experience with him (which is NOT to say that > health didn't concern me at all...i definitely did my homework this time), > and formula is sometimes necessary when we run out of breastmilk, there were > other issues that i considered, such as, do i really want to support the > dairy cow industry in any form? absolutely not. no matter what kind of > dangers come with isolated soy protein, it will always be better, to me, > than the pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, and everything else > in cow's milk, until some studies prove this definitively to not be the > case. and because i am lactose-intolerant, and so is my son (which is why > we started using soy formula in the first place with him), i figured i > should play it safe with her and just skip the cow's milk formula fiasco > altogether. better the devil you know. others surely feel differently and > that's fine, but that's how i felt about it. > > i have successfully used soy formula with both of my children, and my son > was on it exclusively. with my daughter, i use an organic soy formula from > baby's only. it is made from brown rice syrup rather than corn syrup. i > don't know what it is, because i did not expect anything, but i see SUCH a > difference in her on this formula than on the generic or brand-name > formulas. i started using this because a friend of mine used it with her > daughter and when she had her blood levels taken, she was told they were as > high as a breastfed baby. and i figured we didn't have anything to lose. > it really is better, though. when she's on this, vs. something like > enfamil, she spits up less, her color is better, her poop is runnier (which > is good), and she's more active. > > so, i'm not sure what your circumstances are, but i would definitely say > that unless you were somehow born without milk glands or something, your > first line of defense should probably be to see an IBCLC in pregnancy and > see what advice she can offer you to make breastfeeding more successful this > time. when you have your baby, have the numbers of LLL leaders sitting > right by the phone, and maybe find an experienced BFing mom to hang around > in case you need help. and if things don't go well, get help! do whatever > you possibly can to breastfeed. and if you really cannot, IME soy formula > has worked fine. my son survived and thrived on it and is a very healthy, > happy, developmentally-advanced little boy who has been more or less vegan > from birth. > > oh, ok, one more thing. as of yet, to the best of my knowledge, there are > no soy formulas that are completely vegan. at least the vitamin b2, or is > it b3? are from animal sources. so, that sucks. but at least it's not > cow's milk. > > chandelle' > > > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
