Hi All,
Thought I'd respond to Andrea Simmon's question about why a Vegan Mom wouldn't
breastfeed.  I quite agree that anyone who chooses a Vegan lifestyle
absolutely should breastfeed, in fact all the literature I've seen says you
should do so for at least two years.
However, sometimes there is a need for alternatives, hopefully short-term.  I
am one of those vegan moms who chooses to be one for health reasons, eco.
consciousness, spiritual reasons etc. and I do breastfeed my children.
Unfortunately, about a year and a half ago my daughter was in Intensive Care
for about six weeks.  She was unable to breastfeed or eat for that entire
time.  I did pump but I was really only managing once or twice a day for
several reasons:
1. My daughter was very fragile.  She was near death, had 5 emergency
surgeries, many allergic reactions to drugs etc.  It was very hard to leave
her even for a minute.
2. Every time I needed a new breastpump kit I had to go searching.  One after
another had holes in the tubing, pieces missing...
3. The pumps were often missing.
4. The nurses tried to be helpful but they are of course way too busy and when
they realized that I was trying to pump for a 16 month old they didn't really
seem to see it as all that important.
So, by the time my daughter could have EBM by NG tube my supply was very low.
She received what I had been pumping for a few days but she had to have
something else by the time she could actually start nursing again.  The EBM
ran out, she couldn't take solids and I knew my supply was not enough.  To be
honest, unfortunately donor milk did not even occur to me at the time.  And
besides, judging by how hard I had to fight to use EBM instead of formula in
the first place I doubt I would have been "allowed" to give her donor milk.
So, while my little girl built my supply up again I was thankful that there is
such a thing as Soy formula.  And I was even more thankful later when we
realized that she is severely allergic to dairy.  That could have been the
last straw for her poor little body.
Now, back to my two breastfeeding babies with croup.
Sandy Rusby Bell, Burlington, Ontario