Guest guest Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Hi Everyone, I'm vegan and wondering if I should be supplementing my 2 month old daughter with B12, she is solely breastfed. Her pediatrician recommended vitamin drops of A, D and C, but not B12. I'm just wondering what other vegan nursing mothers are doing. Carla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 As for me, I am not supplementing at all. My daughter is almost 16 months now, and not nursing often anymore. But I have never supplemented, trusting breastmilk to supply her with what she needs. She is strong and healthy. I started weaning her to fresh, whole fruits and veggies (mostly organic), and some tofu. Again, I trust them to meet her needs. If a nursing mom wants to be sure her baby is getting something, I think the best way is for MOM to take a supplement--it will get passed on to their child through their milk. Later on, the child can use a fortified rice, nut, or soy drink, or an occasional vegan B12 supplement, I guess. Marilyn **************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002\ 5 48) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Same here. I have a 17month old who still nurses about 4 times a day and I trust it to get her what she needs. She does eat--lots of fruit and some veggies; having a hard time getting her to eat grains or anything other than a fruit :-).... but I still think she's getting enough nutrients. When she's sick (or someone else in the house is sick) I give her a liquid multivitamin. But at 2 months, I trusted the breastmilk! It is truly the perfect food for your baby! If you feel you don't have enough B12 in your diet (I was once worried about it too..) you might add nutritional yeast to your diet. The Red Star brand has B12 in it and I like to add it to just about anything! It's good on popcorn, or to add in spaghetti or other sauces, just lots of stuff. HTH, Elizabeth On Feb 8, 2008 9:34 AM, <sahmomof8 wrote: > > > As for me, I am not supplementing at all. My daughter is almost 16 months > now, and not nursing often anymore. But I have never supplemented, > trusting > breastmilk to supply her with what she needs. She is strong and healthy. I > > started weaning her to fresh, whole fruits and veggies (mostly organic), > and some > tofu. Again, I trust them to meet her needs. If a nursing mom wants to be > sure her baby is getting something, I think the best way is for MOM to > take a > supplement--it will get passed on to their child through their milk. Later > on, > the child can use a fortified rice, nut, or soy drink, or an occasional > vegan B12 supplement, I guess. Marilyn > > > > **************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. > ( > http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp003000000025 > 48) > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 I never gave my breasfed daughter any supplements until she was completely weaned, at just over 2 yrs. Now she takes a vegan chewable and I add nutritional yeast, " green stuff " and flax oil to our morning fruit smoothie. As the other reply said, if I felt she needed something, I added it to MY diet, and trusted my milk to convey it to her in appropriate quantities. She has been tested a couple times for different deficiencies, as she is thin, but they've never found any problems - she's just where she " should " be. Liz , sahmomof8 wrote: > > > > As for me, I am not supplementing at all. My daughter is almost 16 months > now, and not nursing often anymore. But I have never supplemented, trusting > breastmilk to supply her with what she needs. She is strong and healthy. I > started weaning her to fresh, whole fruits and veggies (mostly organic), and some > tofu. Again, I trust them to meet her needs. If a nursing mom wants to be > sure her baby is getting something, I think the best way is for MOM to take a > supplement--it will get passed on to their child through their milk. Later on, > the child can use a fortified rice, nut, or soy drink, or an occasional > vegan B12 supplement, I guess. Marilyn > **************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. > (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy? NCID=aolcmp003000000025 > 48) > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 If you can get hold of it, try Marmite. It's a yeast-extract spread very popular amongst veggies, vegans and meat-eaters alike in the UK and very rich in vitamin B12, as well as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid. Delicious on toast with butter or butter-substitute, or as a drink, or gravy substitute, or added to other dishes (excellent in a lentil-bake). Word of advice though - spread thinly, as it is strongly flavoured! It was probably my pricinple source of B-12 etc, before and during pregnancy and when breast-feeding (not to mention generally!). It's also good for toddlers and children. My daughter (3) adores it and has been eating it since she was about 10 months. I believe you can order it in the USA from 'Goodwoods British Market': http://www.goodwoods.com/ or any of the other sites which are aimed at shipping British stuff abroad, such as British foods direct. Kay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 I gave my daughter liquid vitamins for a while and now she takes chewables. It seems to me like it helps to take vitamins both for adults and children. We can't get a lot of nutrients out of our food anymore due to the soil not being as rich as it once was. I think it helps to add a little bit. Whatever their body doesn't need will just make a nice yellow urine! Some days, I don't give her the vitamins if I make a smoothie with added vitamin/protein powder in it. I know it isn't good to get too much, but it would be hard for a child to get too much if they are just taking a children's vegetarian multi. -------------- Original message -------------- " chuala " <chuala Hi Everyone, I'm vegan and wondering if I should be supplementing my 2 month old daughter with B12, she is solely breastfed. Her pediatrician recommended vitamin drops of A, D and C, but not B12. I'm just wondering what other vegan nursing mothers are doing. Carla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 I have to say, I am sorry because I didn't read that she was only two months old. I wouldn't recommend adding anything at two months! If you live in a climate where you don't get a lot of sun (like me), you are supposed to add vitamin D because that vitamin has a hard time getting through to your breast milk. -------------- Original message -------------- " chuala " <chuala Hi Everyone, I'm vegan and wondering if I should be supplementing my 2 month old daughter with B12, she is solely breastfed. Her pediatrician recommended vitamin drops of A, D and C, but not B12. I'm just wondering what other vegan nursing mothers are doing. Carla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 If she is exclusively breastfed, then why does her ped want you to supplement? As long as you are getting enough vitamins and minerals (esp. B12), then it is going into your breastmilk and she is getting it too. It just drives me nuts when peds or doctors give out nutritional advice when they don't get nutritional training. Breastmilk is a perfect food and does not require supllementing. Once she is on solids and no longer breastfed at all, then you will want to supplement with B12, just like I would assume you are doing yourself. Susan , " chuala " <chuala wrote: > > Hi Everyone, > > I'm vegan and wondering if I should be supplementing my 2 month old > daughter with B12, she is solely breastfed. Her pediatrician > recommended vitamin drops of A, D and C, but not B12. I'm just > wondering what other vegan nursing mothers are doing. > > Carla > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Thank you everyone for your replies. I'm so glad I asked. I hated the thought of giving her supplements. I'm glad to hear that many of you never added these and your babies are perfectly healthy! Thanks again, Carla ______________________________\ ____ Never miss a thing. Make your home page. http://www./r/hs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Carla--Glad we helped! I have raised nine healthy kids without using any regular supplements. Leave those synthetic drops for those who feed their kids on a steady diet of McDonald's and packaged microwave meals--they're not for your well fed baby! Marilyn **************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002\ 5 48) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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