Her Pediatrician said she should eat MEAT!!!

[sandymama]

Hello there :mrgreen. Yes, he did. He said she needs the B vitamins that red meat provides and that she can't get them in the same way elsewhere. Well, I haven't really decided to raise my daughter as a non=meat eater yet. Her dad eats meat. I eat chicken and turkey occasionally. So, she has tried chicken and turkey. Anyhow, my daughter just turned a year old and drinks wheatgrass everyday- that has got to have everything good in it that meat dare try to live up to! She eats organic fruits and veggies, grains, legumes, some bread, cheese and yogurt. She is still breastfeeding frequently.
Do you veggie-vegan mammas give a vitamin supplement?
The peds are also trying to push the flouride on me cause we don't have it in our water here.

[lumpofclay]

:banghead I'm sure others will have a lot more info for you, but I wouldn't give her the meat. Neither one of our girls have ever had meat, and they are healthy 7 & 4 year olds. She doesn't have to have the meat to get B vitamins.

We do give them a vitamin, but we didn't start that until they were at least two and could chew/swallow a children's vitamin.

Whole grains are a great source of vitamin B. (true whole grains. . . either make the flour yourself or check the label)

Oh, and with the flouride, that's a personal choice. Some people say it causes mottling, and others say it causes strong, white teeth. If you don't like the advice, learn the best trick a parent has for talking to a doctor, say, "Oh, ok. I'll have to look into that." You don't have to commit to doing it, and you don't have to say you won't. When you go back, you don't have to admit to not giving them either.

[allisonintx]

Cherries contain natural flouride. Feed them cherries and when the doc asks about flouride, say, "Of course we give our children flouride! What kind of parents do you think we are??"

Anyway, what business is it of the pedi. as long as the child is healthy and growing on target, what you decide to feed them?

[ArmsOfLove]

the *only* b vitamin that is questionable about whether you can get it from non-meat sources is B12 and as she gets older you can supplement if you feel the need--the amount you need is, literally, microscopic. I believe it can be obtained by being outside in a rainstorm in most areas :shrug And most meat eaters have enough stored up to last them for at least 5 years after going vegan. But I've got 3 healthy vegan kiddos and two more coming in behind them. I'm eating meat again but I'm also nursing twins after being vegan for 7 years and going through three pregnancies including a twin one in that time--for some reason my body is needing something :shrug But I'll be rejoining the vegan ranks as soon as the babies are eating more of their own food (right now that amount is none :giggle)

[PurpleButterfly]

Honestly - I would get a new ped! While we don't use flouride, we do drink some flouridated water, which I feel comfortable with. But that's an issue for discussion with your dentist, not the pediatrician. Actually, it's an issue for your personal research and prayer more than anything, both issues are, really. You can always find someone who will agree or disagree with choices you make for your children, so you've got to be confidently armed in prayer and continuously educating yourself along the way. :tu

Your peds need to check out the highly respected Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (http://www.pcrm.org/) before they go touting meat as the solution to children's nutrition. :banghead And you will definitely want to check out their page on children's nutrition. (http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/veg_diets_for_children.html)

My personal experience:

Ds and I were vegans for about three years. He got really sick and we couldn't figure out what was going on, except that the doctors we took him to all freaked out about him not eating meat and blamed me when his blood tests came back showing fairly severe anemia. I felt in my gut that something else was going on and that God had convicted me about our animal-free diets, so I sought out specialists (pediatric hematologists and cardiologist) until I could find peace rather than just doing what two or three strangers (albeit doctors) had told me was best for my child. The hematologist was the one who finally found the real issue - my son has a genetic blood disease called Thalassemia, that causes abnormally shaped red blood cells and anemia, that has nothing to do with diet! But, in my lack of confidence during the months this whole process took, out of fear that my child would become deathly ill, I gave iron supplements (which could have killed him had I given the type and dosage every single ped had recommended!) and also introduced meat into his (and my) diet. My heart broke as he innocently asked me, "I thought animals were for loving and not the oven..." :bheart - I was so hugely conflicted but as I suspect you can well relate to, wanted to do the best for my child and was trusting (at least to some extent) the people who seemed to know better than I did as his mama. :blush

The pediatric hematologist (who specialized in pediactric cancer and blood diseases) was the one who said, "He doesn't need meat - there is no reason why he can't be a vegan!" And author Elson Haas, MD (http://www.elsonhaas.com/about_elson_haas.html) ( Staying Healthy with Nutrition:
The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine ) personally responded to my emails with more encouragement for vegan and vegetarian diets in children leading to less disease not only in childhood but also as adults. :tu He was also the only one who advised me to investigate the iron supplementation, btw.

I would be willing to bet that your peds have never heard of or tasted Nutirtional Yeast - a delicious and wonderful source of B vitas. NOT to be confused with brewer's yeast (yuk!) :sick My family and ds especially enjoys it sprinkled on popcorn, turned into cheese sauce with soy milk and Earth Balance, and in place of parmesan cheese in spaghetti sauce. :yum :yum If you've never used it before, try the flakes, which IMO are easier to use and for some reason taste better to me.

Ds and I are not completely vegan, but working our way close to it these days. He had gotten used to eating chicken during the time I was struggling with his anemia and illness, but just a few weeks ago, he announced that he "just doesn't want to each chickens anymore". That is one of the best feelings in the world, when your child becomes old enough to make his own choices and they are the healthiest ones he can make. :happytears

Some excellent and encouraging websites to explore:

http://www.vegetarianbaby.com/

http://www.vegetarianbaby.com/articles/youcan.shtml

http://vegnutrition.netfirms.com/b12.html

[sandymama]

THANK YOU soOoOo much for the information and links. I appreciate it. I don't know how it is that I doubt the knowledge I have acquired myself after a visit to the pediatrician!! Have to stop doing that.

[PurpleButterfly]

I don't know how it is that I doubt the knowledge I have acquired myself after a visit to the pediatrician!! Have to stop doing that.


:hug2 Believe me, it's normal and does not in any way make you less of a wonderful mama. God led you here for His good reasons and will be faithful to you as you listen to what He's placed in your heart. Remember always that He made you the mother (and expert!) for your child. :hearts

[JessicaB]

www.veganlunchbox.blogspot.com is a great place for ideas on what to feed your kidos. We are in the process of vegan and we are loving it but it is a trainig of your tastes and how you cook :hugheart on your DR scaring you like that!!!

[Zoesmama]

Thats ridiculous. Not only can she get it but I'm sure she does from BM.


And later if you do a soy milk those are fortified with B12 as well as cereals and whole grains like someone said. Sure some dr.s "experts" say that its different but who knows.

[Calm_Chaos]

Maybe the doctor gets a bounus from The National Meat Board or something for every kid they get hooked on meat. :grin

I plan on raising my kids vegan until they are old enough to choose. I have read/heard good things about this.

Also, try this site: www.vegsource.com
There are articles in there on raising kids veg*n.

Laura