DISCLAIMER: I am not asking this question to start a debate or to be a jackass. I’m geniunely curious.
Assuming that you vegans expect (or at least hope) your children to adopt your vegan ways and thus shun all animal products, and assuming that humans are animals, and assuming that breast milk is thus an animal product, how do your vegan principles affect your opinions on nursing your babies?
I’m not a mom (or even a woman), but the answer seems pretty obvious to me. Veganism is usually a moral issue. Since the animal in question here is voluntarily breast feeding her child, no exploitation. Some people are vegans for health reasons. Same logic applies here: since breast milk is actually quite healthy for babies, no prob.
I can’t imagine someone not breastfeeding because she was a vegan. If you think this is some sort of hypocrasy or still don’t understand how it is justified, think about it some more.
no animals have suffered in the production of breast milk, it is definitely the best food for babies and toddlers so from a health and from a moral view point, vegans are going to breastfeed.
Besides what the hell do you think formula is made from? Most formulas derive from cow milk and I have a suspicion that even the soy formulas are not vegan
No, I don’t think it’s hypocrisy at all. I’m genuinely curious if there are some vegan women who are so vegan that they won’t even allow their children to consume their own mama’s “animal products.”
Uh, I always assumed that formula was made from milk. Maybe I’m missing something…
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*Originally posted by rastahomie *
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well if a vegan doesn’t feed her baby human breast milk, she’s very unlikely to use cow’s milk 
OTOH I just remembered I once encountered a complete lunatic who claimed to be feeding his baby coconut milk and that the baby was thriving. IMO that baby would pretty soon be dead and at the very least would be left with longterm brain damage.
(Please note that I am a vegetarian, not a vegan. I have, however, done some reading on this and will attempt to speak for the vegan philosophy.)
Basically, vegans refuse to consciously harm animals.
They don’t drink cow’s milk because producing milk for human consumption requires impregnating a cow every year and then taking her calf away to be slaughtered or raised for veal. The cow will then be slaughtered after 5 or 6 years (while the normal lifespan would be closer to 25 years) when her milk production slows.
Why don’t they eat honey? This link from The Vegan Society explains how bees are harmed in the collection of honey, beeswax, etc.
The issue is not simply that cow’s milk comes from an animal. The issue is that cow’s milk is intended for calves. The forced production of milk for our use is considered unacceptable to vegans.
Human milk, on the other hand, is meant for humans.