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their infant’s growth because they can’t tell how much their baby is taking in. Also, formula-fed babies often put on weight faster from ages 6 to 12 months, leading some people to believe that breastfed babies aren’t getting enough milk. To make things worse, many growth charts provided to pediatricians and doctor’s offices haven’t taken into account the differences in weight gain between formula-fed and breastfed babies, leading some parents to feel pressured to switch to formula to help their baby gain weight faster. Even though “breast is best,” many doctors have unwittingly been complicit in pressure to wean too early or to supplement with formula due to the misguided and misinformed focus on weight gain.

Luckily the World Health Organization has collected data from around the world to help develop a new set of international standards and growth charts for infants and children through the age of 5 years. The new charts were created using growth information on both exclusively and predominantly breastfed children, and can be found at www.who.int/childgrowth/standards.

Considering using another mom’s milk

If breastfeeding is not going well for whatever reason, another alternative is to search out mothers who have extra breast milk that they’re willing to share with you. Using another woman’s breast milk is preferable to many vegan women who would prefer that their children not be exposed to highly processed cow’s milk formula or refined soy products at such an early age. You have two options within this “borrowed” milk model:

You can casually share milk with a mom you know and are comfortable with. You may even find other vegan moms who are willing to pump extra for you, although a nonvegan mom is preferable to canned formula.

You can contact the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (www.hmbana.org) to see whether your baby qualifies to receive donated milk. This group connects parents all over the country who need milk for their babies with prescreened human milk supplies.

Donated milk offers your baby the wonderful immunity and disease prevention that your own milk would have provided. It’s a useful and safe way to help mothers who have postoperative problems or infection diseases that stop them from breastfeeding.

Besides concerns over baby’s weight gain, most women are tempted to stop breastfeeding because it’s painful (usually due to improper latch) or because they don’t feel comfortable with the functional aspect of handling their breasts. Women’s breasts have become overly sexualized in our culture, so some moms are uncomfortable nursing in public. Plus infants require milk every two to three hours, and that can be exhausting for a new mother.

If you haven’t decided whether to stick with breastfeeding, try it for a few weeks before switching to formula (it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to change back to breastfeeding from formula-feeding). Get expert help and support through your local La Leche League or hospital-sponsored breastfeeding support group. The lactation consultants are trained to help guide you through the learning stages of nursing — even though breastfeeding is natural, it doesn’t always come naturally. They can also help you if you begin to feel postpartum depression.

Thinking about formula as a last resort

If you’re a vegan who’s considering formula for your baby, you should know that at this time you can’t buy commercially made organic, vegan infant formulas. Several soy-based formulas contain no dairy but aren’t vegan due to the added vitamin D3, which comes from animal sources. Baby’s Only organic soy-based formula is widely available but isn’t 100 percent vegan.

Your baby has to eat, though, and if breastfeeding just isn’t possible for you, the soy-based formulas are certainly acceptable alternatives. Your little one can be 100 percent vegan a little later on in life.

Soy and rice milk aren’t the same as soy and rice formula. These milks that you may use on your cereal don’t contain the proper nutrition for babies to thrive. And while you can find some recipes