Breast milk is an animal product, I was wondering what makes it okay for vegans. This is not a frivolous question. Someone asked me, and I didn't have a good answer.
Thanks
2006-11-06 03:05:30 · 10 answers · asked by Betty 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Vegetarian & Vegan
Veganism means not eating fish, poultry, red meat, dairy or any other animal by-products. To simplify, vegans don't use anything which has been produced or provided by another species of animal. Breast milk is produced by the mother during pregnancy specifically for the baby, as it contains nutrients essential to assist the development of the child.
2006-11-06 03:29:10 · answer #1 · answered by veggie_fta 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Not a frivolous question at all... quite interesting in fact. My thinking is this...If there was a farm somewhere where women were held captive and milked for their breastmilk several times a day, you'd have a valid argument there. However, since nothing is being exploited or harmed or mistreated by a mother breastfeeding her baby, so as far as I know (I am not vegan), vegans do not have a problem with it, nor should they. Now if you could buy breastmilk off the store shelf... that might present a whole 'nother issue. As long as the mother of the child is providing the milk, it's the most natural thing in this world.
2006-11-06 06:07:11 · answer #2 · answered by kittikatti69 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My sister just asked me the same question yesterday (how weird) as I was nursing my two month old. I definitely think its okay. It would seem that ethically, one of the reasons a person "goes vegan" is that they feel people take food stuffs from NON CONSENTING animals is wrong. As a breatfeeding mother, you are able to consent to the giving of breastmilk to your child. This doesn't even include the fact that breastmilk is absolutely, without question the best option for newborns and anybody who is given the ability to breastfeed really should. For more information regarding any aspect of www.lalecheleague.org. Hope this helps.
2006-11-06 04:18:06 · answer #3 · answered by lunachick 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Breast milk is not simply a byproduct of animals...it is the nutrients created by a mother specifically to feed her child. If a vegan thinks it is wrong to feed their baby their own breast milk, then somewhere along the path to Vegan-ism, they lost their way.
2006-11-06 03:09:58 · answer #4 · answered by smellyfoot ™ 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Breast milk is food for baby humans..in fact the ulitmate food for babies. NOTHING else is close to being as good. Vegans do not eat animals or products from animals. Human milk is not animal milk.
2006-11-06 06:23:51 · answer #5 · answered by Celtic Tejas 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Vegans breast feed. i'm vegan and if I ever have babies, i understand i will breast feed because, unlike a cow's milk, my milk develop into through nature produced for my personal babies. no longer to point, study tutor breast fed babies as being smarter. And the actual undeniable actuality that breast feeding helps shed the baby weight is evidently a plus, too. :)
2016-10-16 07:49:56 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
breast milk is made for the offspring of that animal. Cow milk is made for cows. goat milk is made for goats. cat milk is made for kittens. dog milk is made for puppies. See a pattern?
human milk is for humans.
To give an animal anything besides its own species' milk is totally unnatural.
Since breast milk is not harming the mother because it's MEANT to be consumed by the offspring, it's vegan.
And of course, there's where meat-eaters will argue that cow milk isn't harming the cow... blah blah, etc. ad nauseam... but unless you're trying to grow four stomachs, weigh 400 pounds, and eat grass all day, cows milk is not natural for humans to consume, regardless of whether or not it harms the cow.
It's also stealing from the calf, separating the mother from her young, and supporting the veal industry, but I digress.
Human milk is for humans. It's the one thing on this planet that is indesputably meant for humans to consume.
2006-11-06 04:24:28 · answer #7 · answered by Eve 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It is.Babies need milk,but not from cows or soymilkpowder,they need breastmilk,the best thing for them.It isn't an animal product.No torture went into it.if the mom is vegan then so is her milk.
2006-11-06 11:21:45 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because for those who are vegans because they do not beleive in animal cruelty, breastfeeding does not fall into the being cruel category.
2006-11-06 06:35:21 · answer #9 · answered by KathyS 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
okay these are all good answers but one woman said the naimals are non consenting. but i used to work on a dairy farm and the cows liked to be milked. they would fight for a spot to get milked and cross the road to be milked and they seemed to enjoy it. but yes, breastmilk is for little humans it is natural. but you won't catch me breastfeeding my next kid sorry.
have a good day.
~Rikki
2006-11-06 11:29:09 · answer #10 · answered by 1 Hott Mami 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋