Switch to Soy Milk at Age One

Is it possible to make the soy formula WITH soy milk, using a little less formula mix? That way she's still getting some formula along with the little bits of food that she takes in. Just a thought.

I don't know much about soy formula etc but I do know it can be very hard to digest. I assume the soy formula is non genetically modified soy. Something to look at. I developed psoriasis and went to many drs none who could help. I went to a naturopathic dr who discussed soy with me and now that i researched it, it seems to be the highest allergy in the US (only since they genetically modified it). She said goats milk is the closest thing to human milk and it is easiest to digest. I use it now and even put it in my husband's coffee and he has no idea. Hope this helps!

My son was switched to soy milk also. Silk soy milk has a special soy milk that is fortified just for children, It has more vitamins and fat in it. The flavor is called very vanilla and my son loves it. It comes in a purple container.

M.

M.,

I find it so funny that a few recent posters now have become medical doctors. If you doctor is suggesting soy then I am sure it an acceptable source of nutrition. Please keep in mind that any responses you are receiving are based on in some cases personal preference and personal experience not doctor recommended. I am not a fan of recent studies because everyday things change. What was okay to eat, or drink, last week is different this week. If you feel your daughter is not eating enough then I would suggest you try less bottles, or at least make sure they are not close to meal times so she may be hungrier to eat more solids. If she is filling up on bottles that may be why she is not hungry for solids. When my kids were little the doctors took them off bottles completely at 1. I would try some small pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches basically what ever you are eating is acceptable except of course in tiny pieces until she can master chewing. I know babies love to feed themselves so finger foods will probably be the most appealing. Give her plastic spoons and forks, sometimes they just like feeding themselves. Like I said things change from day to day so if you trust your doctor them I am sure his advice is sound. One concern is that soy milk does have less fat and I was under the impression that babies need more fat at least for the first two years for proper brain development, and then can go to 2% milk. 2% milk still has the same nutritional value and after two the fat is not necessary. I would check that out. In the end you should always do what is best for your family. Have a great holiday!!

Dear M.,
I am a Doctor of Chiropractic and former Deputy Director of the Office on Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Dept of Health NY State. Check out these products for your child and introduce them to your pediatrician:

http://www.naturesone.com/index.php?gclid=CIWop_voqZcCFQN...

All the Best,
Dr Leslie B., DC
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I dont have any experience with toddler formula, so I am no help to you there... :)
But I can tell you that we only drink soy milk in my home. My kids have been drinking it since they turned one.

We only drink Silk PLUS Omega-3. Silk has other PLUS varieties. A Bone Health and a Fiber. I like the nutrients in the Omega-3 the best. Its not plain flavored but not Sugary Vanilla, either. Actually has less sugar than regular milk.

Compare the nutritional content side by side with whole milk. Its got a lot of great stuff. More vitamins than you find in regular milk. :)

Oh, the price can be a little high in the grocery store. I find it in Target for almost $2 less a 1/2 gallon, than I see in the grocery stores. Good Luck!!!! :)

My son has a dairy allergy as well. At age one i started similac isomil level two formula. Its for toddler so it has more vitamins and minerals that a toddler needs that regular fomula. Soy milk is low in fat about half what regular cows milk is so i was concerned about him not getting the amount of good fat for brain development. I was only able to find the level two isomil at target but this was two years ago so you might have an easier time finding it. I kept him on level two formula until he was two by then he was eating better that i felt okay just giving him regular soy milk. hope this helps.
-J.
____@____.com

I will go against the grain here and ask that you fully reseacrh soy before you introduce it to your children. Soy milk is actually a highly processed food akin to artificially flavored broth. It has a reputation of being a health food when it is anything but.

In regard to comparing it to Whole Milk. Whole Milk, preferably RAW whole milk, is a perfect living food much like breastmilk. And contrary to the popular belief that raw milk makes people sick, it is in fact healthier than processed, heat damaged pasteurized and further destroyed homogenized milk. However, like anything, raw is best from 100% grass fed cows bought locally. , For one reason, grass fed cows use their rumens, that special little part of the gut that digests grass, and it keeps their pH neutral. Our pH is acidic, and any bacteria living on parts or in parts from a neutral pH cow, can easily be destroyed in our acidic bodies. Give that cow corn and their pH turns acidic just like us...any bactieria will not be as easily destroyed.

And just to clarify, I do not consider myself a doctor and frankly, doctors today don't know much about health or nutrition. They know about medicine and I truly feel these is a difference. However, I have been eating 100% local, organic for years and it's a result of obsessive research on the food industry, and medical industry. Raw milk has been in our family for years with no other side effects other than costing more than regular milk. Bottom line is, if you buy it from responsible farmers, it is a healthy living food.

Here are some links. Please consider.

http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/

http://www.soyinfo.com/dangers.shtml

As a parent I take nutrition very seriously. Not only for the health of my family, but for the overall decline of health in this country and the epidemic of disease and obesity. There are many simple subtle steps one can take to alter the trend.

If she is taking the PolyVitamin (ask pediatrician), that will give her anything she might be missing. My kid was on Rice milk (enriched) after age one (milk and soy intolerance). I put olive oil in a lot of his food to give him the healthy fat he was missing from milk, also avocado is a great source of vitamins and healthy fats.

Like the previous mom said, soy milk has less fat than cow's milk so it'd be good to get your daughter eating good fats like avocadoes and olive oil. Another nutrient I always worry about for my little one is iron, which milk doesn't really have. I give her vitamin C fortified apple sauce mixed with Earth's Best baby cereal. The C helps them absorb the iron. If you stayed with the formula, it probably has iron in it.

I need to do more research on soy too, but as far as I know it's healthy. The only place I've read bad things about it is Mothering magazine, which tends to be highly biased. You can get extremely sick from drinking raw cow's milk.

I would also recommend trying rice milk instead of soy milk. One thing we did with our son who was having trouble gaining weight at that age, is give him his milk throughout the day, and then let him have a sippy cup of formula after dinner, near bedtime (our ped told us to do this). I think as you take away the high-calorie drinks, you will find your daughter willing to eat more table food. She should be eating 3 meals a day of table food by now, with snacks in between. When we weaned off bottles as a primary source of nutrition, our son went through a 5 day refusal period (mostly of the milk), but then his eating habits improved dramatically and he started drinking at meals and snacks again. Good luck!

My daughter as well has a dairy and egg allergy. The allergist recommended rice milk vs soy. Said that rice milk had a lot more nutritional value to it. Look at them both and compare. My daughter is doing fine on the rice milk drinks more then the formula. We were on a specail formula too. Sometimes they react to soy if they have a milk allergy, so we stayed away from soy. This is all from a pediatrition allergist. Good luck.

Please research soy. It is not fit for human consumption. It has too many hormones except perhaps for menopausal women who are really the only age group that could experience some mild benefits from soy. Sorry.

Fruits, greens, veggies, even meat would be far more appropriate foods. Sun Warrior Protein powder might be an option. It's full of enzymes and amino acids. Amino acids are what turn into proteins (think muscle cells).

Soy has way too much protein. Too much protein leaches calcium and minerals from the bones. Mother's milk has very little. The closer you stick to nature the better and the less processed the food, the better. Soy is a highly processed food. One year olds don't need much food too keep going. My daughter ate very little but wasn't skinny and she was also very active.

Pear juice is one molecule away from mother's milk. That's fresh, not canned though.

M.,
Keep trying new foods of course, and water is a good thing to have also.

Soy milk can be found in enriched formulas - but I don't know whether adult enriched will be enough for her. (found out adult oatmeal has iron, but not enough for an infant). You will have to find out from charts or your pediatrician what levels of nutrients you should be looking for. Soy milk alone will not do it, of course.

Good Luck finding soy that fits the bill. An organic soy company is 'Soy Boy'; they have a plant in Rochester NY, and others elsewhere. You might try them (calling might yield more info, too).

M.

Hi M.,
I can't remember where I read that soy formula should be continued to age 2 and soy milk not given until that age so I don't know whether that was really valid information or not. I don't believe that there's any research that discusses the benefits of "toddler formulas" since these products are really just a marketing ploy to get people to spend more money. If you're unsure about the right diet for your child with her allergy and lack of food, I would go for a consult with a pediatric nutritionist.
Good luck!