[sararie]

I am a little irritated at the WIC office. My ped said that since my daughter is allergic to dairy and eggs and soy, that we are to keep her on her formula until two. Great guy! (I feel bad that other people are having problems with there peds) but, at our one yr appt, I got the speech today from the wic lady about how my daughter needs to be eating all her "yummy meatsies" to ensure that she grows right. I told her flat out that she doesn't eat meat. nor dairy or eggs. she started talking about iron deficiency. My daughter has never been iron deficient! I said isn't that what iron fortified cereals and veggies are for? she said that it was, and that was why they made sure all the cereals they let you get have at least 25% daily value of iron for an adult, so it should be more than enough for a child. ok, so then she should be fine. then she said that she should be eating a meat with every meal! my husband (who is an omni) said, no adult eats a "meat" with every meal, are you crazy?! so, she starts talking about how they have to eat it, not so much for the protien and iron, but so they can get used to the texture, or we will have problems with her willingness to eat things later. umm, i am sure every kid goes thru that, whether they eat meat or not, but right now people are amazed that I have a kid that will pick out and eat broccoli first. the only veggie she has turned down is peas.

oh, and then when I told her that we didn't need them to give us anymore milk (been trying to get them to take that off for months now) she tried to put me off again. then I told her that I would just be throwing it out (the eggs too) bc she can't have them (hence the epi-pen) and I won't eat them..she went into a rant about how preg ladies definitely need extra protein or my child will not live long. how horrid a thing to say! I told her that my iron levels and protein intake is sufficient without eating meat. then she tried to go into the "all the things you and your children will miss out on eating"...ok, we had my daughter's bday party at lunch today..she had cake (homemade vegan) and rice dream ice cream. I don't think she will be missing out on much, except maybe that omlette, and I've never missed having one of those. *sigh* sorry for the rant. I just get tired of people sometimes. even my hubby is supportive of raising our children this way. at least he is on my side.

 

[IamJen]

Okay, lets see here

"eat a meat with every meal". This would likely be more protein than is advised in WIC(USDA)'s own guidelines.

"willingness to eat things later"..but you're not worried about her eating meat, right?

re: the milk...can you just not get it at the store? When my one of my friends got milk on her coupons, she would just get the other stuff, like juice, and skip the milk.

"all the things your child will miss out on". Like increased risk of high cholesterol levels, heart disease, etc.

Honestly, I would contact this person's supervisor and complain. She seems to be just saying whatever she thinks could make you eat meat ("your child won't live long"..please)

Also, I know that you already know this

, but the DVs of vitamins/minerals in cereals, etc. are for adult-sized portions. Your munchkin is eating significantly less, so the amount of nutrients is smaller too.

Above all, don't let this nitwit get you down. You're working twice as hard as many moms to ensure your daughter's health, due to her allergies, etc. You ROCK!

 

[jade_spider]

What a bunch of crap! I'm in WIC here, and they haven't given me too much of a problem. The most that I've gotten was their new policy this year, of reccomending that all babies take a vitamin D suppliment. They handed me a flyer and told me to buy a suppliment.

The flyer said that there isn't a sufficient amount of sunlight (due to the earth's tilt) durring the winter months for a human's body to synthesize vitamin D.

We're not completely vegan yet (we eat cheese, milk and eggs) so I don't see what the big friggin' deal is. They add vitamin D to cow's milk (which is disgusting if you ask me, because they have to take it from other animal sources.)

 

[sararie]

oh, I haven't heard anything on the vitamin d supplement. I'll keep an eye out for that.

Here you have to get everything that is on the voucher or nothing at all. I would just do the nothing, but her formula is on there, and that is all that I really need them for. No, I'm not too worried about her liking meat. She will eat a bit of turkey bacon if my hubby has some..but it's not like she eats tons or that often. it's the only concession i've made w/the hubby as fas as meat is concerned. I know how much he loves bacon and wishes to share that "joy" with her. she eats plenty good portion sizes..she's a good size kid though. 31in and about 25lbs. I'll be double checking with the ped tomorrow, but thanks so much for your support!

 

[Tori'sMom]

my hubby eats meat (when he can get it, i dont cook it) lol but he totally supports me and the baby being vegan. TOTALLY supports it. your lucky your hubby does. the WIC is like that here too, all or nothing. (atleast it was when i was on it years ago) can you get the milk and give it to a friend who drinks it?

 

[veggienurse]

There seems to be a general problem with WIC period. In the state of Virginia, they just up and changed the formula due to a change with the contract. I have a client that was drinking soy milk and they gave her similac coupons. The WIC people said that she had to drink similac. She got very sick and ended up in the hospital. Well, with a Dr's note and a lot of yelling, she is back on the soy. They will say anything just to make you think that they know something.

No one should eat meat with every meal. Hence the problems we have in health care. I work in the ER and I see iron deficency all the time.....in meat eaters. Hmm......

 

[tiggybrown]

I have a friend who is a nurtritionist with WIC and she is very informed on vegetarianism, she has veggie friends and she praises them. That makes me feel better when I hear her say what a good diet it is. I bet it depends on the person you consult with at WIC, they are taught to push the meat and dairy for calcium needs and protein, such crap though. Good job all of you, I don't have kids yet but I imagine it must take a lot of strength to do what you are doing, what courage!

 

[sararie]

oh, how I love my pediatrician.

today was my daughter's one yr checkup, and I asked him about what the lady at wic had said. he said that as long as my daughter is eating the equivalent of one adult portion of a protein a day (be it meat or otherwise) then she is fine. that she needs no more than that. seems so much smaller than what everyone else says. I know that when I was an omni, I had low iron, but haven't had that prob (even while prego) since being a veggie. I just don't understand sometimes where people get off telling you how to do things. I don't mind so much those who make it sound more like a suggestion or a form what happened to me kind of story, but it's just crazy when they dictate to you like that.

They are very pro breastfeeding, though, which I do like, but knowing the percentage is high for #2 (due in 1mth) of having allergies too (and possibly not all the same) that if we have the same probs as we did with my daughter that I want her put right on the nutramigen. the ped is ok with it, but the wic lady is telling me that i have to take her thru the dairy and then soy formulas so her body will recognize those. umm..no. I will try to bf first, I just don't want the weeks of turmoil we had with my daughter.

we asked the ped today also about her pacifier. yes, she has one, and it doesn't bother me. it hangs off her and she only uses it to sleep or when teeth are coming in (or we have decided that she has tried to eat enough rocks during our walk) but the wic lady was even so kind as to tell me that she needed that gone too since she is now 1. "don't want to ruin her mouth." i sucked my thumb until i was six and have perfect teeth. I don't think I should take everything from her since she will be losing a chunk of my time to #2.

 

[missbelgium]

Quote:

the wic lady was even so kind as to tell me that she needed that gone too since she is now 1.

Any dentist will tell you pacifier "damage" is reversible until the age of 4. If you can get rid of the thing earlier, by all means, but don't panic ! My daughter was only weaned from her paci at 4 (with a huge effort on my part, she cried long & hard for 4 nights in a row and threw fits & all, I had to do it while my husband was on a business trip cuz he would have given in & ruined my efforts LOL) and her teeth came back to a nice straight position rather quickly, within weeks, I was amazed !

What the lady should have said is that it is MUCH easier to wean a child off the pacifier at age 1 because they "forget" faster that they ever had it... But it is not strictly necessary. These agencies (state agencies ? we have them too !) do seem to train their employees to tell people a lot of untrue things !

As for teething/biting, try teething rings, the kind you can put in the fridge first worked very well for us !

 

[Laura_I]

Just reminds me of how much crap my mom had to go through when she was pregnant with me and vegetarian. Doctors telling her that I would be born underweight, stillborn, etc.

 

[sararie]

oh, she will chew on just about anything..it's just when we are out and her teeth are bugging her, then she will pop the pacifier in. you can actually see her just chew on it sometimes bc she will hold it to one side or the other with her hand. I don't plan on her having a pacifier until she is 4/5...it just seems that once they hit 1yr they want them to give up a ton of stuff and with our next one almost here, I can't see taking away another thing that might make her feel better. she takes it out when she wants to talk and that resolved my concern that she would learn to talk around it.

It is just not ok some of the things people say..esp to preg ladies who tend to have just that little bit more emotion going on. I've got a pretty thick skin, but neither of my sis-in-laws do..and to say things..just not right. why would you tell a woman who allready knows (and definitely feels it) that she is so big?! nutso!

 

[whisper]

Does the wic voucher specify that it has to be cows milk? Could you get soy or rice milk with it?

 

[sararie]

it is specific...even down to it being a lactose free or not kind. (we were getting that kind for the hubby) they will let you get soy milk. I think you need a doc's note. my daughter is allergic to soy and dairy and eggs, though, so it doesn't do much. I asked about the rice milk and that is a negative. at least (per the allergist) the milk and soy allergies are "going away"...so maybe by the next appt with him, we might be able to start trying the soymilk. just no eggs (she is allergic even to touch them!)

 

[IamJen]

Maybe if you got the doc to write a note about the allergies, they wouldn't give you the milk? (not sure how that works, and WIC offices seem to take wide liberties with the rules anyway

)

 

[sararie]

I got him to write a note and they are keeping her on her formula until 2yrs. they just didn't want to take the milk off, and she certainly isn't drinking both! she doesn't even drink juice (doesn't like it)

they are their own entity and I guess to some of them that means they can do (and say) as they please..

 

[IamJen]

Ah. That is crazy, sararie! You can't get soy milk, either?

<<<curses WIC under her breath.

 

[Tame]

Well gee, how dare those providing the money make the rules.

 

[sorrowthepig]

WIC may creep into the 21st century yet.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/app...=2006609190393

 

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

I used WIC 6 years ago and never had the slightest problem vegetarian-wise... they totally supported my choices and encouraged me all the way.

They DID however, obsess with how "small" my daughter was and kept saying I should add more fat to her diet...

I was like "Look at me - and her sisters - and her Dad..we're NOT small people! She's healthy and well within all the percentiles and developmental ranges - she's going to be FINE".

 

[IamJen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tame

Well gee, how dare those providing the money make the rules.

The point is not that they can make the rules, but that the rule is stupid.

They are forcing her to get milk (for her child, theoretically) when they know that her kiddo is allergic to milk. Vegan, omnivore, whatever...that's just stupid.