What can i give my baby other than milk

I'm a vegetarian and i grew up a vegan - i want to bring my 10 month old daughter up as close to vegetarian as i can but i struggle to want to give her milk... seeing as we are the only mammals who drink another mammals produce other than i our own i cant get my head around giving it to my daughter.... My doctor said i should give it to her it wont harm her... but i wont.... can someone possibly help me find something that she can drink instead of Milk.... i drink SOY beverages but the Doctor said its too high in estrogen for babies ........... Shes eats very well and will eat anything she has a balanced diet and gets protein from other things other than meat.... shes not deficient in anything .. only shes coming off formula soon and i need to find a replacement.

please help ! Thanks :)

[Diane1003]

I was just reading a post on the breastfeeding forum about pediasure.  My son is only 8 mos old so I can't speak to giving him milk or know of any other substitutes.  I'm a vegetarian and havne't made any decisions on what to give my son.  What sources of protein do you give your son?  I'd like to provide healthy choices for my son.

[tiredbuthappy]

with all due respect, why did you not breastfeed if you feel so strongly about this? I'm genuinely curious, especially when this is provided as the reason for not giving a child milk.
Anyways, what sort of formula is she on? You can continue formula past the age of one, and if you plan on providing a vegan diet, i suggest you do so. Of course she won't need as much formula as the amount of solids increases, but some formula can guarantee that she gets what she needs. The concern is that the brain needs the fats found in milk to develop properly. While a vegan diet may be well balanced and nutritional for an older child and an adult, it can easily become dangerous for an infant/toddler. Continuing formula instead of milk can provide you with a safe way to introduce her to and maintain your family's lifestyle without risking her missing out on any nutrients. By the way, i have heard many parents say to avoid pediasure because it is extremely sweet and can make a child prefer sweet things.

That's my unprofessional opinion. You can always ask your pediatrician for a referral to a child nutritionist who can help you outline exactly what/how much of different foods to give your child, and for milk alternatives. I am sure there must be some guidelines somewhere, since it is becoming more popular to be vegetarian/vegan. Just make sure they are from reputable sources! Good luck!