This Mother's Day will be my first since becoming a mom, so it's extra-special to me. But what won't be any different this year is that I will be in solidarity with other moms _ namely cows _ as I refrain from consuming any dairy, just as I have every day for the past two and a half years.
Like human mothers, cows produce milk for one reason: to provide their babies with food. So in order for cows to be milked, they must first be impregnated and give birth. If things were allowed to follow their natural course, cows would suckle their calves until they were weaned at around 6 to 10 months old.
But humans crave cow's milk, and we want it all to ourselves, so in a plot twist worthy of a Margaret Atwood novel, we kidnap the cows' babies, sometimes within hours of their birth, to prevent them from consuming the milk nature intended for them.
I can personally attest to the fact that the mother-child bond is extremely powerful. My baby is my heart and soul, and if anything happened to her, it would be as if a part of me died. It should come as no surprise that cows and their babies share the same bond. PETA Asia has filmed cows on dairy farms chasing after the trucks hauling away their newborns, frantically calling out to them. It's heart-wrenching to see, perhaps even more so now that I am a mom and can relate to their suffering on a visceral level. They have no idea why their babies are being torn away from them, but even if we could explain it to them, I doubt it would lessen their agony.
Breastfeeding has been a wonderful bonding experience for my baby and me, so it breaks my heart to think of the mother cows on dairy farms who don't get to experience it. Cow's milk is meant only for calves, not for humans of any age. In fact, experts advise against giving babies less than a year old any cow's milk at all, because it can overtax their kidneys, lacks vital nutrients they need in order to grow (including vitamin E and zinc), and could leave them with an iron deficiency.
Because I'm a committed vegan as well as an animal rights activist, I was somewhat taken aback when people asked me if I was going to "stay vegan" during my pregnancy. Why on Earth wouldn't I? I've done enough research to know that a vegan pregnancy fueled by fresh, whole foods is one of the best ways to give your little one a strong start in life. Healthy, balanced vegan diets are recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for all life stages, including pregnancy, lactation and infancy.
Doing what's best for cows, chickens and other animals apparently agrees with me. I had no health problems during my pregnancy and hardly any morning sickness. It turns out that being vegan probably had something to do with that: Scientists at Cornell University who studied morning sickness found that the most common aversions that pregnant women felt were toward meat and eggs. That makes sense, because those are the foods most likely to harbor bacteria and parasites that could harm a vulnerable fetus.
My cravings were pretty mundane: I couldn't get enough rice, beans or potatoes. I kept things balanced by making sure I got in some greens every day. Smoothies with fruit and almond milk were my go-to breakfast, and I ate lots of fresh fruits and veggies. The "results" spoke for themselves: On Dec. 26, 2018, I gave birth to a healthy, beautiful, 8-pound baby girl.
I want to teach my daughter to have compassion for animals, too, so I'll raise her to be vegan. I'm savoring every moment of watching my baby grow up healthy, happy and kind. When she's old enough, I'll explain to her that eating vegan on Mother's Day makes it a holiday that celebrates all mothers, including the sweet, gentle cows in her favorite storybooks.
