Goat's Milk

Updated on April 04, 2008
B.L. asks from Salt Lake City, UT
13 answers

I was wondering if any of you gave your babies goat's milk before the 1 year mark. I am a nursing mother, but would like to do a little weening and am not a huge fan of formula. My son is only 7 months and I was hoping to start giving him the goat's milk between 9-11 months. I have heard it is easier on the stomach and less chance of allergies. I plan to talk to our pediatrician about it at our 9 month check up, but wanted to know some of your experiences with it.

My main questions are when you started your kids on it, if you had any problems, and if you used powdered or liquid.

Also, my biggest reason for wanting to do this is because my husband and I are taking a ten day vacation with out the kids shortly after my son turns 1. I would like to have him weened before hand so I don't have to worry about pumping/engorgement and also so I am confidant that he is eating well while I am away! thanks

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S.S.

answers from Grand Junction on

yes! My newborn son just threw up any breast milk or formulas including soy formula. He was loosing weight fast and scared us both half to death. My neighbor lady raised goats and told me that goats milk is the easiest of all on a babys stomach. Well, it worked like a charm and he gained weight fast. Goats milk is REAL high in fat,so be careful as it can pack on the pounds fast. My son was on whole milk by the time he was 2 and we haven't had any problems with dairy or weight since. I got the milk fresh every other day. Have never used the liquid or powdered.I would have just pumped and gave him breast milk if I had the chance, but he could not keep it down, I had no alternative.You can freeze breast milk for use later also. best of luck.
Ps: I do remember giving my son liquid vitimins as a suppliment to the goats milk.

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K.D.

answers from Denver on

We did goat's milk with both our kids. Our younger son had it starting sometime before a year, I think around 9 months. Our ped said there was no point in spending the extra money, but I preferred it to the other cow's milk alternatives, and cow's milk was a problem for our first. Our allergist says there is virtually no chance of having a cow's milk allergy and being okay with goat's milk. It did work in our case. I don't know how it would work for preventing allergies. I gues the protiens that cause the allergy are the same or very similar in both. I always used fresh milk. It's getting harder and harder to find in grocery stores, but almost any health store carries it, usually for less, anyway. The yogurt is exremely expensive, so we didn't use it much. I think $1.25 a cup on sale. GL Enjoy your trip!

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T.K.

answers from Denver on

I would give it too him! I gave my son goat milk (the powdered kind) at around 4 months, but I continued to nurse. He wasn't gaining weight with my breast milk so the doctors told me to supplement with preemie formula. I did not want to give him formula, as I know many babies don't do well with it. Cows milk is just too hard for them to digest. Anyway, my dad has intestinal cancer and since he was diagnosed, my parents have been on the raw food diet. It talked a lot about how if you can't breast feed that you should give your baby raw goats milk (in otherwords fresh from the goat) and carrot juice which makes up for the rest of the nutrients that goats milk is lacking. Since I didn't have a goat in my backyard, LOL, I just got the powdered stuff at the store and continued breastfeeding and only supplementing enough so that he would gain weight. I figured the nutrients that goat milk was lacking, he would get from my breast milk. He liked it and we never had any trouble with it. He is now a very happy, smart, healthy, recently turned two year old. He knows all his colors, shapes, can count to ten and has been talking really well since he was 18 months. I would say he is doing just fine. I personally don't always trust a doctors nutritional advice. Most of them have only had a couple of hours of nutritional learning during their entire medical school journey. All doctors know is formula or breast milk, anything out of the ordinary (like goat's milk) is foreign to them. I would seek a Nutritionist or a Homeopathic doctor for more educated advice. I know that there wouldn't be any harm to give your 11 month old goats milk. By then he is practically one and then you would be giving him cows milk anyway. One month early isn't going to make a difference, espcially if your son is eating plenty of solid foods! I am sure he will be getting all his nutritional needs with the combination of both! Hope this helps!

T.

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L.R.

answers from Missoula on

I think goat's milk is an excelent idea. Try to get local raised or organic. There are huge issues with baby formula. Check out this link.

excitotoxin article by James South
articles on excitoxins

EXCITOTOXINS: The Taste That Kills DR. Russell Blaylock

video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2384105525501310962

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E.C.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I am allergic to cows and soy milk so I started on it when I was about a year old. Still drink it to this day (liquid, not powder). With my allergies, I started my daughter on it @ 1 year old. I wanted to be safe. After she had it solely for 6-9 months, I started mixing it w cows milk to see if she had a reaction. She is 2 now and she has never had a reaction (thank goodness~still keeping my fingers crossed). I still mix it because both milks have different (and excellent) vitamins, etc.

I would use the liquid rather than the powder. The powder still gave me a bad allergic reaction. The liquid is also better for cooking with too. I would wait until your son is almost 1. But you do what you feel best! :) You can either get it at the store (Meyenberg's Goat Milk is good) Or you can get it at a goat farm where it is fresh. We use the Drake Family Farms @ about 7200 and Redwood in West Jordan. They also sell the Drake Family Farms goat milk @ Whole Foods or Wild Oats....Good luck!

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J.S.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I drank raw goats milk for years, I personally dont like Cows milk, I think it tast good (if your used to it, but I'm not so it taste weird to me - Same goes for Goats Milk though, if your not used to it, it will take some getting used too) but I've read to much negatives about cows milk and prefer either Goats Milk, Soy milk or Almond Milk (which I make my own almond milk and its easy)
But I learned Goats Milk is the closest alternative to mothers milk, Its been a while since I read up on my info so I'd research it again. But I gave it to my son instead of formula when I couldnt nurse and he did great on it.
I purchased it at Parsons Goat Farm in Murray (I believe) I know the lady that started the business passed away a few years ago so I dont know if the kids keept it going, but of all the goat farms I tried, I liked this one best, with the way she fed her goats, the milk wasnt bitter like others.
I would personally stick to liquid (But I believe in Raw and Organic).

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M.M.

answers from Denver on

Our pediatric chiropractor highly recommends making formula out of goat's milk for under one year of age if you cannot continue nursing for some reason. Store bought formulas are made from cow's milk, yet the dr's say no cow's milk before 1 year of age but somehow formula made from it is ok?? Or from soy, which has consistently constipated both my children.

I never tried the goat's milk formula my chiropractor recommended; I just didn't have time to make it when store bought formula is so much easier and my baby did fine on it. But I do agree with her, it is probably the better choice.

M.

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N.H.

answers from Missoula on

my friend was unable to nurse and has been giving her son goats milk for the entire first year. her son is very healthy.

C.M.

answers from Colorado Springs on

Consider another alternative: fortified rice milk or fortified almond milk. My kids started on fortified soy milk when they were a year old but I do realize that soy can be a more common allergen. I heard almond milk was nutritionally superior tho...

C. M., CBE, CLD, MWA
The Westside Birth Connection
###-###-####
www.westsidebirthconnection.com
Marketing Chair, Colorado Doulas Association
www.coloradodoulas.com

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M.O.

answers from Denver on

Good planning ahead, but give yourself at least 4mo. to completely dry up.

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D.K.

answers from Denver on

He needs formula if you are stopping breast milk due to the nutrional values in it. He needs the DNA for growth of his brain and all sorts of reasons that formula is the alternative to breast milk. At seven months he cannot get all he needs by any means from goats milk. It is for baby goats. Even if he is eating solids he will not get all he needs either. Formula has been around since I was a baby, not as great as breast milk however it is essential if you are not going to breast feed until they are at the year mark. They have come a long way with formula, it isn't as good as breast milk but it is a very close second. Both of my kids went on formula before one and did great on it. I suggest you talk to your Pediatrician before giving goats milk as a substitute for breast milk.

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T.O.

answers from Fort Collins on

Check out the book Nourishing Traditions by: Sally Fallon. The feeding babies section is very interesting and will help you a great deal. It has recipes for homeade formula. NEVER use any milk or soy powders as they are produced by high-temperature processes that overnature proteins and add many carcinogens! Hope this helps.

T.

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D.A.

answers from Boise on

I met with a pediatric GI today because my son is having reactions to dairy/soy. I am nursing and haven’t' eaten either for six weeks and he is still having problems. We are going to have to put him on formula, which is horribly expensive. I asked him about goat’s milk instead of formula and he was appalled! He said absolutely not. Something about goats milk lacking in vital nutrients. However, my mother in law put her youngest son on goat’s milk around three months old because of a dairy allergy and he was completely healthy and turned out just fine.

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