Goat's Milk Supplement?

Absolutely, it's much safer than formula. Notice the corn syrup solids and the chemicals you can't pronounce on the formula can....Goats milk has been used since the beginning of time when mama didn't have enough milk.

M.

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If you are going to use goat's milk, I would recommend going on the Weston A Price Foundation website (http://www.westonaprice.org/) and finding a local supplier. Fresh, raw goat's milk is extremely healthy, the nutrition is still there and it will taste better. I strongly recommend you find someone nearby, visit their farm and see how they prepare their milk and keep their animals. It should all be clean! Finding a good source is the hard part, then you've got it made! It's a great way to supplement. GM is very close to human milk and many mothers drink it to build up their own milk supply for their babies and others who can't nurse or supply enough milk will supplement with it. Do watch out for too much as it has a higher sodium content than human milk, but in moderation it's perfectly healthy and fine. People all over the world drink GM over cow milk and are much healthier than Americans. As with any food, watch for allergies!

I am a mom to twins and I drink raw GM to support my milk supply and I do give it to my babies when pureeing their foods as a way to add fluids and moisture to some items. We've had no issues and they love it!

Updated

If you are going to use goat's milk, I would recommend going on the Weston A Price Foundation website (http://www.westonaprice.org/) and finding a local supplier. Fresh, raw goat's milk is extremely healthy, the nutrition is still there and it will taste better. I strongly recommend you find someone nearby, visit their farm and see how they prepare their milk and keep their animals. It should all be clean! Finding a good source is the hard part, then you've got it made! It's a great way to supplement. GM is very close to human milk and many mothers drink it to build up their own milk supply for their babies and others who can't nurse or supply enough milk will supplement with it. Do watch out for too much as it has a higher sodium content than human milk, but in moderation it's perfectly healthy and fine. People all over the world drink GM over cow milk and are much healthier than Americans. As with any food, watch for allergies!

I am a mom to twins and I drink raw GM to support my milk supply and I do give it to my babies when pureeing their foods as a way to add fluids and moisture to some items. We've had no issues and they love it!

2 moms found this helpful

i don't have any evidence against goat's milk - but it seems to me that if a baby can't really digest cows milk early on, goat milk wouldn't be any better...also, I am pretty sure that a baby doesn't know the difference between cereal that is made with water vs milk. that being said, infants eat finger foods like mac and cheese which is made with a little milk...

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Yes, raw goat's milk is the closest thing to mother's milk. It is so good for you. But, I would make sure you get it from a source you trust since it is raw. Check your state's laws about raw milk. The government thinks it knows what is good for us. ha! I know, funny. But, you really should reconsider feeding your son solids just yet. Early introduction to solids tends to lead to higher rates of allergies. They really don't need it this early. Just breastfeed on demand, and he is getting everything he needs! Enjoy these fleeting days. I miss them for sure!

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I am confused about why you do not want to use the formula just for the cereal if he loves it? Many babies are feed full time with formula and are just as happy and healthy as breast fed kids, so why would a small amount in his cereal be so bad?

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I had a formula allergy (granted it was 30 years ago!) and as a last resort, my parents put me on goat milk. It performed miracles for me and I stayed on it until I was 18 months and outgrew the lactose intolorence (now I consume dairy like it's nobody's business!). I survived. You can try it. You might also consider researching rice milk. As long as it is not a sole form of nutrition, it should be okay as well and maybe a little bit cheaper.

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Our daughter drinks goat milk (and all other forms of goat dairy, due to a food allergy) however I would not introduce goat milk at his age. I'd wait until he was 12 months. My reasoning would be, if you introduce a food too early to a child, that child has a higher possibility of developing a food intolerance or allergy to it. I remember my daughters pediatric allergist was surprised that she could tolerate goat milk because goats and cows are closely related animals and children who are allergic to cows milk protein can also be allergic to goat's.

The other aspect about formula is that the milk proteins are processed more so it's easier on the baby's digestive track. Not sure if your avoiding formula because of the ingredients, cost or other aspects... But finding blood in your baby's diaper due to an adverse food reaction is a scary thing! I personnally would stick with breast milk or formula until age 1and not risk introducing other alternatives yet.

Introducing wheat-based foods too soon could also bring on a wheat allergy. (As a mom dealing with 1 food allergy, all I can say is a wheat allergy would suck! To me it would be harder than a milk allergy.)

If your baby does have an allergy to cows milk protein, you might want to read the ingredients of cream of wheat. If it contains "milk, whey or cassein" then it contains cows milk. I added infant rice cereal (just the flakes, not cooked first) to my daughter's nighttime bottles and it seemed to bridge the hunger gap well for her.

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My friend was unable to breastfeed, so she fed all her 7 babies goat's milk. It's very close to human milk and easier to digest than cow's. The only concern is constipation, but they added something to overcome that. All the kids are very healthy!

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Ok this is second hand because my sister did this with her son, she never used breast milk or formula she went straight to goats milk, she had to goats and no money to spend and breastfeeding was a no go, so yeah i think you would be fine with it. but i would call you ped before you start. you can call and ask questions of the nurse anytime without charge at most offices.

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I am not a doctor and I've heard of many pediatricians telling mother's not to feed their children goats milk (I believe this is because they and other people are very uneducated about goats milk) and when I put my son on goats milk at a year old I had so many people question me and ask whether I asked the pediatrician if it was okay. I don't know if feeding your child goats milk under a year old is healthy or not (I wouldn't see why it would be a problem) but I DO know this... goats milk is healthier than cows milk. Goats milk takes 20 minutes to digest and cows milk takes 2 hours. It is also much closer to human milk than cows milk is. I know this because I had my own Dairy Goat herd and business for 13 years.

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I'm confused, if you're breastfeeding why not mix the cereal with breast milk? that's we we did! she loved it.

I used goat's milk to supplement my twins as i had issues with breast feeding. My twins are now happy and healthy and meeting all of their milestones. Be sure to check out Weston A Price's website it has good information on the nutritional value of goats milk and may help you when discussing with your ped. just remember that while a ped has a doctorate they don't always know everything and this may throw them for a loop so having the knowledge up front will be beneficial.
S.

Why wouldn't you use breastmilk to prepare the cereal rather than formula or goat's milk or anything else? You don't need a feeding's worth to make cereal with.

And remember, formula is not bad for babies.

Don't know if this is true 'cause I haven't done enough research, but I did read that goats milk's one of the closest to human milk. I say try it. Goats milk can be quite pricey though.

My daughter was sensative to cows milk so when I weaned off formula I used goats milk (bought at Fred Meyer) and it worked great. She had no issues with it and seemed to really like it. Around 18m we tried cows milk again and she had grown out of the sensativity so we switched to regular milk. If you don't want to use formula then I think goats milk would be a great option.

The Parents magazine that just came a couple of days ago (August 2010 issue) has a blurb about goats milk - says "it's higher in sodium and protein than an infant's developing system can handle. A buildup of sodium or protein by-products can lead to seizures or even brain damage." And that raw, unpasturized goats milk (the form that's most often sold) carries risks of infection from parasites and bacteria like E. coli. Yikes! I doubt that a small nighttime supplement would cause a problem, but I'd feel safer sticking to formula if you think he needs that boost.

Goats milk is healthier then cows, but I wouldn't necessary say that it's better for babies then formula. Even though formula is made from cow's milk, it is broke down and made especially for babies to digest. I don't understand why they don't have a major brand of formula made out of goats milk. Soy and cow's milk just don't seem like a big enough variety to me.

However, cow's milk is often included in a bunch of baby food that's designed for babies - such as the Mac and Cheese baby foods and the baby yogurts, so I don't see how adding a little bit of milk for taste would be any different, especially considering how goats milk is more nutritional and easier to digest then cow's milk.

I think that the only main concerns from your pediatrician would be your sons age, most don't recommend on starting baby foods till 6 months and it's not necessary even then. Another concern would probably be that he will worry that your son will be getting full from it when your son could be getting more milk from you at night.

But the goats milk shouldn't replace the formula since it isn't designed for babies digestive system, (they might have a goats milk infant formula that I'm not educated about, I would suggest Google!).

I only make my oatmeal with milk and some people think i'm nust because I wont eat it when made with water! So I totally get your method of thinking. I think the only reason they may tell you not to is because he is 5.5 months and his digestive system is still regulating. If it's not a lot though it probably wont have that big of an effect on his digestive system.
Just watch him for signs of food allergies, and keep tract of his poops. If you want an alternative to milk, I used to mix my baby's rice with stage 1 fruits, vegies and baby yogurt, she loved it. =) Good Luck.