Okay so I've done tons of research and seem to find as many good things as I do bad things about this subject.
I have a 6 month old son who I have had on commercial formula because I am unable to breast feed. I can't stand the fact that I found out 40% of his formula is corn syrup....he had colic/tummy issues when he was a newborn and we put him on a rice based formula which helped but he still occasionally spits up. I have started him on baby food and a good, all natural vitamin supplement. I have just purchased a milk share and am considering starting him on the raw milk instead of the formula.
I have a few people tell me and have seen some articles that say the goat's milk is the closest thing to breast milk while I have also seen articles that say the protein level is dangerously high for infants and raw goats milk shouldn't be fed at all.
The milk is from ND, and they are all healthy and well taken care of. The owner practices safe milking practices, keeps things very clean, etc....the only reason I don't have my own goats to milk is because we just bought our little farm and still need to set up fencing, shelters, etc. before we are ready for that.
Any advice/opinions on giving my son the raw goats milk in place of the formula??
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It absolutely depends on where you live. Rachel said it is legal in Oregon; however, it does have restrictions. If you are not a certified dairy you can have only a certain number of milking goats (or cows) and can only sell from your farm and no advertising (people have to pick up from you). I think you also have to identify it as raw milk with a caution label though it's been a couple of years since I read their law. In Washington, because of some problems with a local farm in southwest Washington and herd shares, the law was changed to not allowing the transfer of raw milk unless you have a certified dairy. Literally, this means that I cannot give my own grandchildren a glass of fresh goat milk at my own kitchen table; it has to be pasteurized. Because I make custard-based ice cream and pasteurize milk before I make cheese or yogurt, I can share it with others (but cannot sell). Each state has its own set of laws; many require raw milk be labeled as such and carry a warning label.
The link below is a family-created story about the Dee Creek problem. One of the two most seriously ill children was that of a friend, a friend who has always believed in natural foods but will not ever again allow any raw milk products in her home. I'm sure I would react the same way. If you are interested, you can find more stories on line about this farm.
http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/the-dee-creek-farm-raw-mi...
Unfortunately, I have yet to learn if I can sell any goat milk under the same type of law that Oregon has. I have many people ask but I tell them I cannot even let them taste it without first pasteurizing it. Being one of the very few backyard goat owners in our city, I am extremely careful about all the laws and regulations, the one exception being where my girls are housed (on my covered, enclosed patio).
Here in Washington, we are allowed to buy raw milk, cow and goat, in grocery stores which, of course, are supplied by certified and approved dairies. We also have home delivery (usually through buy clubs) of raw milk from a wonderful dairy in northern Washington. However, none of the dairies selling milk sell Nigerian Dwarf milk, so sad.
Deborah, it depends on where you live. In Oregon, it is perfectly legal to see raw milk for human consumption. You do not have to label it otherwise. There are states that do not allow the sale of raw milk for human consumption, and so some folks will label their milk as pet quality, etc. It varies from state to state.
Hi all, I wanted to add a very important caution here....the FDA has recently passed a law which basically says that they have the right to decided what we can and can't eat...so be very carefully and always mark any raw milk you sell with a label that says NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION....I am not being paranoid...the FDA warns all raw milk is not safe for human consumption and I believe this could be one of the first areas that they look to crack down on...forewarned is forearmed. I am a contractor for the USDA
I'm sorry to hear the little man is not 100%. I hope soon he's over these current challenges. You could mix a little prune juice into his bottles, and avoid bananas. Also, if he tolerates the texture, you could try oat meal and avoid the rice cereal. Keep us posted! Now I'm sure we're all hoping for him to feel great soon, and anxious to hear how he gets on! :) I'll pray for you both. Hugs!
Thanks so much for all the replies!!! I started him on it and he seems to be doing okay. I don't get enough of it to do it 100% so we are doing a mix of goats milk, baby food and formula which saves us money and hopefully is healthier for him. The only problem I have encountered is he is having a terrible time with constipation which I expected to happen from formula but it never did and now that I've cut the formula and added the goats milk he is constipated! LOL
I can't win....I've been trying to feed him more fruits and fruit juice but so far it's not helping....I'm also diluting the formula a little with water. He is my 3rd child but I swear I feel like a new mom!! :-)
I have a friend who had to feed her son goat milk when he was a baby as he didn't tolerate anything else they tried. They did choose to pasteurize the milk, though that's a personal choice. If I felt sure about the source of my milk, I would feed it raw, personally, as I'm very confident of the benefits of raw milk myself. Her baby is a strapping 20 year old now. Strong and healthy. :)
In cow's milk formula, the protein appears to have been taken out... at least from what information I could find, and several sites I found did say that the high protein can cause kidney issues... so her worry isn't totally unfounded. Still, I think if it were me, I'd rather know where the milk was coming from, etc. and risk that, instead of the other equally real and equally risky effects formula can have... I'd probably still use goat's milk.
I totally second what Deborah said. Also, if the cow's milk formulas at 3% are good for babies, then why would it not be the same for goats milk? Saying goat milk is "too high" in protein is just bizarre when you look at that. Honestly, if I were to have a baby today and not be able to nurse, I would give it pasteurized goat milk, most likely ND from someone who feeds organic food (pasture or non-GMO).
Good point Rachel. And I just picked up my most recent copy of GoatKeeper magazine and there's a comparison chart with the nutritional content of goat, cow & human milk. The protein content for goat milk is 3%, cow milk is 3%, and human milk is 1.1%. I also have a mostly used up can of formula here, and the protein content is 1.5%.
Unfortunately I'm not able to actually interpret what that means in terms of feeding a baby so really, I guess I'm offering useless information:-)
It didn't sound to me like Sherie was worried about her milk being raw, but rather that the protein content was too high for infants...
I think a lot of what a parent feeds their kids (raw milk, soy, rice, etc.) is up to each person as an individual, so obviously, what you choose in the end is totally up to you. I will say that as a mother, if I faced the same obstacles you were facing, and unable to nurse, I would be feeding my baby raw goat's milk.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
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