Goats Milk

[nathansmom]

My doctor wants to put Nathan on goat's milk. I thought you weren't suppose to feed a baby anything but formula and breastmilk for the first 12 months. Should I get a second opinion from another doctor or should I just follow the doctors advice?

[August Mom]

What's the doctor's rationale for introducing goat's milk? Also, is the doctor adding goat's milk to Nathan's diet or having you cut out breastmilk/formula and replacing it with goat's milk?

One of my playgroup mommies just switched her son to cow's milk at 9 months upon the advice of her ped because her son spits up so often and so badly with various types of formula. However, unless there's some really good medical reason specific to Nathan to add goat's milk to his diet, I would be wary. All he should need for the first year is breastmilk or formula. Plus, Nathan is really young to be eating/drinking anything other than breastmilk or formula.

[nathansmom]

We are using formula and having a very hard time with it. Nathan throws up after eating, cries after eating and his poops are water (really its just water colored brown). His problems started at one month and have gotten worse. He's finally gaining weight steadily finally. The reason I as I understood it was that goats milk doesn't cause allergies and is very gentle on the intestines and stomach.

[brubeck]

One Mom I know was breastfeeding her son but stopped. Then she regretted stopping but obviously the milk supply was gone. The ped told her to give her son goat's milk instead.

Thing is, her son is about 22 now, so you can see how long ago that was! I have never heard about any other situation where the Mom was told to give the baby goat's milk.

[Momof3Labs]

How will Nathan get the nutrients that are in formula but not in goat's milk? I wouldn't think that goat's milk alone would be adequate for him, nutritionally, since cow's milk isn't before one year.

[Karenn]

My brother was allergic to cow's milk, regular formula and soy formula so he drank goat's milk instead. (This was in the 70's.) I'm fairly certain that he was much older than your son though. I might get a second opinion if I were in your shoes. My ped. is great about many things, but he's kind of old fashioned in some areas, and after checking other resources, I have gone against his advice on some things. Good luck.

[August Mom]

I think that I would get a second opinion and try different formulas rather than going off formula all together and using goat's milk. One of my friends had the best luck with Enfamil AR as far as controlling spitup. If you do wind up using goat's milk, I would check and see what vitamin supplements your DS may need to make up for the nutrients found in formula but not goat's milk. Good luck.

[egoldber]

Here is a link to the Dr Sears website that talks specifically about goats milk and making a "goat milk formula". As a last resort, goats milk is supposed to be better for babies than cows milk.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032400.asp

This is probably a silly question, but have you tried ALL the hypoallergenic formulas? I would do that and ALSO consult a pediatric allergy specialist AND a pediatric GI specialist before making the move to goat milk.

Good luck!!

[liya]

Yes my son was going through the same thing...The ped actually told me that goats milk was the last resort....As i understand it you have nothing to worry about....Most of my family was brought up with goats milk (except me) because they were so prone to horrible reactions from formula and they turned out just fine :)..But it is a last resort thing so make sure youve tried everything before, but im sure that if that is the solution to your problem everything will be fine.....Hope this helps



Mommy to Arian Alexander
2/13/03

[nathansmom]

We have tried all the hypoallergenic formulas. We are currently on a prescription formula which we started today. We have an appointment with pediatric allergy speialist which I made today. I just have a feeling that Nathan is going to be like me and allergic to most milk products.

Thanks to everyone for your help.