Do you need a good natural milk supplementation for your nursing baby? I have struggled with maintaining a sufficient milk supply for both of my little munchkins and I have definitely tried my best at boosting my supply as well. The evenings have always been my struggle…meeting the demand when my body was weary and the breast empty. My babies have always wanted an extra portion to fill up the tummy to sleep through the night. I wanted to find a good natural milk alternative that I could give them in a bottle to top them off for the night. We wanted to avoid commercial formulas due to the soy contents. After doing a lot of research, we have found a great supplement. I just confirmed this recommendation with my naturopath a few weeks back and she affirmed my findings.
Enter…Meyenberg powdered goat’s milk.
Goat’s milk, I believe, is the best alternative because it most closely resembles the mother’s breastmilk. It is easy to digest, and completely natural. Goat’s milk contains around ten grams of fat per eight ounces compared to 8 to 9 grams in whole cow’s milk. According to Dr. Sears’, goat’s milk contains only trace amounts of an allergenic casein protein, alpa-S1, found in cow’s milk, making it less allergenic. He adds:
“Although the mineral content of goat’s milk and cow’s milk is generally similar, goat’s milk contains 13 percent more calcium, 25 percent more vitamin B-6, 47 percent more vitamin A, 134 percent more potassium, and three times more niacin. It is also four times higher in copper. Goat’s milk also contains 27 percent more of the antioxidant selenium than cow’s milk. Cow’s milk contains five times as much vitamin B-12 as goat’s milk and ten times as much folic acid (12 mcg. in cow’s milk versus 1 mcg. for goat’s milk per eight ounces with an RDA of 75-100 mcg. for children). The fact that goat’s milk contains less than ten percent of the amount of folic acid contained in cow’s milk means that it must be supplemented with folic acid in order to be adequate as a formula or milk substitute for infants and toddlers.”
Meyenberg goat’s milk is fortified with folic acid and vitamin D, free of pesticides, chemicals, or hormones. At my naturopath’s recommendation, we added cod liver oil (for omega-3′s and vitamin A & D) and a natural liquid multi-vitamin for the nutritional benefits. Amazon is definitely the best price I have found on this product, but is also available at your local Fred Meyer Nutrition or through Azure Standard.
My babies have always taken this goat’s milk just fine. Ideally, raw goat’s milk would be the best option, since the powdered version is pasteurized. But due to the fact that goat’s milk spoils quickly, powdered is a great option for the occasional bottle.
Goat’s Milk Formula:
1 scoop goats milk (scooper is included in container)
4 oz filtered water
1/2 tsp cod liver oil (we use Nordic Naturals liquid DHA junior)
1/2 tsp liquid infant multi-vitamin (we use Progena infant multi at my naturopath’s recommendation)
Heat water in a small sauce pan till lukewarm. Add scoop powdered goat’s milk. Shake well. Add cod liver oil and liquid mult-vitamin once a day. Note: If you are just beginning to supplement with this, it is recommended to start with a smaller portion of goat’s milk to water (9 oz water to 1.5 scoops as described by Dr. Sears) and work up to the 1 scoop recommendation above.
See Dr. Sears’ Goat Milk Formula recipe here. He recommends the addition of rice syrup, but I am not sure why. I have sent an email to him to hear his reasoning’s and get more specifics as to the age at which a child could handle the full quantity of whole goat’s milk. I will publish his response here.
We have used this recipe for both our littles ones, and they usually took two 4-8 oz bottles per day. We use it till they are about 1 year old before switching over to cow’s milk. At our rate of consumption, one 12 oz container lasts us about 1 month.
Again, this is recommended for occasional use versus full time, because it is low in vitamin B12. Check out Nourishing Traditions homemade formula if you need a full-time alternative to commercial formulas. Sally Fallon recommends: “to compensate for low levels of vitamin B12, add 2 teaspoons frozen organic raw chicken liver, finely grated to the batch of formula. Be sure to begin egg-yolk feeding at four months.” From the comment below, it does seem to me that you could use it full time without any problems though. Other additions such as molasses (iron), nutritional yeast (for the B vitamins), are great additions to make sure your baby is getting all the nutrients he/she needs.
Lastly, we like to avoid plastic baby bottles and have found Evenflo’s glass bottles to be a wonderful alternative! They are very frugal as well.
Please note: I am not a medical professional. I am just a wife and mother who cares for the health of her family. Please use your careful discernment and double check with your naturopath before using this formula.
I have an 11 month old son that I have been supplementing with goat's milk since he was 8 months old. I have struggled with having a low milk supply with him all along and have taken just about everything possible to try to help with my milk supply with very little success. Now he only nurses 3-4 times a day and he gets another 24oz of goat's milk throughout the day. I am blessed to be able to get raw goat's milk and find it lasts about a week for me and I am able to freeze some too so I don't run out. However, I am wondering how to make sure my son is getting enough folic acid since the goat's milk is now his main source of milk. I don't really want to use the powdered version and I would prefer to keep him on goat's milk vs cow's milk even after the year mark because I believe it is so much easier on their little digestive systems. However, I want to make sure he doesn't become defficient in essential nutrients. Any suggestions?
If he is still nursing, you need not have any fears. He will be getting all the nutrition he needs through that source. It is perfectly suited to meet his needs. Even when I supplement with goat’s milk, I only give my kids cod liver oil beyond that.
I am soo thankful to all of your posts! I too am struggling to keep up my milk supply for a very thirsty 6mth old son. I have been taking fenugreek and blessed thistle combined for the past week, however, not seeing much of a difference. Thank you for aiding in making a decision I’m now comfortable with.
Hi everyone
I have benn reading the posts on here and it has been very helpful but I was just wondering if anyone knows when you can start using it as my son is 12 weeks (3 months) and is breastfeed and is going well but he is getting bigger and wanting more food and I run out some days so I wondered if I could give him powereded goats milk as a top up during the day so I have enough for his bedtime feed. We have tried cows powered milk but he is sick after it so if I can give him goats milk then it well be good.
Please advise me if anyone knows
Thanx alot
Lorna, as recommended above, I would just start with 1/2 scoop of goats milk powder to 4 oz of water and work up to 1 full scoop/4 oz. 4 oz would be a good amount to supplement and see how he does. Blessings!
I’m not sure if you heard back from Dr. Sears as or yet, but I was looking into the brown rice syrup and what I can tell it’s used as a simple carbohydrate in place of corn syrup or table sugar.
When my milk supply began to falter about a month or so ago, i began to panic. My baby boy is 9 mns old as of yesterday. i had planned on breast feeding him until he was no longer interested… or at least until he was 1. he woke up one day and no longer wanted to nurse. i was told this was a “nursing strike” and did all that i could to keep him interested, (as well as taking a supplement to increase my milk supply which contained blessed thistle, fenu greek, fennel and ) but he never wanted to nurse again. my real panic was that i only had a small supply of breast milk stored and knew i was going to need to find an alternative. my best friend sent me the link to this blog and it could not have come at a more opportune time!
i have been purchasing the 12 oz cans of Myenburg POWDERED Goat’s Milk powder from Amazon, but recently (accidentally) purchased the (Myenburg) EVAPORATED goat’s milk instead of the powdered. oops! Should i send it back? Or will it be ok? I am new at this (obviously). Also, i haven’t been adding the liquid multi or cod liver oil. Is it essential? Is it too late to start? I don’t know much, but i knew i wanted to stay away from soy. And my baby didn’t bat an eye at the flavor of the goat’s milk (thank God!).
Thank you so much for posting this. You are a life saver indeed
I have been using goat’s milk for my 9 month old. For the occasional feeding. I’ve been breastfeeding her this whole time, but when i started back to work, I was unable to save up enough milk. My friend knew of someone who had an over obundance of milk that she was willing to give both my friend and me. So I used her frozen milk for when my baby was at daycare. two four ounce bottles. (We reverse cycle. So she doesn’t get too much milk during the day.) But know that she has weaned her daughter I started using the goats milk. My daughter loves it!
I am pretty sure that the sugar acts as a laxative. I know corn syrup is recommended if prune/juice isn’t doing the trick. The goats milk, in full, can cause constipation. That is why it needs to be diluted and also, i think for the sugar.
I thought you might like to know that your cod liver oil probably has soy in it. I have a son who is very allergic to soy and one of the names to look for is Vitamin E or Tocopheral. Unless you call the company or it specifically says it probably has soy. FYI
Is it okay to use the canned or fresh goat’s milk (both the same brand). Wal-Mart had both of those, but not the powdered, so I went ahead and bought one of the cans. I just want to have something on hand in case I need to leave him for any reason.
I would imagine the liquid goat’s milk would probably be the superior choice, but I don’t think their is much difference. It is definitely fine to have a can on hand in case you need to leave him…but you might want to introduce him to the flavor in advance, or plan to mix it a bit with your breastmilk. I cannot guarantee that he will take it right away, especially if you have never given him a bottle.
Hi Lindsay
I too use goat’s milk formula for my little guy. He had a rough start and I am unable to breastfeed. As an infant he suffered from colic, acid reflux and a milk allergy. He was put on Zantac (which I hated!) and a hypoallergenic formula (very expensive). Many from my church recommended goat’s milk and at 6 months he was switched to raw goat’s milk formula. What a difference! He thrived on it. And now at 11 months he is a healthy, happy guy with a very good immune system. I wish my daughter had the same formula, unfortunately I didn’t know about it when she was born. I would use this formula with future babies. Thanks so much for your site, I love it!
Thanks for the post about goat’s milk!
I, very sadly, was not able to breastfeed my little girl, and I felt horrible about giving her commercial formula. Not only that, but it was more than evident that it made her feel horrible as well.
My chiropractor recommended goat’s milk and I did some research and was happy with the positive feed back I learned from those who used it. Of course my pediatrician does not recommend it, but I felt like this was the direction we should take.
She has been on it since about 6-7 weeks exclusively and we saw a decrease in her acid reflux and increase in her overall happiness almost immediately. She is now 5 months old and gaining weight beautifully. She is healthy and happy.
I have used the Dr. Sears recipe from the beginning. I use a liquid multivitamin with iron and I also use Udo’s oil for some good omega 3s.
I have been reading about adding molasses for additional iron, however I know too much iron is bad. Do you think I should be using blackstrap molasses in addition to an multivitamin with iron, or do you think I should forgo the multivitamin and use the molasses?
Thanks!
I personally would stick with the multivitamin. I think that will cover your bases as my naturopath recommended.
Use a multivitamin in lieu of the blackstrap molasses? or in addition to?
THanks!
I would recommend you continue doing what you are already. It sounds like you have a good balance.
Thank you for this post! It was very helpful for me! My milk supply has been waning by the end of the day as well (2 months sooner than with my son) and I’ve been noticing that my 8 month old daughter doesn’t seem satisfied after nursing. I bought the Goat milk powder at Fred Meyer and she liked it! I’ve tried formula in the past and she wants nothing to do with it. Obviously, I’d love to boost my milk supply to completely satisfy her but nothing seems to help and it didn’t with my son, either.
When I was still trying to nurse (it never did work out for us) but the lactation consultant told me to try Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle. They are herb supplements you can get at a natural food store or someplace like Super Supplements. Taken together they are supposed to increase your milk supply. Unfortunately for us my little L never did want to latch correctly to keep it coming in!
Hi,
I had to wean my son early due to a breast mass years ago. I hd the blessing of being raised on a dairy goat farm and knowing well the benefits of goats milk vs. cows and formula. I switched him to goats milk and he had no problems at all.
I also want to note that as a breeder of Goldendoodles that we also use an all natural goats milk formula for supplementation. They thrive!
Have you heard of Nature’s One Baby’s Only Formula? Here are the ingredients: http://www.vitacost.com/Natures-One-Babys-Only-Organic-Dairy-Based-Formula-Iron-Fortified. It’s organic and the ingredients, in my opinion, are far superior to ANY commercial formula out there (even commercial organic formulas). My son had a really hard time with commercial formulas, and did very well on this one. And, I actually buy it for $8.79 a can on http://www.luckyvitamin.com, but this vitacost shows the ingredients better.
Wow…good post…informative and helpful – even the comments were helpful! I had a milk supply issue with Josefine, who is 4 mos now. I basically had to supplement early on because the Dr’s insisted…it was rough…and needless to say (and to keep the story WAY short), we’ve switched our Dr. Anyway, we looked at Goats Milk as an option. The only thing about that was people gifted us formula – and we weren’t about to turn that down! People don’t gift you goats milk – so we’re doing formula, but I really like the option of it for the future. So far, so good, though…she hardly ever spits up and she’s not a fussy baby at all. It’s def. something to think about, though. THANKS for this post!
I, too, had trouble with not having enough for my baby in the evenings. But I usually did have more than enough first thing in the morning, so I’d pump about half-way between the first 2 morning feedings (took awhile to get my schedule worked around that!). And what I pumped in the morning would usually be plenty to supplement what little was left by evening. And my hubby liked the chance to feed the baby once a day, then, too.
As an IBCLC (board certified lactation consultant) and a breastfeeding volunteer counselor for several groups, I was really pleased to read Natalie’s post with excellent suggestions in regards to seeking out breastfeeding support. Milk supply issues and night time parenting can be extremely emotional and challenging for moms! Sometimes supplementation is needed but I would always urge a mom to seek out qualified support so that she can work towards her breastfeeding goals. As with shopping around for any type of health care provider(MD vs. ND, etc, etc), you can try to find an IBCLC that is a good match for your family and views lactation as a holistic process.
I am aware that many mothers choose to use goat’s milk or a homemade formula for their babies. According to the World Health Organization, if baby needs supplementation the first choice is mother’s own expressed milk, then donor milk and then a commercially prepared formula. Human milk is species specific for human babies. If baby requires another type of milk we need to be careful to find something balanced to meet the nutritional requirements of a growing human. Having more of certain elements (vitamin, minerals, amino acids, etc) in another type of milk does not necessarily translate to a benefit for a human baby and can overload or deprive them of certain nutrients. In addition, human milk is a live product, ever-changing to meet the needs of your growing baby. It is complex and amazing! If your baby needs supplementation I would encourage you to seek quality lactation support and then make a very informed choice about what type of supplement you provide for baby (just like you’d do about any other health or parenting decision). Also for those of you opening up your hearts and homes to adopted children, consider learning more about adoptive breastfeeding. Lastly, while I am a Weston Price fan, I am not so thrilled about their breastfeeding information. If you are looking for a great book on foods that impact breastfeeding I highly suggest, “MotherFood” by Hilary Jacobsen.
As an IBCLC (board certified lactation consultant) and a breastfeeding volunteer counselor for several groups, I was really pleased to read Natalie’s post with excellent suggestions in regards to seeking out breastfeeding support. Milk supply issues and night time parenting can be extremely emotional and challenging for moms! Sometimes supplementation is needed but I would always urge a mom to seek out qualified support so that she can work towards her breastfeeding goals. As with shopping around for any type of health care provider(MD vs. ND, etc, etc), you can try to find an IBCLC that is a good match for your family and views lactation as a holistic process.
I am aware that many mother choose to use goat’s milk or a homemade formula for their babies. According to the World Health Organization, if baby needs supplementation the first choice is mother’s own expressed milk, then donor milk and then a commercially prepared formula. Human milk is species specific for human babies. If baby requires another type of milk we need to be careful to find something balanced to meet the nutritional requirements of a growing human. Having more of certain elements (vitamin, minerals, amino acids, etc) in another type of milk does not necessarily translate to a benefit for a human baby and can overload or deprive them of certain nutrients. In addition, human milk is a live product, ever-changing to meet the needs of your growing baby. It is complex and amazing! If your baby needs supplementation I would encourage you to seek quality lactation support and then make a very informed choice about what type of supplement you provide for baby (just like you’d do about any other health or parenting decision). Also for those of you opening up your hearts and homes to adopted children, consider learning more about adoptive breastfeeding. Lastly, while I am a Weston Price fan, I am not so thrilled about their breastfeeding information. If you are looking for a great book on foods that impact breastfeeding I highly suggest, “MotherFood” by Hilary Jacobsen.
I just wanted to mention that I’ve heard a lot of great things about goat’s milk. Stories like children who were very, very sick but were “cured” once they started drinking goat’s milk. My sister did have an issue with her young daughter not getting enough vitamin B-12 and becoming anemic from that, so if you are using it for full time supplementation, definitely considered doing some of the stuff that Lindsay recommends to up your B-vitamins. B
And like Lindsay mentioned, fresh is much better than powdered. As far as I know, most powered milks have oxidized cholestorol in it (not good news). I don’t know if there are exceptions or not, but it’s something to look into if you are needing to use a formula.
Lindsey, you are such a blessing, as is your blog! I can always find wonderful information that is so helpful to me here. Thank you for your diligent research that I know is helpful to so many! May the Lord bless your efforts.
p.s. I just had my 4th sweet blessing and I was wondering about the best supplementation that I might add later if needed. I came to your blog and was happy to read your recent post. Thanks again!
Lindsay, thank you so much for all of your posts of how to naturally care for babies and toddlers. My husband and I are going to be trying for our first come January and your posts have opened my eyes to all kinds of new ideas. I always knew I wanted to feed my baby homemade baby food, but I didn’t know you could skip the mushy stuff
I shared your posts with my husband and we are both on the same page with feeding, which I think is very important. Not only are these ways more healthy, but they are so much more frugal as you are not having to stock up on canned baby food. I can keep my original grocery list!
I’m so excited to our new adventures that are to start next year and all of your posts are just making me more and more excited! I can’t wait for January!!!
My family and I drink raw goat’s milk and my question is about spoiling. Does it really spoil that quickly? I get one gallon each week and have not have a problem with the milk spoiling before it’s time to pick up a fresh gallon.
However, I appreciate this post b/c the dried version may be an option I look to when our local supplier runs out of goat’s milk soon during the winter months. I think it’s great that you turned to other options, aside from regular types of formula!
Have you met with an IBCLC about your milk supply issue? In my years of breastfeeding babies into toddlerhood and attending La Leche Meetings and other support groups led by IBCLC’s, I’ve never really heard that topping a baby off before bed helps in getting a baby to sleep through the night. I, guess, if you have a true milk supply issue, it may be necessary. However, in my experience, there are several things that usually work for increasing milk supply before having to turn to supplementing. Often, supplementing decreases milk supply further. I was fortunate in that where I lived when I was nursing, in Fairbanks, Alaska, the local public department had a board certified lactation consultant. She made FREE home visits. If what you’re doing works for you, great. But, it may not hurt to talk to a lactation consultant about your milk supply, specifically, especially if you plan on more children and want to combat the supply issue once and for all.
You can also freeze a portion of the milk. I currently have a freezer almost completely full of goats milk for use during the winter after we can’t get fresh any more. ours starts to turn right around 4 days old. there’s nothing really wrong with it, it just starts tasting a little funny. Taht’s when I usually make kefir out of it or something fermented.
I use raw goats milk for my 18 mo. old. I freeze it in quart/pint jars for smaller portions. It is chunky when it thaws, but she has never minded. I used this when she was a baby to fill in when I was away and unable to nurse, and then later to get her tummy full before bed. She still drinks 1/2-1 c each morning.
For anyone struggling with milk supply while breastfeeding, I also developed a noticeable dip in supply about the time my little one started sleeping through the night. It was so important to me to continue breastfeeding that I started giving him “twilight feeds” which is just feeding him while he’s asleep. I’ve read that breastmilk is most abundant between the hours of 2-5 AM. If I had known this with my last child I wouldn’t have stopped breastfeeding so soon. I feed every 2-3 hours during the day, then feed 2 times after he’s gone to bed, for a total of 7-9 times per day. Most books and “experts” will tell you a 9 month old only “needs” 4 feedings per day. I would have completely lost my supply had I followed this advice. He doesn’t wake up, and it’s worth the little bit of sleep interruption to me to give him the best I can.
Thanks for the info on the goat’s milk. Once our little one is over 1 year, we may try that.
I have found the same thing with my four. Especially my 3rd because he sucked his thumb and was sleeping through the night even earlier than the first two I really struggled with my milk supply with him and ended up fighting a long battle and having to supplement. After much reading I realized that the night feedings were essential for my milk supply because me days were so busy etc. I now have a thriving 5 month old who, although not “fat”, has good rolls, and nurses twice at night and is putting weight on better than my others and I don’t even feel the need to have to start solids yet. Also- it can help delay your monthly cylce if you don’t go more than 6 hrs between any feeds- working so far!
I use Pediatrivite multivitamin syrup for my son. I will try to compare both the contents.
Hi there! Thanks again for this wonderful post.
I had a question…how early can you start them on the goat’s milk formula you recommended? Any time? I have a 5 month old that is exclusively breastfed right now. But, there are the occasional times (like tonight since its our anniversary) that it would be nice to skip a feeding a stay out a little longer with my hubby.
I’ve pumped in the past for these occasions, but don’t really get a whole lot out each time so I would have to plan way way way ahead to have enough.
I would love to have an occasional alternative that I could give her. Just curious if its okay to start her on this now?
Thanks so much!
Blessings,
Lynsey
I understand you can use goat’s milk formula right away. Several other readers mentioned they did it without any problems. I would just recommend you use the smaller quantity of goats milk to water and gradually increase. You may want to mix it with a little breastmilk to adapt you child to the taste as well. You shouldn’t have any problems.
This couldn’t have come at a better time! We are in the process of adopting two babies from Rwanda and I was starting to research my options for feeding them when we bring them home (hopefully late next summer.) With the poor nutrition they will have had, “real food” options are all the more crucial. I exclusively breastfed our 3 bio kids so formula is all so new to me. I researched all that it would take to relactate and for many reasons that isn’t going to be an option. I looked at the homemade formula in Nourishing Traditions, but it seemed a bit much with all the different ingredients. It will be a super busy season of life for us adjusting and bonding with these new babies, so the time involved in making it also seemed overwhelming to me. This recipe seems SO doable and easy! I look forward to hearing what Dr. Sears has to say. Thank you again for this post!
You might want to look into a Milk Bank or MilkShare…
I was a nanny for a little girl adopted from Brazil last year. Her parents gave her Goat’s Milk. It seems like an excellent option!
Thanks! Cow’s milk allergy runs in my family so I’ve been wondering what kind of milk, if any, to give my daughter after she turns a year. Sounds like the perfect solution in goat’s milk!
How interesting! It’s good to know I will have a more natural option to supplement my little one’s diet if I struggle with milk supply. This is my first time nursing, as I was not able to with my oldest and a little too nervous to try with my second. I wish I would have known about this when my oldest was a baby–at my pediatrician’s insistence I gave him soy formula. I wasn’t aware of the dangers of soy at that time.
Also, great that you posted about the glass Evenflo bottles–we use those too, and love them!
Hi All. Just to drop here some of the great benefits you can get when you take cod liver oil.
• Fully functioning nervous system
• Improved eye sight.
• Prevent depression.
• Fully developed brain and nervous system in newborns and lactating babies.
• Prevent post partum depression.
• Healthier cardiovascular system.
• Decreased inflammation throughout the body.
• Less arthritis.
If you want to read some more, please visit http://www.omega-3-fish-oil-wonders.com/benefit-of-cod-liver-oil.html
Best wishes,
Alfredo E.
My now 16 yr old dd could not keep any formula down. We tried soy based and all. My mother told me to go and see if I could find goats milk in the grocery store. I found Meyenburg condensed. I went home and mixed it up and she never spit up again. I think that it is a great brand and was sure a life saver for me. If I had to do it again I would breast feed but when I started having babies in the 80′s everyone thought you were crazy to breast feed, you just couldn’t be bothered. I know different now and have talked to my daughter about the benefits so she will have the information when the time comes in the future. Anyway I will finish my comment by saying that I love your blog and keep up the good work.
Hi Jeanna,
My little one is almost 3 months and she spits up puddles! We have tried all kinds of formula (unfortunately, I wasn’t able to breastfeed). and finally found that a lactose free doesn’t upset her tummy as much and since we have been putting some rice cereal in it it has helped her keep it down. Did your little one have an allergy or reflux? And was she spitting up or vomiting? I am reluctant to change formulas again because we have changed so many on her already, poor thing, but am really interested in trying this out.
My youngest couldn’t keep down formula either. I was trying to nurse full-time, but we were smack in the middle of moving to another state, so I began supplementing with the bottle. He kept throwing up, so I stopped supplementing and nursed him exclusively for six months. At his check up the doctor mentioned he hadn’t gained any weight at all since his four month check up, and at his four month he’d barely gained any since his two month check up. We’d had the same issue with my daughter. We thought they were just petite, but it turns out the fat content of my breast milk ain’t so hot. We had to supplement, but knew he couldn’t keep down conventional formula. Enter Meyenberg Condensed Goat Milk. Now he’s at a healthy weight and way less cranky than he used to be. I’m going to try adding the cod liver oil, though. Thanks, Lindsay!
Have you ever tasted the formula? Just wondering. Of course, regular formula tastes really bad anyway. When my son was a baby he had a lot issues with ear infections and excema. He was also very skinny. I thought he might be allergic to cow’s milk and decided to give goat’s milk a try. He was already over a year old at this point and immeadiately rejected it. He kept making a face and giving the sippy cup back to me. Finally at the end of the day he threw the cup across the room. That was when I decided to take a sip and BLECH! It was really gross. Perhaps it was the brand I used. I don’t know but if there are ways to make it more palatable please share. And otherwise I would just suggest to make sure and start it early before they can throw cups across the room!
Yes, I have tasted this formula and it tastes fine. Not as good as cow’s milk of course, but definitely not disgusting. I would recommend you try a different brand. You may have to slowly adapt to it as well. Start with a diluted amount and then gradually increase it.
In my experience, store bought goats milk is already turning yech! Fresh Raw goats milk, however, is amazing! and you can’t tell much difference between it and cow’s milk. My kids both are allergic to the caesin in pasturized homogenized milk (cow or goat) and can only drink raw milk without getting ear infections.
Lindsay, I had the same supply issues with both my kids, they just needed a lot more than I could put out. I did end up using the Nourishing Traditions formula recipe and my kids drank that on a very regular basis, both through the supplemental nurser and through the Evenflo glass bottles. I love it and I think it’s the reason my youngest doesn’t gag on Cod Liver oil like my older does. he’s used to the taste from his formula.
thanks for this post. I’m struggling with a low supply and a hungry baby right now. I’ve been really praying for an answer and goat’s milk keeps coming to mind… it’s nice to know that there are other people out there who are using it as well.
I needed to supplement my son during my pregnancy with my daughter (they’re 12 months apart, so I nursed him through her pregnancy), and after some research used goat’s milk. Since he was already beginning solids by the time I started needing to use it (he was around 8 months) I just made sure to feed him egg yolks and good fats to round it out.
We were fortunate in finding a local source of raw fresh goats milk, as I have heard that powdered milk is not good for you. I’ve never done any research on that, though… if you have I’d love to hear about it as of course the powdered would be much more convenient!
Yes, raw goat’s milk is a superior option, but it spoils too quickly to be used as a supplement. If you need full time milk option, definitely go with the raw fresh choose! Powdered is pasteurized, but that is the only disadvantage.
Most (if not all?) powdered milks also have oxidized cholestorol, unfortunately. Sally Fallon believes that’s why some of the studies using powdered milk made milk seem so bad-not because the milk was bad, because it was powdered. So I agree with you fresh is best!
I also used goat’s milk with 2 of my 3 children between the time I had to wean them and the time they reached the 1 year mark (3-4 months). I added organic carrot juice to 1 or 2 bottles each day to boost their nutritional intake. Yes…they did take on an orange hue for a couple of months, but it quickly disappeared when they stopped drinking the juice. Both of these children are EXCELLENT eaters and my husband insists it is because they drank carrot juice as a baby.
Do you know about how many bottles you get from the 12 oz can?
It really depends upon the quantities that you chose of water/milk ratio. The 12 oz can usually lasts us about a month, which taking 8 oz per day approximately.
3 Cheers for Goats milk. My daughter (1) was a very sickly child– and very irratable for 10 months– till we determined she *might* have a milk allergy…
At the suggestion of a dear friend on July 5th we started making a HM goats milk formula– and with in 4 days– all her mucus issues cleared up and with in a month it was like a WHOLE NEW BABY. She was also very developmentally delayed–(was tested by the dr. for many things) but caught up with in a month and a half)!!!
I used RAW goats milk, water, nutritional yeast, black strap molassas, and also some cod liver oil.
She is over a year now and is on straight raw goats milk–
I cannot sing the praises of goats milk enough— WHAT a DIFFERENCE it made in my little one!!
Oh and my Ped (real Dr.) is FINE and even reccomends goats milk for babies with colic and other issues– what a surprise!!