Goat Milk: Use and Preparation???

My Great Grandma told my mom to give my brother 2%milk diluted with water because he was allergic to formula. That's always a possibility.

I'm sorry I don't have any experience with Goats milk,
but what helped my son with his very difficult gas issues
was holding him in a upright position for 15 minutes after
each feeding and then also giving him Gripe Water in his
bottles. It is available in most drug stores and was a
lifesaver for him. We tto tried several formulas to find
one that he could handle easier. The Gripe Water was the
one thing that helped (also holding him upright). Good
luck!
D. T.

Although I have been blessed with the ability to breastfeed all my kids, I have some close friends who used raw goat's milk since 6 weeks of age with their babies. It worked great for them. In fact they still haven't switched to cow's milk at the age of 1 1/2.

As mentioned in other postings, it is readily available at Lakewinds (Anoka), The Wedge (Mpls), and Whole foods. There are also local farms that sell it directly, either fresh or frozen which might be more convenient. There is one in Andover - Stonedge Farms. Here is a link for a more detailed listing:

http://www.realmilk.com/where3.html#mn

Hope it works out for you!!

After looking at all of your responses, I just wanted to add mine, because no one had the information that I have to share-that is that I have been giving my 9 month old boy a goat milk based formula for the past 5 months. I actually got the recipe from a cranial-sacral therapist. My children both got breast milk the first 2 or so months, but I could not sustain my supply when I went back to work.

My son got really "phlegmy" and coughed a lot after he ate. We have had our kids adjusted by a Chiropractor since birth, so that was already covered, his md thinks he may have reflux, so I decided to try an alternative to conventional formula. It has been AWESOME! He is thriving and so much more regular than his older sister!

I have no idea where the recipe for this recipe origionated, as the other ones I have seen online have been really complicated, this one has only 6 ingredients. It is based with powdered goat milk, which has folic acid and vitamins A & D. I simply prepare a quart of that according to the directions (8 scoops to a quart of purified water), and 1 Tablespoon of the following: Organic cold pressed Flax seed oil, Organic carrot juice, Organic molasses, 3 Tablespoons of Organic maple syrup and 1 teaspoon spirulina- I was told Nutrex is the cleanest brand. Just to warn you, the resulting formula is greenish from the spirulina.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

Hi H., my oldest two children had milk allegeries. I used Isomile (spelling?) it's soy milk. It can be expensive depending on where you go. I would try a small can that needs water or the ready to feed. I would buy the milk at Toys R Us by the case I think its cheaper when you buy it that way. My nephew was on goats milk and my sister in law would buy the fresh goat milk.She had very good results with the goats milk. I'm not sure if goats milk comes in a formula that needs to have water added.Good Luck. G.

I dont know about the goat milk thing, but have you thought of looking into a milk bank for donor breast milk?

Good Luck!

I don't know anything about raw goat milk... But my guess is that unless you have a very close and fresh source that could cause more problems than you currently have. I would try the ZAntac. My twins had reflux (which sounds similar to what you are facing) and evn though I was reluctant to put them on meds (they were about 2 mos old) I was desperate. It worked wonders. And if your baby has reflux, he will not need to be on ZANTAC forever.... just long enough to help him pass this stage. We had no side effects from the zantac and used it for about a month until things cleared up.

Best of luck. I know how hard this is. Hang in there. It will get better.

H.-
First of all, I want to say that I admire you for exploring your options! I know how hard it can be to have a colicky little one. Once you figure out what it is they can't tolerate, it's like getting a whole new (quieter) baby! I see that you go to a chiropractor already, but I am wondering if s/he is trained in contact refelx analysis. (Also known as muscle testing). My chiro used this technique with both of my sons to figure out EXACTLY what it was that I needed to avoid. It was truly a miracle for my family. If you would like to see her to find out if she can help you, e-mail me and I can get you a certificate for a free consultation at their office. I hope you are able to get this figured out. Good luck!!!

Wow! I am SO pleased at the positive response to your request! I just want to reiterate that there are recipes to make goat's milk formula so it will be nutritious for your baby. I would trust the Sally Fallon recipe completely. She really knows her stuff.
My daughter and son had horrible reflux. We did cranio-sacral therapy, gripe water, chiropractics etc.... we did use Zantac for a couple of months with my daughter but she was in such pain that I couldn't bear it anymore.
I hope you find something that works! Good job Mama! Congrats on your new little one!

Hi H.!

So sorry to hear of your troubles! I was fortunate to have breast fed my four children. I have heard that goats milk is very good for babies. What I would do is call your local health food store or even in the next City. Preferably one that has been around for a long time. They may be able to suggest a local farmer or they may even supply something from their own store. Whenever you buy milk from a store its always pastuerized and kills all the natural enzymes etc. But it is so much better than formula. Best of luck to you. If I think of anything else I will post it.

Tracey

I don't have much experience with goat milk but wanted to say good for you for trying to find what works for your child. There are many cultures around the world that use goat's milk so there is nothing wrong with you trying it. I have seen goat's milk at health food and alternative grocery stores - have you done any research about it online? "Ask Dr. Sears" does suggest a MEYENBERG recipe using powdered or evaporated goats milk (which you can order online) read more here http://askdrsears.com/html/3/t032400.asp

It sounds to me like your infant may have a soy and dairy allergy. My 2 1/2 year old has food allergies and we give him goat cheese as a substitute for "cow cheese" that our older son can eat.

We switched our daughter to Alimentum (made by Similac) which has no milk products in it at 8 weeks. Within 24 hours it made a dramatic difference. Our daughter was on Prevacid for a year. She had reflux which when we had an upper GI and video swallow done you could you her food coming back up so she obviously needed something and made me feel so sorry for her because she had a reason for being so fussy. Both worked well for us and may be worth a shot for you. Good Luck!!

Hi H.-
My first son, who is four now, was VERY colicky too. He couldn't burp or pass gas. I tried the drops and they didn't seem to work. I was breastfeeding too but I couldn't make enough so I was supplementing with goats milk. I went to the organic aisle in my grocery store. It comes prepackaged on the shelf. You have to refrigerate after opening so I warmed it up just like I would a bottle - in hot water in the sink. Since you are just wanting to use that in the bottle you might want to ask your pediatrician if you could add liquid vitamins to the milk. The goat's milk helped my son out alot! His problem was cut by at least half. Unfortunately it didn't all go away but he was much easier to work with after I started the goats milk. He was still a handful until totally off the bottle and on to solid food but it was so much better! And just an aside, a friend of mine's dad had stomach problems and his doctor had him drink goat's milk instead of cow's milk to help settle the stomach. I commend you for wanting to help your baby and the fact that you are open to other methods. Good luck!

My husband had goat's milk as a baby. In those days they just milked the goat and fed it to the baby. If you don't have a goat farmer near you that can be a problem but I see by the other posts that they now make goat's milk formula. I say go for it.

Our son had colic as well. We tried Mylecon and it helped a little but not as much as I'd have liked. I've heard wonderful things about gripe water but I didn't try it because by the time I found out about it my son had pretty much gotten through the colic.

My older daughter was breastfed and colicky, and that was rough enough without having to deal with formula issues - you have my sympathy! Have you considered shiatsu? My massage therapist swears by it for colic, if you can find a knowledgeable practitioner. That still would not help with the hives but like you, I tend to feel anything is worth a try before starting prescription meds...

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t032401.asp

It looks like a vitamin supplement may be necessary if feeding goat's milk formula. But it sure seems worth a try to see if it would relieve your baby.

Hi H.

This may sound strange, but my grandma has talked about when she was a young mom a friend of hers couldn't nurse and the drugstore supplied goat's milk and it worked fine. Back then they had to mix it with sugars and other ingredients, but I believe now there are actually goat milk formulas out there. I wouldn't hesitate to try anything that will help your little one--especially if your doctor is supportive too! Good luck!

there is a great recipie for a goats milk formula in the book "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon.

You may find this book on amazon.com

H.,
Goats milk is definately available at Whole Foods on the SLP/Minneapolis boarder. It may also be available at Lakewinds natural grocery in Minnetonka or at Trader Joes, check first.
Good luck!

I used goat's milk as supplement to breast feeding. You can purchase it at whole foods stores in the dairy department, evaporated in a can & in powdered form. It was not his sole form of nutrition so I am not as clear on that as i could be.

There is a website colichelp.com that talks about goat milk & gives a link to goat milk formula recipe.

There is also a toddler's goat milk formula by Genesis Organics but is is recomended for children 1 & older.

good luck

Check out this website. http://westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html
I used the milk-based recipe for our son, but there is info on the goat's milk alternative.

Also, how often is your son being adjusted by your chiro? Our kids where initially adjusted 3x/week for 3 months and are now adjusted 2x/week. We've really found they are much healthier.

Good luck!

Hi H.,

I am a chiropractor and understand the frustrations of a colicky baby. I started my son on breast milk but starting drying up within about 6 months. I started supplementing with fresh goat's milk. I buy it at Health Hut in a half gallon in the refrigerator area. I believe it is made by sunshine farms. I have tried the Meyenburg dried goat's milk but he did not seem to like it as much. Goat's milk lacks Folic acid so you will need to supplement. What I did is buy the folic acid that came in a capsule then I just opened the capsule and put it into his milk to dissolve and stir. My son is now 21 months old and I still give him goat's milk and cow's milk.

I truly believe you are on the right track with at least trying the goat's milk....it is known to be the closest thing to mother's milk except for lacking the folic acid. You could try warming it or keeping it cold.

Good luck!

My daughter wasn't colicky, but she did have gas for a while as an infant. I wanted to second another writer who posted about trying the infant gas liquid drop idea. We did that, and it worked wonders for our daughter. Not saying your son probably still doesn't need a special formula or something other than cow's milk, but if you haven't tried something for gas, I'd give it a shot.

Also, have you taken him to an Integration/Function doctor? This is usually a doctor with a medical school degree who goes back and also acqires a degree in natureopathy, so she can write standard prescriptions, if needed, but also has the knowledge of homeopathic and vitamin/mineral/herbal supplements. Unlike a true holistic/homeopathic doctor, an Integration doctor is more accepted by the conventional medical community, and many primary physcians/conventional doctors will work with an Integration doctor before they'll even think about cooperating with a holistic practictioner. Just a thought.

H.,

My son was also allergic to alot of the same things. I was told by a natural pathic(spelling) that goats milk is very close to cows milk so told me to use ric milk.. I did this and it made a world of difference in my son in 2 days, you will need to also use vitiams for the baby so they get all they need. Please feel free to email me or call me with any questions.. I went through a lot with my son and will be glad to help you out. ###-###-#### is my cell and ____@____.com is my email. Good luck to you. I bought the rice milk in the natural section at my local grocery store.

When our daughter was 6 weeks old, she started crying all the time, and when she fell asleep she would wake up about 5 minutes after I laid her down. I figured it was colic, but went to the doctor to be sure. His initial thought was colic, but then he asked a few more questions (Does she arch her back a lot, especially after sleeping?, etc.) and then mentioned acid reflux. He gave us a prescription for Zantac and she was a brand new baby after the first dose. But, she didn't have the extreme gas and hives, like your baby does.

I am afraid I cannot help you with the goat's milk- but I do want to offer some support to you, since it sounds like you probably have endured a lot of "well-meaning" people giving you "advice" about options before you ever posted your question.

My son was lactose intolerant almost from birth, and I endured comments and unsolicited advice from so many people, as well as no one believing me that my son was LI. Long story short, my baby and I endured 13 months of gassy collicky hell before I trusted my gut instincts and cut all dairy (including breastfeeding) from his diet.

So I commend you for trying what you've already tried, and for looking to goat's milk as the next option. I don't know if lactose intolerance factors in to you infant's situation or not, but I do wish you all the best luck on finding a solution-

<<<HUGS>>> from someone who's somewhat "been there".

hi H.! Just wanted to give you another idea you might want to try! My daughter was VERY colicy when she was little and someone suggested to me to use Infant Gas relief DROPS (called symethecone drops I believe!)> I got them from the drug store non prescription and they worked AWESOME!!! We just timed her outbursts for a few days and geve her the drops a half hour before she would start with the colic. She still wimpered a bit, but the gas came out of her system and she was a happy baby after an hour instead of still screaming!!! Just another thing for you to try! Good luck!!!

Hi, I know exactly what you are going through. First of all do not listen to any negative judgment about goats milk. You have to first and for most worry about your baby. If you feel it is the right thing to do (mommy's instinct) than it probably is. I have a little one who is now 17 months old. At around 3 weeks of age feeding became a dreadful thing. As soon as he would have his formula (which I tried many & none helped) he would be miserable and basically cry up until it was time for his next feeding. After many trips to the doctor and emergency room I became real frustrated with our doctor at the time. It went so far that they wanted to put my baby through a surgery and go in and examine his abdomen because being on Prevacid wasn't even working. I also took him to a chiropractor who suggested goats milk because he could tell from doing the adjustments on my son he was not digesting the formula which was Similac Alimentum-very expensive & suppose to be the gentlest. I will always be so appreciative to our chiropractor for his suggestion because as soon as I put our son on goats milk I had a happy little baby and could finally enjoy him and not see him so miserable. It was literally night & day. It is the next best thing to breast milk. Also, our son has had a wonderful immune system- he's only had two colds and now as soon as we notice he may be coming down with something we give him the goats milk and he seems to resist colds and flus easier. I have noticed many children around our sons age that were on breastmilk or formula and tend to be sick alot more often. I am thankful everyday that I made the switch and feel so strongly about it that if we have any more children I will never use formula again. My nephew used it in his cereal thinking it was cows milk and didn't even notice the difference. I hope that this has been helpful. If you do decide to use goats milk you will want to dilute it half milk half water until he's older than i'd do 1/3 water and 2/3 milk depending on your baby. There's more protein in it so it needs to be diluted. The older he gets the less you will have to dilute it. I didn't know to do that and he had a slightly bloody stool so I panicked and contacted our doctor and he said it was only due to the fact it has more protein and to dilute it half and half. I never had a problem again. I feel it was the best decision I made-doctors do not know everything. I am so grateful I took our chiropractors advice or my child would have went through a major unnecessary surgery for nothing at such a young fragile age. Needless to say we switched doctors and he supported our decision 100%. I have met many people who have also done this or know someone who was. It is called the "miracle milk", and I truly believe it was for our child. No mom ever wants to see their children suffer, plus I was worried about him getting a hernia from crying so hard. FYI- all formula now contains iron so if you're child is also not digesting the formula due to that than there is not a whole lot of other choice. You can always try it and give it atleast 2 weeks for the formula to pass and for your baby to be getting used to the change. If you have any ?'s please ask. Hope this has helped!

H.,
Good for you for keeping your options open and trying various things for your child. My oldest son was quite premature and did not tolerate formulas either. We also tried all the soy, Nutramigen, ect. There are other formulas out there where the proteins are even farther broken down for sensitive stomach. I cannot remember the name of the one we finally used but we had to have a prescription for it and it had to be ordered through the pharmacy. It was a formula often used in tube feeding but Kaleb took it through a bottle. It was very expensive but worth every penny because he did not suffer. I will try to figure out the name of it and e-mail it to you. As for the Zantac both of my sons and one nephew and one niece were on it as infants. I did not see any side effects, but I did not see much in the way of results either. As for the goats milk, my sisters and I all grew up on it as we were allergic to cows milk. We were much older when our mother started giving it to us. As a Registered Nurse, I don't know that I would advise anyone to use it in someone as young as your son because of it not being pastuerized? Good luck! As a mom who had 2 kids with stomach problems, I understand how fustrated you must be. There are answers out there somewhere, it just takes time to find the right one for you.
K.

H.,

By all means, try it!! A generation ago, goat's milk was commonly used for babies who could not tolerate cow's milk and whose mothers were not breastfeeding. I give my 10 month old goat's milk, as he can not tolerate cow's milk, I'm done breastfeeding, and I feel any "real" milk is superior to formula.

I have a 45 year old cousin who had only goat's milk as an infant--never breastmilk, cow's milk or formula--and she is just fine.

There's a bit of sticker shock, but perhaps you can find a goat farmer who can sell it to you in larger quantities for a lower price. And I really don't know if it's more expensive than formula + prescription meds.

If I were you, I would give my baby goat's milk, and then a liquid vitamin. There are vitamins out there for infants who are breastfed, and they would be as beneficial when coupled with goat's milk, too.

I don't know what you mean by "use and preparation", but feel free to send me a private message if you need more help.

Good luck!

P.S. The book "Nourishing Traditions" has homemade recipes for formula--you might want to check it out.

If it is reflux, and not just "unexplained colic", a medication could be a godsend, we ended up with prevacid, a crushable tiny pill, no side effects for us. They can do an upper GI Ultrasound/x-ray after the baby drinks so see if the fluid is actually refluxing - ask your Dr. But the hives sound to me like an allergy/reaction, combined with possible reflux too, have you seen an allergist to rule out a lactose sensitivity or something?

If the baby spits up , hiccups, grimaces and arches during/after feedings, etc. you have many of the symptoms of reflux, and I would make sure to keep him upright after feeding for at least 30 minutes....we had our little girl sleep in her bouncy or car seat or swing or later in her crib on a tucker sling wedge http://www.tuckersling.com/ these seasures helped tremendously!

Here is a site I belong to that is a discussion board of all things from pre pregnancy/infertility all the way to childhood....there is a specific thread for Colic?reflus/GERD babies: http://www.conception-tips.com/f47/reflux-club-q-babies-r...

Good luck.

Jessie

H. - I wish I had experience with goat milk that I could share with you. Unfortunately, I don't. I just want to applaud you for trying alternatives instead of drugs.

I wish you all the best!

D.

I have heard that anything except breastmilk and formula is not nutritionally adequate for a infant. So I agree w/ you I would be concerned about him getting what he really needs. Have they tried testing him for dairy, soy and wheat allergies? That would be worthwhile. If he has these problems it sounds like it could be an allergy. There is one formula out there for babies that can't handle the typical proteins; Alimentum. It's not cheap, but if your DS is in pain then IMO well worth the $$. My friends baby just went on it and it's helped alot so far. Here's a website describing symptoms of allergies; http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=...

Another avenue, have you tried getting a referral to a GI doctor or Allergist?

And about the Zantac, both my kids take it. I have not noticed any side effects and has worked wonders to calm down their tummies. I agree w/ you that script meds are a last resort, but i just couldn't give up all spices, caffiene, chocolate, tomatoes, all citris fruits, garlic, cucumbers, broccili, cauliflower and still eat anything decent. That's like everything I eat! But to me it sounds like you have more then just reflux since you have hives, and constant crying.

I really don't know anything about goat's milk and didn't have time to check the other posts. But have you considered using donated breast milk? If you have a lactation consultant at your hospital they may be able to help research it.
Just a thought.
Good luck!
~M.

Hi H.,

I HIGHLY recommend you look into craniosacral therapy for your little guy. My baby had terrible colic just like you described here. I knew she was in pain and so I tried everything...eliminating dairy, chiropractic, gripe water, Zantac...you name it. I didn't like the idea of giving her prescription meds at 8 weeks old either. Anyway, we took her to a craniosacral therapist and it was an absolute miracle. She slept 7 hours straight after her first treatment. I only wish we would have taken her sooner. Feel free to contact me if you want more information about it. Best wishes!

I love that you are looking for alternatives to help your baby, that's how we get more options and maybe answers to questions. I have no advice for using goats milk but have a son with colic. I have taken him to the chiropractor and given him Zantac, gripe water and simethicone drops, I don't know what has helped but have found relief so I'm not stopping any of it! I too was reluctant to start prescription meds but considered the consequence of not because my son also has reflux (any chance your child has it too?). There is a strong chance that if left untreated the reflux could cause esophageal damage. Thats my two cents, good luck. has anyone suggested floragens (sp?), I've seen it recommended on this site before for reflux, maybe it could help you child.

I do not have any experience with colic, however I was speaking to a mom at my daycare the other day and this subject came up. She said her son was extremely colicy...he couldn't sleep more than 15 mins at a time. A doctor told her to try grape water and she said that when he finished drinking it he took a 2 hour nap! I am not saying this is the answer but try the grape water and maybe one of the soy based formula could still work without having to switch to goat's milk. Good luck!

Hi H.,

Again I do not have any personal information on goat's milk but I do know that many people that can't tolerate cow's milk can tolerate reindeer milk and don't see all the problems that can come with cow's milk. So I would say go for it. Anything that helps. I also had two children with colic problems. Probably not to the extent that you're experiencing. But I used Gripe Water. It is an all natural solution that is made from Fennel Seed. It can be purchased on the internet. It's sold over the counter in Canada as well. It worked great for us. I did not even have to use the amount that it said to use on the bottle. Much less. The other thing that I found worked heavenly is an exercise ball. We would bounce on it while holding our little ones. They loved it and many times that is how we put them to sleep. AND it's great for your abs too.

Good Luck and know that it will get better soon. I hope these tips help a little.

L.

Hi H.!
How lucky your little guy is to have a Mom who takes care of him. My oldest, who is now 2 had some sensitivities to different formulas after we were done breastfeeding and he ended up tolerating Similac sensitive formula and was on that for quite some time. I have heard that babies who have sensitivities to dairy or lactose can also easily have soy sensitivities, so that might be why he reacted to the soy forumla as well. We started trying goat's milk when our little guy was about 9 months and it was wonderful. He still takes goat's milk and it has been great for him. I just heat it up and give it in his sippy cup. I have also read that goat's milk is one of the best alternatives to the breast. You might want to look into how early you can start goat's. I think I remember reading or hearing that you should wait till they are closer to a year.
I hope you're able to figure out what works best for you and your little one.

Hi H.,

I didn't bother to read all the responses, but I felt it was important to share some historical perspecitve with you.

Babies are fed infant formula because their digestive tracts cannot handle the size of protein molecules found in milk products. In fact, babies have died from regular milk consumption. Formula is specially formulated to reduce the size of the molecules so it can be absorbed safely.

Please consult a registered dietitian - or even your pediatrician about the feeding problems. Also, please look into the reasons about why babies are fed formula and not milk. Bottom line, there can be huge reprocussions.

Good luck!

i dont know about goats milk-but my son had the same issues-we finally put a mix of carnation an skim milk together,with a pinch of liquid peppermint(kills gas)then he got liquid vitamins as a supplement to the formula-dont let anyone tell you that the lack of right formula/milk etc.stunts your childs mind-my son is a genius....good luck..i know its hard...

I friend of fine told me that long ago when she was little the Dr.'s diagnosed her w/ colic and they went thru the same thing until finally they also tried goats milk & it was the only thing that worked for them.

On the note about the zantac, when our son was born he was diagnosed w/ severe reflux( which I hear they are starting to link to colic) and was placed on Zantac & a medicine called Reglan which believe it or not helped him tremendously. If the Dr. is recommending the Zantac I would defiantly give it a shot. You'll be surprised at what a difference it makes in the happiness of your child. One question on this though have they done a upper gi series on him? That is how they diagnosed my son. They fed him formula w/ a dye in it and tracked it thru his system as he ate it and sure enough it got to a certain point in the esophagus and just trickled into the stomach the Gi specialist stated he has severe esophageal reflux. You may want to have the dr do that before they put him on the Zantac if you are worried about him being put on medicine. Hope this information helps. It was such a relief to finally know what was wrong with him and that the medicine helped him so much. Good Luck & God Bless.

What type of bottle do you use? The ones with the plastic bag insert (not the preformed shape type) offer less air than regular bottles. Sometimes it's as simple as that.

A day care Mom, M.

I don't know anything about goat milk, but if your doctor is supporting it, go ahead and try it. My daughter had colic, too. Her pediatrician gave us a prescription to baby Zantac, and it worked like a charm!

My Godson was allergic to milk. He ended up on goat's milk and did fine. I don't know how they prepared it though.

I have watched several children who have been on Zantac. Some kids it works for and some it doesn't. I really didn't notice any side effects. I do know that with one of them was really allergic to peanuts and he had colic each time his mother would eat peanuts. When he was about a year and a half they took him to a chiropractor that did some adjustments and he can now have peanuts with no reaction.

You sound like a good Mama. I wish more mothers were as concerned for their children. I hope you get some good advice and this all gets worked out.

I had two colicky infants. My oldest son cried for 12-14 hours a day. And I mean cried. He would scrunch up his knees, make fists and turn red in the face. He barely slept. He was breastfed with some supplementing and we tried Nutramigen. I eliminated dairy from my diet. NOTHING helped. We tried white noise, vibrating, swinging, rocking, massage, everything ever recommended for colic at that time. He was inconsolable. He was tested for all kinds of things to eliminate other causes. My mom thought he was going to end up permanently damaged. My second son was colicky too and I had a 3 year old at the time. He was exclusively breast fed, no formula at all, and again I eliminated dairy from diet. He was somewhat consoled by a vibrating bouncy seat and white noise, but none of the dietary changes seemed to help him either. They are now 9 and 12 and normal, intelligent, spirited boys. I know it's frustrating, exhausting and it seems like forever, but you are in the worst of it right now (6-8 weeks is the worst stage for colic) and he should start turning the corner soon. I think for some babies there isn't much you can do and you just need to wait it out, unless and until they figure out exactly what causes colic. I think we briefly tried Zantac with my younger son and I don't remember it doing anything one way or the other--it didn't help, but it didn't have side effects. I would be very concerned that goat milk alone doesn't provide adequate nutrition. Have you talked to your pediatrician about it? Maybe it won't work if all of the other formula changes haven't worked? In the meantime, try to get a break if possible. Do you have a trusted family member you can leave the baby with for a few hours while you try to nap or spend some time with your 2 year old? Can your husband take over in the evening? My husband put ear plugs in his ears and rocked our older son so I could get a couple of hours of sleep before I took over the night shift. You have my empathy, I get tired just thinking back to those days, but it will get better and best wishes.

I don't have any answers in regards to goat milk and infants. I have only known older children that have been on it due to lactose intolerance. In regards to Zantac my son was on it for almost a year and it worked well for him. Good luck, I hope you find something that works.

Dear H., First, good for you for trying things like chiropractic! This is not on everyones list... Also, we had a colicy baby and found that Peppermint oil and Peace and Calming oils on his feet in the morning and at bedtime helped tremendously. They have to be pure essential oils, not the kind you find in any grocery store. We purchased ours through Young Living Essential Oils. Hope you find some relief for you and your little one!

~S. B

Hi H., i'm a 60 yr old mom and grandma. when i was born, my mom was 40 and she didn't have enough breast milk to feed her 6th child(me), and i couldn't drink cows milk without throwing up. our dr. told my parents to buy a goat, which they did and i didn't have anymore problems. they would milk the goat and put it in a bottle as it was warm and fresh. buying a goat probably isn't an option for you, but there are goat farms all across america and lots of grocery stores also carry it. if you dr. said try it, go for it. i don't blame you for not wanting to medicate your precious baby. good luck to you. goats milk is more nutritous than cows milk.
R. K

I had a baby that was constantly throwing up and had diarhea. After 10 months of doctoring for it, we determined she had a milk allergy and they started her on goats milk and it was WONDERFUL!!! Never had any problems after that. She is a very healthy grown adult now, and still doesn't like cows milk. I would have to say to try it!! I am a believer in goats milk!! Hope it helps!