I could only breastfeed for a year, so now I've transition my one-year old to formula while I analyze (probably over-analyze) this debate about milk. Yes, I know the formula is milk based, but its not full cow's milk.
Anyway, I had initially planned on feeding her cow's milk until 2 or 3 when I could ensure that she was eating enough different foods to get calcium etc. from other foods. But after talking about it with a few people, I have learned of some research that cow's milk can be harmful in a number of ways and so I'm wondering if I shouldn't give her any dairy at all. Or at least no milk and maybe just do yogurt and cheese. I don't know.
Thanks everyone. I always seem to forget to include enough info in my messages. The importance of organic is a given, I give her all organic, no hormones and no antibiotics dairy. The issue is whether or not to give her milk/dairy at all (the thought with yogurt and some cheeses is that they have acidophilus, but yes if I avoid milk, I should also avoid the other forms).
Yes, its sites like notmilk.com that make me think I shouldn't. There are numerous alternative medicine professionals that claim milk can cause the formation of digestive disorders, immune weaknesses, and even acne.
Yes, I asked my pediatrician. She said to give milk when she turned one, but when I asked her about these allegations she said, "yeah well I'm not completely comfortable with milk, but..." Yes, getting a new pediatrician is on the list.
On the other side, 10 years ago everyone was all about Soy and now its possibly the cause of hormone issues. Rice or almond milk might be the answer, but others say research shows nutrient deficiency in children put on "health food" diets. My thought with using cow's milk until she doesn't take the bottle anymore, was because my goal right now is simply to get her to eat AND get her the nutrients she needs. But, yes, then I thought that these are formative years and so I don't want to be giving her something that isn't good for her.
Yes, we've lived centuries drinking milk, but we also haven't always been drinking the milk produced nowadays (even the organic, hormone free is pasteurized and homogenized) AND also past generations didn't live very long or live illness free, so who's to say that drinking milk back then was a good idea?
Lastly, yes I can't drive myself insane and its not like we have the money to go all organic, all the time. I guess my frustration is that this is a perfect example of how we keep getting caught in the middle of the war between the medical field and alternative medicine -- this battle, APA and the dairy lobby versus naturapathy and the Macrobiotic movement -- and I wish I could find someone that could bridge the gap. But they are hard to find and are NEVER covered by insurance and all seem to have 500 initial evaluation fees...sigh.
Personally I'd be more concerned about the formula. I once heard someone say Similac has its name b/c it's lacking in nutrition and that they found formula to be less healthy than the feed livestock is given.
My suggestion is to talk to your pediatrician. And if you have the "run of the mill pediatrician," he/she will tell you that milk is fine. If you are planning to go the raw milk, holistic, herbs rather than medicine route, than I think that it's important to use a pediatrician who also has those views. You need to be in sync with your doctor of you'll always have different views and will always questions decisions that you make - big or small. Nothing is wrong with either way of thinking - just get on the same page. I'm a "run of the mill," regular old milk user who knows LOTS of women who do raw milk, herbs and all... And we are all great moms!!
Yogurt and cheese are made of cow's milk...if that's okay with you, why would a cup of milk not be?
Overthinking every decision you're going to have to make as a mom will put you over the edge...trust me, I began overthinking when our first was just a baby...then promptly saw how crazy I was making myself...
If you are not sure, talk to your pediatrician...
Best wishes,
J.
Try dairy milk and if nothing happens, just ignore the anti-milk people. My son's been drinking milk since the day he was born. No allergies, so maybe he built up an immune to it due to drinking it. You can't build up an immune to something, if you don't get some exposure to it.
OMG Give her milk! What are you going to do when she
turns 2. Not give her any. That's insane. Millions
of children and adults drink and love milk. You are
over thinking it. Relax.
I think there are maybe a couple things going on. You aren't specific as to what exactly you are concerned about in cow's milk. I feed my 18 month only organic grass-fed whole milk. I think for my child it is important to have both organic and grass-fed, because they do not go hand in hand. Cows can be fed organic corn feed (organically grown corn, no pesticides and no growth hormones and no antibiotics), I just don't find this as natural because cows are grass eaters, not corn eaters. Furthermore there is a great purveyor of LOCAL organic grass fed milk at the farmer's market in Inwood. It costs a small fortune, but sersiously it is the most delicious milk I have ever tasted!!
Beyond the mordern conventional processed way of feeding cows corn and serving them a gross antibiotic cocktail, I am not sure what your other concerns might be. There are alot of poeple out there who have specific agendas when proseletizing certain nutritional facts. And alot of them are not based in common fact. I would highly recommend googling the topic and looking at a wide range of commentary on it. Michael Pollan's book "The Omnivore's Delimma" gives a great detailed account of the modern food complex from head to toe, from conventional to organic. I also would speak to your pediatrician and get their opinion. Then you can draw your own conclusions based on a wider array of info.
I see nothing wrong with cow's milk. The other writer is correct, we are the only species that drinks the milk of another species and the only species that drinks milk after weaned. However we are also the only species that has grown enzymes that allow us to tolerate lactose as adults (hence people who are lactose intolerant are lacking this enzyme). Michael Pollan describes this as a natural symbiotic result of thousands of years of hearding animals, not because we are pariahs that are stealing the milk of babay cows.
I do know this regardless of my views or my own research. I known a hundred kids, my own, my friends' my cousins', my colleagues'. They all drink milk and they are all normal.
I think if you are doing organic cow's milk it should be fine. I have a 7 month old and I still nurse but he eats solids and I give him 8 ozs. of goat's milk. He has no allergies which I was woried about because I have a family history of latose intolerance. He eats Yo-Baby and that has organic cow's milk and he is fine. I chose goat's milk because it is easier to digest and I know that all over the world they drink that more than cow's milk.
Hi,
I think the issue with cow's milk are the antibiotics and hormones that are added. So I just buy the organic brand which is hormone and antibiotic free. It cost a little more, but it is worth it. GL!
Hi Cleavanessa,
I have included regular cows milk dairy in our diets, although in my heart of hearts, I do realize that we are not supposed to eat/drink it, as we are the only species that ingests the dairy of another animal, and the only species that continues to include dairy in the diet after weaning from the breast. That said, infant formula is intended for infants who are not getting the majority of their nutrition from food. If you have concerns about your baby's diet, I would suggest making an appointment with a pediatric nutritionist, especially if you can find one who specializes in dairy-free diet for kids. With all of the food allergies out there nowadays, I am betting this is not going to be too difficult, and this person will have much more training in childhood nutrition than your pediatrician, whose training is really in recognizing and treating children's illnesses
Good luck!
hi there! why don't you try organic cow's milk? That's what I give my kids (2 and a half and a 1 and a half year olds). It may cost more but it's more preferable.
There is so much conflicting data all over the internet. And remember advice (like mine!) is just that- one person's opinion.
I think NOT giving milk is a mistake. Calcium and vitamin D are crucial in preventing rickets and bone density issues. And organic whole milk is very healthy! If you're uncomfortable with milk, you can always give vitamin enriched rice or almond milk. Soy is another contraversial area, so I don't know how you feel about it!
But seriously, if you're ok with cheese and yogurt (and dairy-based formula), then I don't know why milk would be a problem! Your daughter also won't drink as much milk as she did with formula.
Good luck with whatever you choose!
I believe there are many people & organizations in our society that have made us paranoid about living our lives. Vegetarian groups & PETA tell us of the "poisons" of milk & animal products. Nutritionists (not legal medical doctors), have made claims that sugar is bad. I have even heard claims that 100% juices, and even orange juice is bad for you (high calorie content & sugar content). How did humanity ever survive?
While I believe that fruits & veggies are good, meats, fish, & poultry can be good, most snack foods are OK to bad, taking most things in moderation, with occasional treats, is the best way to live & enjoy life.
Unless your kids are allergic, slowly introduce them to milk & milk products. Go organic if it makes you feel better (although I'm not sure about all the claims on these products either).
Good luck, & enjoy your food!!
You should talk to you child's pediatrician. S/he has more information than "a few people." I myself have more faith in the medical profession and their empirical evidence than I do in the less main stream outlets that love to put fear into our hearts.
Try not too stress too much about this. I do not drink milk because I do not like the taste so I never forced my kids to drink it when they were off the bottle. I just made sure their diets were enriched with other calcium sources, as well as vitamin D sources.
hi, i have heard lots of stuff about milk too, am looking at it again now because my youngest has constant fluid in his ears. but, that aside, i did just want to say that if you are giving yogurt and cheese, you may as well give milk, imo. 2 of my kids had reactions to yogurt and cheese, but were fine with milk. which leads me to beleive that whatever the allergens are in milk, they are probably more concentrated in yogurt or cheese. also, if you are doing it for the calcium, there are lots of other sources of calcium, lots of green veggies, that you would be giving by 1 year old anyway. google it, things like broccoli, collard greens, kale, are all sources and nutritional powerhouses overall. if you are nervous about milk, i would think you would do it the other way around, avoid it while the baby is little and still developing their immune system. maybe im wrong, just my thinking. and if you do give milk, i would certainly go organic/no hormones/no antibiotics whenever possible, as well as for yogurt and really anything else the baby consumes a lot of. just my opinion.
I struggled with this question as well when my daughter was about 1 year old. (She is now 3). I wish that there were better alternatives to cow's milk in this county. Soy is the most common diary substitute, but it is just as concerning, if not more in my opinion.
It is important that children get the protein, calcium, and vitamin D that is in milk so, for me, organic dairy seemed to be the best choice. It is mostly the hormones, antibiotics etc. that are dangerous to consume. As your child is on dairy just keep an eye out to be sure she is not showing any symptoms of an allergy or intolerance to the lactose. If you wanted to just give organic yogurt and cheese after one year that should be fine as well, but double check with your pediatrician.
Organic pasteurised goats milk is supposed to be easier on the human digestive system, however it has less nutrients than cow's milk, especially Folate. If you give your child goat's milk, just be sure she is getting folate somewhere else in her diet.
Best of luck,
B.
try goat's milk. it's close in take to mother's milk as well as the nutrients.
Dear Cleavanessa, I am an older mom. I raised 5 wonderful children to adulthood. Started out breastfeeding and then used cow's milk. I do not know what the latest studies are but my family is fine. Do what you feel is best for your child. Sincerely, Grandma Mary
Hi, Kara is right, the issue is all the hormones in the milk. You should try the organic. I was one of those people who never really thought hormones were such a big deal, until I have begun to see my 7yr old (about to be 8) look like she is growing breast buds... I switched my kids to the organic stuff and the husband and I drink the regular hormone loaded stuff.. Umm about that response of how people have been drinking milk for 10,000 years or whatever was said..that was written by a man.. need I say more!!! ;) haha! There is a major issue of hormones in the milk and food we eat, and it stinks..too bad organic wasn't so expensive..too bad our government don't do there job and make it mandatory they stop that practice of pumping hormones into animals to make them fatter faster.. Oh well. Cant win em all.. Good luck with everything.
Cows milk actually causes lots of issues, but being that we need the calcium it is recommended to drink it because "the benefits outweigh the risks". Goats milk is much closer to human milk, and though it's a little more expensive, it is much healthier to consume. You can find it, along with other goats milk products like cheese and yogurt, at health food stores, and sometimes in gourmet stores. I like it, and never gave my son formula- the whole processed food thing kinda creeps me out, but I digress- and son likes it so. HTH :)
I don't understand why formula would be preferable to breastmilk or cow's milk. I just feel bad for children who can't enjoy a little cake and ice cream at a birthday party.
Everything in moderation.
Well, there are all kinds of opinions out there. I have always enjoyed drinking milk and still do. There are no dairy allergies in the family. So I decided when I first got pregnant to switch to all organic milk and other dairy products. We also eat organic meat whenever we can. My son is almost 3 and he loves milk as well. I started him with organic whole milk at age 1 and switched to 2% organic milk at age 2 (he is big for his age and didn't need extra fat but toddlers do still need some). This was a good compromise for us--less hormones and antibiotics without making myself crazy over every bite we eat.
Peopple have been drinking cow's milk for 10,000 years or more. If it was truly harmful, I think the population of the earth would be a lot smaller. Don't worry about it,
