Defying the Health Visitor: Goats Milk Formula!

[Pennymum]

My DD is 4 months old and I am giving her 1 bottle of Nanny goat infant nutrition a day, alongside ongoing breastfeeding. I've had the speil from my health visitor about her not being able to support/recommend my use of it, but then I also know a number of stories about cows milk intolerant babies being prescribed the same stuff. I even spoke to the manufacturer who said that they hit this problem all the time because of European regs, and that many babies in NZ, Oz and the USA are living on it! Any insights, views, wisdom welcome..... Thanks

i mean they - goats milk and cows milk - are generally very similar in relation to the other good nutrients that you need... just to clarify! I'm off now

PennyMum - Welcome to Mumsnet - my post was simply a query as to why you were needing to give any formula when you are obviously so successfully breastfeeding. It doesn't sound like your little one needs it. You didn't explain why you were giving it - I simply asked why. I don't consider that I was criticizing you in any way for giving Goats milk formula - just a bit mystifed as to why you wanted to give it.

I am a HV too and like your HV won't recommend or condone it for all the reasons already listed in this thread. If a parent decides to give Goats milk formula then that's their decision I don't judge them for it as long as I have covered my own practice by explaining why it isn't recommended.
It's said not to be nutritionally complete - but then neither is Carnation milk and there are many people out there who were raised on that - my Mum for one.
It's up to you what you do but people will give their opinions - as I said there are many here who like the Goats milk formulas and who have used them successfully.

Nanny is so lovely and white!!

Soya was so thick and cloying and it reeked!

I heart Nanny - not cheap though

kitkat- sorry, big oversimiplification on my part. There is some evidence that certain gut bacteria are related to the development of autism (google Derrick Macfabe - he's runs an autism research institute and has produced videos aimed at parents about all this). Some think that's from having a leaky gut & then exposure to gluten and/or casein (perhaps only certain types). We knew ds3 was at particular risk because he has a severely autistic brother (so is presumably likely to share a pre-disposition). If you child is on long term antibs then I would definitely use probiotics/bfeed as long as possible but I wouldn't worry unduly. Ds3 has antibs from me (I had iv ones) at birth. Although he has ds1's gut problems (actually worse) he is fine and has developed normally. We did see a big change in him when we switched to to goats milk & he didn't have any gluten until he was 3.

Hi mrs turnip - thanks for the info, I breastfed dd2 ( who is on antibiotics ) till she was 18mnths, and she had a v slow wean where wheat/ gluten was concerned and I weaned her onto goatsmilk not cow, but she is now 3yrs 3mnths and the acidophilus bifidus I used to give her is no longer availiable - she has started getting thrush - so I know her gut level of flora fauna can't be good.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this thread

kkqx

will look at the info

I am absolutely no expert and have no personal experience of goats milk but have heard it is much easier to digest than cows. Infact in the country where my husband is from, mothers that are unable to breastfeed but can't afford formula try to give either goats or camel milk as opposed to cows.

I've clearly joined this discussion far too late, but think it is very interesting. I have a family history of allergy to cow's milk and soya milk, so when my son born in 2005 started to show signs of cow's milk allergy we put him straight on goats milk and he was a changed boy. Not screaming continually,, no ezcema and happy. I as a child was brought up going to allergy clincs and was put on goats milk of the farm at 3months!! I have grown up very healthy, can now have bits of cow's milk but am much better on goats milk. Yes people apparently have proved a link between cow's and goats milk but this is not always the case. In new zealand they are years ahead of us and any baby that cannot be breast fed is given goats milk formula as it has many similar properties to breast milk. ie smaller fat lipids. So I gave my second baby goats milk formula and will do so with any further children if I again fail to breast feed. I hand on heart think it was the best thing for my sons and could not see there was any other choice.

Goats milk is the difference between severe and moderate autism for ds3, pretty amrked (he loses language on casein in cows milk)

It's also very important for me and ds1, as we get a complete beak from severe IBS, eczma and I lose a lot of the signs of AIA (allergy induced autism)

Similar is certain; identicl is not and you will find many kids safe on goats.

however...

My choice was to not breach advice and I BF until (well am still BF), he will go on to goats when he weans- he's 12 months now.

DS1 was soya as that was all tehre was locally available, but is OK on goats as well, stopping cows probably saved his life (he ahd lost 1lb, dropped to 4lbs)