Unsettled since starting cow's milk

[Starzia]

Can I just ask, if children aren't to have soy or goat's milk under 2 (and presumably sheep's milk too) why do we think they should have cow's milk under the age of 2?

I'm just not convinced that cow's milk is any better for a toddler than goat, sheep or soy milk.

This isn't to be agressive, just wondering why cow is OK but nothing else is.

Hi Rosehip Fairy,
actually I do not think think cows milk is good, thats why I suggested goats milk as it is most similar in composition to human breast milk (and it is fine before 2 years). Cows milk is much harder to digest and very mucous forming.
Soy is even worse because of the hormonal effect.
But Ellibugs is right about when she says why do we need to consume other animals milk at all, its funny but we humans seem to think we cant live without this white liquid! Really after 12 months nobody NEEDS any kind of milk, I think it is pretty much a comfort thing. However for those who for any reason have to stop breastfeeding before 12 months then goats milk would be the most suitable alternative (I would even recommend goats milk formula over cows milk formula).

[Ellibam]

starzia we all need "milk" until about 7(when we start to lose our milk teeth)
but because it is socially unacceptable to b/f that long i think that is why cows milk has been introduced.

[Starzia]

Hi Ellibugs, what makes you say that? In my practise I have seen many children who, after 12 months of breastfeeding, continue to thrive on solids and water alone. Milk of any kind after 12 months is not a necessity.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Actually, it is. Our bones are growing and need the calcium. People who don't have milk in their diet as a child have weaker bones.

I had cow's milk from a very, very young age straight (3-4m I was told) because it was preferable to breastfeeding in my mother's eyes. It hasn't hurt my digestion, but if there was no additional milk to the very little breastmilk I was given then I'd have osteoporosis by now.

[Starzia]

I dont mean to be argumentative Rosehip Fairy, but dairy is actually a very poor source of calcium. Although it contains high amounts it is in a form which is not easily utilised by the body. In fact it can even leach calcium form the bones in some cases, which is why we see such a large amount of osteoporosis in western societies where a lot of dairy is consumed, yet very little in countries such as Japan where dairy products are rare.
You are right that babies and children need calcium for strong bones though, as well as many other biological mechanisms as calcium is an electrolyte which is essential to every cell in the body. The best sources of calcium are fish, beans, peas, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and oranges, to name a few.

[Nicole Tracy]

Hello Everyone

I agree with Starzia - there are many other sources of Calcium available in the diet that are better absorbed than the calcium found in dairy products. Dairy products are actually acid-forming in the body, and to neutralise this acid, your body leaches alkaline minerals (eg. Calcium & Magnesium) from your bones. That said, I am definitely an advocate for goat's milk rather than cow's milk - goat's milk is better digested and is most similar to human breast milk. If your little one is having trouble digesting cow's milk, it would be worth sticking to goat's milk for drinking, and only using fermented cow's milk products - yoghurt, quark, cheese etc. - as the proteins are easier to digest.

[Janie]

Okay, so when you talk about goats milk for kids, in what form are you talking about? I've only ever seen it in UHT packs. Mind you, I've never actually gone looking for it!

So what and where should I buy it?