What is the Healthiest Compliment to Breast Milk?

Every nursing mom worries about their baby getting enough to eat.  Do I have enough milk supply?  Are they gaining enough weight?  Are they hungry or satisfied?  My son is 4 months old, is growing like a bean stock, and is very healthy.  We count our blessings every day, but I still have those worries as all mothers do that he is getting enough of what he needs to develop optimally. The constant challenge is that he has an insatiable appetite and there are times when he gets frustrated because I am not producing milk around the clock. I decided it would be smart to have an alternative to my milk for emergencies, if my husband was watching him, or if I wasn’t able to pump enough milk. I rarely have a chance to pump because he cleans me out every 1-2 hours…  I began to research the healthiest alternative to breast milk. 

Since the day I found out I was pregnant and up until now, I have craved all goat products, especially yogurt and cheese.  Just the other day I was eating plain goat yogurt sweetened with Stevia and my son kept reaching for it.  I finally let him taste it and he got so excited and whined when I didn’t give him a second taste.  After a few bites he reacted well and actually waited a full 2 hours to eat, giving my milk a chance to fill up.  I then connected how easy it is for the human body to digest yogurt compared to milk.  I researched to see if there were any formula recipes using goat yogurt.  All I was able to find were recipes calling for goat milk.  Goat’s milk is the base for goat yogurt so I decided to put the scope on it, and compare it with other milks such as cow and soy.

Goat’s milk is the closest substance to mother’s milk–very similar in vitamin and mineral ratios, digestibility, and nutrients.  Goat’s milk is actually the easiest milk to digest compared to every other type of milk including cow, sheep and soy.  There is a lesser volume of fat molecules, and the molecules themselves are smaller.  A baby’s digestive system is extremely sensitive so the smaller the fat molecules, the easier it is on the baby’s stomach, causing less gas and bloating. Additionally, the lactose content in goat’s milk, (the protein that most people are allergic to), is very minimal compared to cow’s milk. 

By comparison, I know that cow’s milk, in all its various forms is extremely difficult to digest.  The fat molecules are very large and difficult to break down; is high in lactose, and the ratio of vitamins and minerals in cow’s milk are opposite to what the body needs or can break down. 

I also know that soy milk should have never been recommended in the first place as a formula base.  It is difficult for adults to digest, provides too many estrogens, and is hard on various organs, especially the filtering organs: liver and kidneys.  So just imagine how difficult a substance soy is for babies to digest.

It is important to note that mother’s milk provides less than 2 grams of protein where goat’s milk has about 7 grams per serving.  A baby’s system does not need that much protein, so you don’t want to give them full strength, which could create too much acid in their system.  So it is important to dilute the milk for easy digestibility.  Goat milk should be diluted with 30-50% water.Goat yogurt is the optimal food for the base of a formula.  The culturing of goat milk into yogurt breaks down the lactose and predigests the nutrients making it very easy to assimilate.  This is especially true for colicky babies.  Goat yogurt formula would help their digestive tract and take very little work to digest, and will add extra probiotics for your babies’ tummy health as an added plus.

So, how can you make your own goat yogurt formula at home?  Here are the directions: 

• In a glass bottle, mix 3/4 ounce of plain organic goat yogurt with 2 ounces of water
• Add a squirt of raw agave or a few drops of stevia for sweetening.
• Shake it well until the yogurt mixes with the water
• Note: If you are able to pump some breast milk, it is optimal to substitute 1 oz. of the water with your breast milk.

That is all there is to it!

Again, it is important to understand that mother’s milk is truly the best and is nature’s perfect food for your baby.  The function of this alternative formula is only an incremental supplement to mother’s milk.  If you were to schedule it as the primary source of food for your baby, you would have to add omegas, vitamins B12 and B6, folic acid and iron to mirror breast milk more closely. 

(!) Be sure to check with your pediatrician to make sure that goat milk/yogurt is ok for your baby before trying this or any alternative to breast milk for your baby.

To yours and your families’ health!

Rebekah Winquest