Goat’s Milk or Cow’s Milk for Babies?
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? I counted my blessings every day, but I still had those worries when my son was a baby. It was a challenge for me because my son had an insatiable appetite and would get frustrated when I couldn’t produce milk around the clock! I decided it would be smart to have an alternative to my milk for the in case. I hadn’t yet created my Amazing Homemade Baby Formula recipe and really only needed a simple compliment to my milk…
During pregnancy and the 18 months of nursing, I craved all goat products, especially yogurt, kefir and cheese. When my son was just 4 months old, he began reaching for my plain goat yogurt sweetened with Stevia. Of course I let him taste it and he got so excited and whined when I didn’t give him more. After eating yogurt the first few times he actually waited a full 2 hours to nurse again, which was rare! I then connected how easy it is for the human body to digest yogurt compared to milk. At that time there were no recipes for goat yogurt-based formula so I decided to create a simple one.
Since goat’s milk is the base for goat yogurt I decided to research it and compare it with other milks such as cow and soy. Next to Young Coconut water, 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. If your baby is still to sensitive to the lactose in goat’s milk try adding the lactase enzyme by Enzymedica to help absorption.
Before I talk further about goat’s milk and yogurt, keep in mind that at the time I had not made the young coconut pudding or realized how great young coconut water is for babies. They would both be wonderful combined with goat yogurt in my original goat yogurt formula below so I will add in the options. I think I first made the coconut pudding when my son was more like 6 months. I have always recommended to give the young coconut pudding to babies as a first food even before cereal.
By comparison, I know that cow’s milk, in all its various forms is extremely difficult to digest for adults and babies. 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. My only defense for cow’s milk is when it is consumed raw the body can at least break it down properly and absorb nutrients compared to most pasteurized brands on the market. So, if you are set on cow’s milk I would only advise to give it to yourself or your children/baby in its organic raw unpasteurized state which is available at most health food stores.
In regards to soy milk it should have never been recommended in the first place as a formula base. It is difficult for adults to digest, provides too many estrogen’s, 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 for babies under one. 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.
Here is my goat yogurt formula recipe which was the beginning for creating my more advanced formulate months later:
- In a bottle, mix 3/4 ounce of plain organic goat yogurt with 2 ounces of coconut water
- Add a Tbsp of coconut pudding for a creamy more filling option and extra nutrients
- Add a squirt of raw yacon syrup 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 coconut water or more 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
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Can raw goat yogurt be the base of homemade formula if baby is having issues with lactose? Would the 50/50 ratio of water to yogurt remain the same?
Hi Christina. Yes, if your baby is having trouble with lactose I would for sure use the goat yogurt because the lactose is not present in the yogurt. Still do the 50/50 ratio with water especially because it is thicker consistency. Good luck!
Hi i have a 9wk old baby girl who is not putting on weight she was born 8lb 5oz n is only 9lb ?? atm, i have to see the pediatrician next wk but i was wondering if i can feed her some goats milk n how much can i give her if i can… Im very worried atm n would love to hear from u asap thx so much. Kind regards Kathy
HI Kathy, you can try giving your baby girl goat milk that is half water and half goat milk. I generally recommend a 2:1 ratio of milk to water but with such a young baby I would try diluting it at a 1:1 ratio and go from there. Start with small amounts and see how she responds. The other liquid I would recommend is coconut water. Coconut water is similar to breast milk with some of the nutrients, including Lauric Acid, which is only found in breast milk and coconut water. Plus it is easy to digest and easily assimilated which might help her body with the introduction of and absorption of the goat milk. May I ask what you are feeding her currently? Are you breast feeding? I had difficulties with my son gaining enough weight his first 3-4 months and also had to give him coconut water mixed with goat milk (he actually did best with plain goat yogurt and coconut water because it has no lactose). If you are nursing him that is great, if not just know that goat milk alone does not have enough nutrients to give your baby everything she needs. For example, goat milk does not have any iron or folic acid. I would love to hear back from you
Thanks for your question, Rebekah Winquest
Rebekah,
I am weaning off of breastfeeding and switching to bottles with pumped milk/breast milk and water. He drinks about 32-36 ounces a day plus eats 3 meals plus small snacks. He is 12.5 months old. If I get to giving him only goat milk/water in his bottle, can he be drinking too much of this? Also, do I need to supplement with vitamins, etc. if he is eating regularly?
Hi Jameson’s Mom
That sounds about right with the amount of ounces. After 12 months they don’t necessarily have to have 32+ ounces daily of milk – it just depends on what the child wants. My son drank about 36 ounces of this baby formula combo that I created along with minimal nursing. What I would do is if you are using 8 ounce bottles then fill it with 4-5 ounes of goat milk and then the remaining could be mixed with almond milk, hemp milk, coconut milk and/or coconut water. Even at 2 I still dilute the milk for my son because all milk is still more concentrated than breast milk. Yes, Ayden is 2 1/2 and still has to have this combo a couple times a day and he is extremely healthy and growing fast. I don’t think your son will be drinking to much milk at all, they still need it and I know that every mom I have worked with find that their kids crave these bottles and drink them quite a bit. Like I said try mixing in other liquides – I strongly recommend adding the coconut water. Also try using goat milk kefir or goat yogurt in a bottle one time/day instead of the goat milk just to mix it up and give him the extra probiotics.
When your son is about 18 months you can add the Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood to his bottle for extra nutrients but for now I would try the Child’s Life Liquid Multi and pour 1 serving amount over each bottle throught the day. I would also try giving him fish oil for the omegas and DHA. I would generally only give my son supplements 5 days out of the week to give his body a break. One of my favorite companies is Garden of Life who makes food-based, easily absorbed and organic supplements for adults and kids including kids multis and a good liquid fish oil for kids.
Just so you know,I wasn’t that consistent about giving my son vitamins at that young of age because he ate so well and drank so many of these nutritious bottles (I would actually put wheat grass and/or the Kidz Superfood in his bottle at 12 months even though the label suggests waiting until closer to 2). I always kept the vitamins around in case he wasn’t eating well, got sick or just as a safety a couple times a week.
Good luck and let me know if you have any further questions,
Rebekah
Thank You! Great advice. I never even thought to try hemp milk or almond milk. I’ll try the supplements you suggested too. A while back I gave him coconut milk and also that day he tried bell pepper, the next day he had a very red bottom. I never gave it to him again but now Ill assume it was the bell pepper. Thanks again!
Hello there!
Great article. I have an 8 month old. We have been trialing homemade formulas for the past 4 months and are still struggling. We tried a raw goat milk formula and her tummy was quite upset from it. What are the odds that she could tolerate a goat yogurt based formula? Otherwise, I’m considering a coconut milk formula recipe but I’m not sure where to turn to come up w/ a complete recipe. Any advice?
Interesting…. could I add raw honey instead of the stevia?
For babies younger than 1 year raw honey is not recommended. I have also used maple syrup.