As mothers, one of the most important decisions that need to be made is what to feed your newborn baby. Will you go all-natural with breastfeeding for years, shift to formula right away or slowly transition between the two?
As you can read on Milk Drunk, there is a lot of information and factors to consider when it comes to getting your baby the nutrients they need to grow into a healthy toddler.
For those moms who are considering going with the formula option, there is a range of milk types to choose from. One of them that has been making quite a bit of noise as of late is goat milk! Yup, you read that correctly!
Cows milk formula is not the only option nowadays. There is a whole range of dairy-based and plant-based options to consider. And were are here to let you know all there is about goat milk and whether or not it is a healthy option for your baby.
Here are the top things to consider when it comes to giving your baby goat milk formula:
1. Your child’s health conditions
Not all babies will react the same to certain formulas. For example, if your baby is allergic to dairy or has certain allergies or eczema, goat milk may not actually get them the health benefits they need! So you should first understand and assess your baby’s overall health and chat to your pediatrician about their recommendations as well.
2. How old your baby is
Goat milk formula has tons of benefits, but it depends on how old your baby is as to whether or not they will receive the health benefits. Goat milk formula is safe for babies until they reach 12 months, just make sure it is not just pure goat milk. In general, babies need a balanced formula if they are not getting their milk through breastfeeding. And then from age one, they can start being transitioned to pure forms of milk.
3. A good alternative to cow’s milk
If your baby has an intolerance to cow’s milk, goat’s milk is often a great alternative for many infants. For reasons not yet fully understood, babies who experience cow milk allergies do not actually have the same allergic reactions to goat milk—many argue this is because of the higher level of protein in goat milk!
4. Mimics mother’s milk
Some women don’t actually have the option to breastfeed, and that’s totally okay! With so many proven alternative formulas, your baby can still get the right level of nutrients needed. Goat milk formula is one of those options! That is because studies have found that goat milk formula most closely mimics a mother’s breastmilk if they were to breastfeed their child. Why wouldn’t you want to give your child the closest natural option as possible?
5. It can help with eczema
While more research is still being undertaken to concretely prove this, many early studies are showing that goat’s milk formula can reduce eczema for infants! Whether or not this has anything to do with the higher protein base or not is still being investigated, it is great to know there are milk-based options that can improve your child’s skin!
How you feed your baby is entirely up to you and unique for each mother and child relationship. The best news is that with so many formula based options out there, including goat’s milk, there is the right option out there for your scenario and you can rest assured that your little one will be getting enough nutrients to grow into a strong toddler and beyond!