Why I Transitioned My Baby To Goat Milk After His First Birthday

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Why choose goat milk over cow milk (or another option)? Is this a fad?

When my son was 3 weeks old, he was diagnosed with moderate to severe GER (acid reflux). All babies have some level of reflux, as the portal between the esophagus and the stomach (the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES) doesn’t usually mature until between 6-18 months of age. For some babies, however, the symptoms are more intense and include choking, gagging, spitting up, and painful burning in the throat. For my son, dairy in my diet or cow milk-based formula further irritated his reflux symptoms, and I went searching for an alternative solution.

I grew up on good old fashioned cow milk and developed a cow milk protein intolerance (different than a cow milk protein allergy, or CMPA) by the time I was 11. At first, my pediatrician thought it was the lactose causing issues (common at that time), but we later learned that cow milk protein can be difficult for some people to digest. It was a long while of avoiding dairy before I could add it back into my diet in small quantities. (My fondness for ice cream was a real saboteur.) What I wish my family or I had known about at the time was using goat milk as an alternative.

Preface: I think some babies and young children do wonderfully on cow milk. My husband drank cow milk from the time he was a toddler into adulthood and has never had an issue. Anytime we have desserts at home, he still pours himself a tall glass of milk, no issues to speak of. His brother, however, shares my pain and to this day is careful with his dairy intake (unless he’s okay with paying for it later). While it may seem like a current fad to be anti-dairy, there’s a good deal of support for using goat milk over cow milk, including the health benefits listed below!

Improvements switching from cow milk-based to goat milk-based formula

I had never tasted goat milk until I found a healthy formula option for my son which was goat milk-based. We saw improvements with his reflux symptoms, skin, and bowel movements (ah, the things a parent celebrates - along with 2 other friends, I kept a baby poop chart open on my phone for the first 3 months of his life). Then, as our whole family was trying to eat healthier (hello, post-pregnancy changes), I noticed that a few healthy diets, i.e. Paleo and Keto, allow goat milk and goat milk products but not cow dairy foods in any form. Between this and my son’s success with the goat milk formula, I wanted to know more about the health benefits and why some nutritionists and doctors recommend drinking goat milk.

Reasons To Choose goat milk

1. It’s less inflammatory than cow milk and is a good alternative for babies with eczema, acne, or even some autoimmune disorders.

2. It’s easier to digest. Goat milk protein is smaller than cow milk protein, and goat milk also contains less lactose. When in the stomach, goat milk protein forms a soft ball (called a bolus) that is easily digested. Cow milk protein, by comparison, forms a large curd that is more difficult to break down. (Think of it like this: On average, a baby calf is 65-85lbs at birth and grows up to be around 1,600-2,400lbs, whereas a goat kid is typically 5-9lbs at birth and about 100-300lbs when grown. Goat size is much more similar to humans!)

3. The cream of goat milk is high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid (found in breast milk). Babies need an abundance of healthy fats, especially of the omega-3 variety.

4. It’s packed with minerals like potassium, selenium, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium. Many people are convinced that sodium is bad, but actually, the correct amount helps with amino acid absorption. It’s not enough for our bodies to be fed the right foods - we also need effective absorption!

5. It’s more alkaline, which helps keep the stomach from being too acidic. (I always appreciated this knowledge because we did a mix of homemade baby food and store-bought baby food. Packaged baby foods typically contain lemon juice concentrate, citric acid, or ascorbic acid, all of which add acidity to the food - and therefore, baby’s tummy.)

6. It has less allergens. The main offender in cow milk is alpha s1 casein, and it is found in large quantity. That’s why many people have allergies, or at least intolerances, to cow milk products. Goat milk has more of the protein casein alpha s2, which does not trigger the same reactions.

7. Goat milk is a good source of potassium. It is actually a common deficiency in the American diet, but is a crucial vitamin for electrical function in the brain as well as managing hydration levels.

8. It tastes better than cow milk. This one may be subjective, but goat milk is naturally homogenized (no separation of fat) so it tastes sweeter and less heavy than cow milk.

for babies, choose whole milk with Vitamin D

There are several good reasons to switch your little one to goat milk as you make the transition from formula around the 1-year mark! I will be transparent from experience and say that - depending on where you live - goat milk is harder to find (there are not as many options and brands as cow milk - or almond and coconut), and it is more expensive. Meyenburg is the most popular brand and can be found at most Kroger and Publix locations.

When you are shopping for goat milk, be sure to look for one that has been supplemented with Vitamin D3. (The same is true for cow milk since most types of milk do not contain enough Vitamin D.) Choose the whole milk version as the low fat option does not contain enough healthy fats for baby - unless you are intentionally trying to avoid fats due to baby’s diet or a digestive reason. I dive into why fats are important for proper growth and development in this article.