Cow's milk

cadaverousbones

I would say it is perfectly fine to give her cows milk. Look for signs of lactose intolerance though because a lot of people are. I would get the organic milk (been drinking it for years and won't go back to non organic) My favorite is the Organic Valley brand if you have that in your area. Coscto also has organic milk. If you do get soy milk ever make sure its organic because they put a lot of weird stuff in non organic soy. IF the doctor says its fine, and she's not allergic, its safe

& About the issues that its "not natural" well neither is making a hamburger, making a pizza, or even processing wheat into bread... but those are other debates for another day :P

ImSoOTired

@ Corlissa I respect your opinion. It's interesting to hear the other side of it.

GadgetGuy2

Last paragraph for my opinion, But first, some clarification of "lactose intolerance".

1.) All mammals (animals with mammaries) produce the enzyme lactase in their intestine. Without it, the lactose sugar gets digested by bacrteria instead by the animal that drank the dairy (don't give milk to a grown cat!!!!!!) the bacterial digestion produces huge amounts of gas and diarrhea, probably leading to dehydration and death.

2.) Most mammals quit making the lactase enzyme soon after the time that they quit drinking their mother's milk. This saves the calories and stock chemicals from being wasted in the child'd body producing an enzyme that won't get used.

3.) Some sub-populations of humans (e.g. Europeans and 4 different sub-populations of Africans) have changed in that they don't loose the lactase making ability until later life (e.g. 1 in 10 Europeans become lactose intolerant before death). Most of the world, is lactose intolerant after early childhood like most animals. Thus, for most humans in the world, consuming diary products (cow or otherwise) past early childhood if VERY problematic. This may be why you will hear a lot of people from those sub-populations say drinking milk is bad for you. IT IS, for them, but that doesn't mean people who retain the ability to synthesize lactase shouldn't drink milk (e.g. Europeans).

4.) I do not know of any other animals that consume milk (their own species or otherwise) beyond early childhood. While I have a degree in Zoology, there might be and I just don't know that. I also don't know of any other specie besides man, that has domesticated another mammalian specie. I do know of non-mammalian domestication of another non-mammalian specie (e.g. dome ants farm fungus on leaves the collect from above the ground). Thus, I don't see an argument that other animals don't drink milk beyond early childhood as a valid argument for humans to not drink milk beyond early childhood (i.e. have you ever tried to milk a willd animal? I suspect you would get hurt by that mammalian mother.....thus, domestication seems to be a pre-requisite to milking which is a pre-requisite to drinking milk beyond your own mother's milk.

Finally, besides my degree in zoology (which include studies in biochemistry and genetics), I am of European decent and I became lactose intolerant around the age of 55. I drank milk profusely throughout my life. I still do, with the help of lactase pills to replace the lactase my body used to make.

So...given the above...my opinion is, depending on your ethnic heritage with regards to the ability to digest lactose past early childhood, give it a try (e.g. if you're primarily of European decent). Milk is great nutrition for a growing body: protein, sugar, fats, etc.

ladymiseryali

Don't listen to dumbasses. I've drank milk throughout childhood and I haven't grown any extra limbs or anything.

callie006

Like others have said, go with your pediatrician. Keep in mind that on average, human breast milk has a higher lactose content than cow's milk, so from the that standpoint, toddlers generally have no issues with lactose intolerance. That's an issue that starts in the post weaning years, only in certain individuals.

KANGOOJUMPS

cows milk is GOOD!

Aleta7

If the child does not get cows milk it MIGHT develop an allergy to it and any other dairy as a result. My sister in law stopped milk and now can't drink it or eat cheese, She could before she stopped drinking it.

justoneingredientinlifesrecipe

Listen to your pediatrician intead of a bunch of goofballs on the internet. If you question something your pediatrician advises, get a second opinon from another pediatrician

This.

gabbygirl78

Cow's milk is fine unless they have an allergy..... some people take things to extremes.,...... Everybody wants to raise their kids "by the books" these days and not use common sense ..... I drank cow's milk, my kids drank cow's milk..... generations before us drank cows milk and they were fine. Lighten up people.

susannamarie

The crux of it for me is the definition of milk's purpose. Cow's milk is a lactating fluid SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO TURN A 65 LB CALF INTO A 1000 LB COW.

I keep seeing this argument. But all baby animals grow rapidly, whether they're mammals or not. Calves start eating more than just milk very young. Dairy calves can be weaned as young as 5 weeks and will still grow at a good rate eating grain and hay.

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_livestock/livestock/dairy/Calf+and+Heifer/When+Can+Calves+be+Weaned.htm

bcattoes

I am probably in the "Humans shouldn't drink cow's milk" group. But I still use some dairy products in moderation. The crux of it for me is the definition of milk's purpose. Cow's milk is a lactating fluid SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO TURN A 65 LB CALF INTO A 1000 LB COW.

Nonsense! Cow's milk, much like human breast milk, is meant to nourish the young of a species until it is old enough to eat solid food. Cow's do not drink milk until they are 1000 lbs. They get that big from eating vegetation. Perhaps we should all stop eating leafy things lest we become 1000 lbs cows.

ksuh999

I don't eat anything from another animal. That's why I stick to human meat. Try the thighs - delicious!

mommabenefield

OK so I haven't read all the responses, so i don't know whats been said or decided but here is my experience and suggestion:

My daughter just turned 1 a week ago. I've been giving her whole cow's milk since about 10 months.
SHE IS PERFECTLY FINE!! BETTER EVEN! Her BM's became a better consistency and more regular. She has been much happier drinking milk and water rather than formula she rarely gets juice I should add, but, she has been eating 3 square meals a day and healthy snacks since I started her on whole milk, so she's not being deprived of vital nutrients

While it is important to pay attention to your pediatricians advice their 'advice' changes every year, it used to be babies only had breast or cow's milk, no such thing as formula back in the day.

My recommendation is to start off giving your baby half water half whole milk then progress to just whole milk after 1 year old, slowly removing the amount of water you cut the milk with. Monitor his/her reaction to it, look out for diarrhea, upset stomach, and signs of Iron Deficiency. The concern seems to be that without formula baby wont get all the nutrition they need hence the iron deficiency concern for that incorporate red meat, spinach, and things like that into babies food, but if baby is eating a wide variety of healthy solids/meals you shouldn't have to worry about it.

Adjust according to babies reactions and needs. Ultimately your the parent and you spend more time with your child that what the pediatrician can observe if that makes sense.

So while everyone has opinions, there's my 'experience'.

PS: I forgot to add, after a certain point watch out for your baby filling up on just milk, if they start not wanting to eat their regular food, they may be filling up on milk... 2 - 4 sippy cups a day is what my girl typically gets but it varries greatly and sometimes I give her more water for the day than milk but always at least 2 cups of milk

shining_light

I drank a LOT of cow's milk as a child. I'm fortunate to be Canadian, because added antibiotics and growth hormones in our dairy supply is illegal and the fine is a VERY hefty penalty. (I don't get people who buy organic milk here... really, it's all "organic" and it's "grass-fed" for about half of the year when there's grass available to feed). In case you couldn't guess, yes, I grew up in a farming community.

I also say go for it. I find that now as an adult too much dairy protein upsets my digestive system a little bit, but I have to consume A LOT of it for that to happen.

mommabenefield

Then seeing a few comments just now I got to thinking,

If cow's milk is sooooo bad for young children, minus the ones that actually have allergies related to dairy of course, why is it ok for them to ingest it via other foods, you know food that calls for milk as an ingredient, ... toddlers can have yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, pudding etc etc, why is cows milk so bad?

Then its funny to me as well, because cow's milk is a source of vitamin D a vitamin MOST people are deficient in,.... but no one wants to give babies cow's milk because its from cows? And cow's milk is for cow's right? Well in that case, everyone has to STOP eating vegetation cause that feeds the cows too... how dare we eat their food. And before you go at it, you cant have meat either cause that's for the lions and cheetahs, Stop! I know what your'e thinking you cant have nuts either cause those are for squirrels.
Better resort to cannibalism and breast milk cause all that's left is 'people' food which is for people.

confused much.....yes i think so


:drinker:

DeadliftAddict

Milk is a perfect food!!! Go organic
Dont listen to BS!!!!!

Humans do many many other stuff that other species dont do
So what!!!

I completely agree. Comparing humans to other species that aren't capable of doing what humans can is not smart in my book. If your child doesn't have a dietary issues after comsuming it then keep giving it to her.

DeadliftAddict

I don't eat anything from another animal. That's why I stick to human meat. Try the thighs - delicious!

Winning!

susannamarie

I drank a LOT of cow's milk as a child. I'm fortunate to be Canadian, because added antibiotics and growth hormones in our dairy supply is illegal and the fine is a VERY hefty penalty.

Just for the record, added antibiotics is not legal in the US either.

The milk truck takes a sample on each farm when he picks up the milk. When he delivers the milk, they test the truck for antibiotics. If the truck tests positive, they dump the whole truck of milk and check the samples to see who shipped milk with antibiotic residue, and bill the offending farmer for the milk.

angie007az

Some people are allergic to cows milk. I never was. We lived next door to a farm growing up and always had fresh milk. I love it and still do. Depends on the child and how her system handles it. Don't fret too much about what people think. I drank raw milk when I was pregnant with my daughter. She got straight A's in school. Milk never bothers her either.

ksuh999

I drank a LOT of cow's milk as a child. I'm fortunate to be Canadian, because added antibiotics and growth hormones in our dairy supply is illegal and the fine is a VERY hefty penalty. (I don't get people who buy organic milk here... really, it's all "organic" and it's "grass-fed" for about half of the year when there's grass available to feed). In case you couldn't guess, yes, I grew up in a farming community.

I also say go for it. I find that now as an adult too much dairy protein upsets my digestive system a little bit, but I have to consume A LOT of it for that to happen.

No, both are allowed. Dairy cows can't have hormones added, only beef cows.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/vet/faq/growth_hormones_promoters_croissance_hormonaux_stimulateurs-eng.php

callie006

I drank a LOT of cow's milk as a child. I'm fortunate to be Canadian, because added antibiotics and growth hormones in our dairy supply is illegal and the fine is a VERY hefty penalty.

Just for the record, added antibiotics is not legal in the US either.

The milk truck takes a sample on each farm when he picks up the milk. When he delivers the milk, they test the truck for antibiotics. If the truck tests positive, they dump the whole truck of milk and check the samples to see who shipped milk with antibiotic residue, and bill the offending farmer for the milk.

Yes this. This is why they made us memorize meat and milk withdrawal times for permitted food animal antibiotics in vet school. If you give a conventional dairy cow antibiotics, you cannot put her milk in the tank for the period of time it takes the drugs to leave her system.

If you have an organic cow, you can never put her milk in the tank again if she's had antibiotics. You have to sell her to a non organic herd or ship her for hamburger. Whatever you do with her, you must remove her from the organic herd.

ldrosophila

There is nothing wrong with it. Great source of essential fatty acids, calcium, and vitamin D.

You just wait to introduce it till after a year or so, and gradually introduce it. Small amounts. Watch for any allergic reactions, diarrhea, or stomach pain.

I suspect she will be able to tolerate it fine especially if her parents are able to drink it.

If you think about it before the invention of formula if you didnt have goats you were giving babies cow's milk. Not that this is recommended but people have been drinking it for thousands of years.