Raw Milk ?: testing for hormones, etc.

[PingPong'sMom]

I'm not sure if this is where I should post this question, so please help direct me if this isn't it.

I feed my dd the NT raw cows milk formula. She's doing great on it but my pedi noticed that she is possibly developing breasts (she's 10 mo). So I'm looking at all of her exposures.

I use plain filtered water for her baby wipes (used to use TTO and Lavender).
Changing her bath 'soap' to something still more organic/natural/safe, etc.
What else besides her formula is an exposure great enough to cause breast development? Most of her solids are organic (and she doesn't eat much of them anyway), she drinks filtered water, I wash her clothes and diapers in Arm and Hammer Green Essentials...

Obviously have to explore the formula (I tried to bf, lost my milk, tried to re-lactate, didn't work, devastated). I buy raw cows milk from a local dairy down the street from us. Formula makes up about 95% of her nutrition (maybe 2% bm, 3% solids). How do I go about testing the milk for hormones or toxins that may be causing a problem for my dd? I sent an email to the farmer and am hoping for a positive response and resources but I need more help. Mamas, what do you know? There isn't another raw cows milk dairy close (to switch dairies for awhile and see if that changes anything)... I could use pasteurized goats milk from Trader Joes but that would require a new formula and transition is difficult for my picky eater.

Help calm me that I can do this... (I did not want to do formula at all so all this is so new to me). help!

[NettleTea]

[sharr610]

First off s. We had to give DS some formula at points which was so hard for me too. I really really empathize with you! Know, though, that your daughter will do great and grow to be big and strong, most importantly with parents who adore her, want to provide her with the best nutrition and who will send messages for a healthy life regardless. DS is super happy, healthy and eating GOOD solids now at 18 months. I know he's going to be ok.

With that said, I am hoping some other mamas will jump in here who are more familiar with the NT formula. I recall a couple of threads about it where even the most die hard TFers who had done much research seemed wary of the make your own formula in NT and advocated organic powdered ones instead. I am reaching in my memory banks here, but I remember something about how the NT formula can't give everything that is needed and that commercial formulas are, despite many of them with too many preservatives, at least highly regulated for proper nutrients for infants. We had DS on Natures' one formula that says its only for toddlers, but is perfectly fine for infants. Organic and uses brown rice syrup as the sweetener...

Again, s: and good luck!

[PingPong'sMom]

The farmer wrote back: she uses No growth hormones or antibiotics on her cows.

So regarding my dd's breast development, any thoughts? I need your help... is there someone else about the milk I should consider...

Thanks,

Chris

[mamadelbosque]

Do the cows eat soy? Thats the only thing that pops in my head... if they do, there could be lots of estrogen in the milk, since soy has a lot of estrogen in it. Especially if its not organic!!

[NettleTea]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque

Do the cows eat soy? Thats the only thing that pops in my head... if they do, there could be lots of estrogen in the milk, since soy has a lot of estrogen in it. Especially if its not organic!!

:

[PingPong'sMom]

Cool! I'll confirm with the farmer. I thought she had said pasture-fed but there may be some soy grain in there... stay tuned!

[kjbrown92]

Is it possible that at 10m, she's just a chubsy-ubsy baby and has extra fat there? Just thinking outside the box here.

[AJP]

There are estrogen-mimicking chemicals all over in our environment, from plastics and pesticides for instance, which most of us still get exposed to no matter how careful we are about what we and our kids eat, drink or bathe in. We all have to exist in this polluted modern world. I'm not trying to be a downer, just pointing out there are unfortunately many ways that the child of even very conscientious parents can be exposed to such things, just by breathing, eating and drinking. I don't know anything about breast development in babies, but if it's confirmed that's what's happening with her, there may be a lot of confounding factors in trying to trace down a specific reason.

[PingPong'sMom]

Thanks KJ, but my kid is tiny/thin.... maybe that's what's concerning me so much: can her little body handle chemicals/toxins very well? My ss has autism... if it's a genetic predisposition with an environmental trigger, will my daughter have the same predisposition and with her tiny frame and lack of ability to handle toxins (if this is what is truly happening), will she be at more risk? If so, I need to act now to try to reduce out-the-ordinary exposure. All that said, is this just her body type?

AJP: I know this too... so sad. I was hoping to find a smoking gun, that would make me much happier, lol, as if the world were that simple, right?

Thanks for your thoughts, I'm still working on the soy grain cows feed...

[Jojo F.]

You mentioned that you used to use TTO and lavender, how much did you use and for how long? There are a couple threads around here somewhere, maybe not in the TF forum, but there is mention of the estrogenic properties of TTO and lavender.

Other then that I'd suspect the cow's diet too.

I sure hope you get this figured out!!