How young is too young for drinking raw milk?

[aiea]

Hi all,

We're looking at adding raw milk to our diet. Our two babes are 3.5 years and 10 months. For those who drink raw cow's milk, do you let your toddlers drink it? At what age did you start?

I know it could have harmful bacteria in it, and I liken it to botulism in honey... that no babies under 12 months are supposed to eat honey for this reason. Should I be wary of raw milk for a toddler?

[hippie_mommy]

My babies never drank milk before a year, because they were still breastfeeding to meet their nutritional needs. My older kids started drinking raw milk around 4yo and 6yo (that's when we bought our milk share), and my youngest started drinking it when she transitioned to eating/drinking cow's milk -- sometime in her first year.

If you are very concerned, then you could warm it up to home pasteurize it. I feel comfortable enough with our farm and the results of their independent testing to serve the milk to our children.

[svmaine]

We started drinking raw milk about 2 1/2 years ago and immediately gave it to my then 5 and 3 year old boys and they were fine. My youngest we waited until about 18mths and then I gradually kept adding more and more and as of last fall he was completely on the raw, though he is still BF'ing every night. We also completely trust the farm we get it from.

Welcome to the world of raw, we love it!!

[gardenmommy]

I grew up with raw milk, so I had it pretty much as soon as I was not on a bottle. My two younger children have had raw milk from very young, in smoothies and such, as they were introduced to table foods. Since they have all nursed until at least 2 years, they didn't have much until at least 18 months. Before that, they really only had water for extra liquids if they wanted something in a cup. We didn't have access to raw milk with my older two, so they were probably closer to 4 and 6 years when they started drinking it.

[walking burp cloth]

DS started to drink raw (goats) milk when he was 18 months or so.

Although, we could only get milk from these goats in the summer months. I would have given him some earlier if the milk was availible to us. Maybe when he turned one(ish).

[aiea]

Hi,

Thanks everybody! We are planning to get our first gallon in a couple weeks or so. I hope we like it... actually I hope we love it!

I'm a little curious to know how the kids will react, taste-wise and tummy-wise. Our 3.5 year old had issues with dairy as a toddler, and I wonder if we eliminated it, if she would feel better. Or if we switch to raw milk, if that would also be a boost.

Our 10 month old has had dairy in small amounts. I did an elimination diet with her for our first 3 months breastfeeding, and she has zero reaction to dairy (thru BF and directly) but is super-sensitive to soy. Even so, I think I'll follow your collective lead and wait til 18 months or so for raw.

[bobandjess99]

Raw human milk? Birth.
Raw cow or goat milk? 9 months or so. Not because I think you need to ait because of anyy bacteris or anything, but just that prior to 9 months, ,the raw non-human milk will replace human milk, which I think is a bad thing.

[gardenmommy]

FWIW, two of my children, and all of my SIL's children have issues with pasteurized dairy (except cheese and yogurt). They are all fine with raw milk. One of mine was so sensitive to dairy as baby/toddler, I had to be completely dairy-free while breastfeeding her. I found a raw milk source when she was about 18 months, and she was fine with that, although I was culturing it (kefir), so that may have been part of it. IMO, there is just such a big difference between raw milk and pasteurized in the first place, and then when you add in the further difference between grain-fed and grass-fed cattle, there is NO comparison. Like apple to onions.

[lakeruby]

Originally Posted by bobandjess99

Raw cow or goat milk? 9 months or so. Not because I think you need to ait because of anyy bacteris or anything, but just that prior to 9 months, ,the raw non-human milk will replace human milk, which I think is a bad thing.

I agree.
In the book, "The Untold Story of Milk" they talk about a study where a raw-milk producer took his milk into a lab where they innoculated it with listeria and e.coli cultures, and the next day there were absolutely no traces of either bacteria in the milk. Raw milk from healthy, grass-fed cows has so many "good" bacteria in it that it really is much safer than pasturized milk-- because if it does become contaminated with bad bacteria, there is a good chance that the good bacteria will take care of the problem! This is not the case with pasturized milk, which is totally dead. (I know, I'm preaching to the choir!)

[vegemamaVA]

FWIW, I have given my 7 mo. old sips of raw milk (like the others, we totally trust our farmer) and she loved it and had no trouble. I don't make a habit of it only b/c it's replacing breastmilk, but I have no worries about bacteria etc. I'd also never dream of giving her pasteurized milk, knowing what I now do about all the freaky stuff they do to it. Yuck.

[Holiztic]

We started with yogurt at 9 months and then small amounts of fresh milk from 12 months. Since he was nursing so much, his total dairy intake was quite low before he weaned at 2, but increased slowly from 12 months on.

Now we're nearly dairy free for mucous-forming/cold reasons, but I can't wait until the cold season is over to get back to goat yogurt and kefir!

[mom61508]

DD had raw goat milk at 14 mos and raw cow shortly after.

[PTmorgan]

DS1 started having a little store milk (pasteurized) around 10-12 months intermittently. At 12 months we bought our milk share, so that's when we switched him over to raw cow's milk. The first time we gave it to him was hilarious. He had a bottle with a little store milk in it - he was ignoring it. I dumped out the store milk and added a 1/4 cup raw milk. After the first suck his eyes got really round and he stared at the bottle. He promptly sucked the bottle dry and demanded more! I gradually started increasing the amount he got - no problems.

[aiea]

Originally Posted by PTmorgan

After the first suck his eyes got really round and he stared at the bottle. He promptly sucked the bottle dry and demanded more!

Very funny! I am worrying less and anticipating more as I read about raw milk. Thanks for helping to enlighten - and entertain - me.