[sunnylady303]

We have a cow share from a nearby farm for raw milk. My 3YO has a lot of health problems - especially asthma - and she is the biggest reason we get the milk. I have been impressed with the good things that are linked with it and she seems to really crave it.
Well I got chewed out today by a church member who says I am being totally irresponsible and exposing my daughter to all kinds of dangerous things and that maybe that is why she is sick so often. This couple really shook me up. I have researched it and there are people who say both ways, but they said I am endangering her life. I'm afraid they are going to report me or something and I'm even more afraid they are right. Please either reassure me or gently let me know what you think. I'm really shaken by their anger and fear. Thanks.

 

[luvbeingamama]

I have also heard many wonderful things about raw milk. I use to get it for DH and DS (and they both LOVED IT!!) But when DS started having asthma attacks about a year ago, I took him off of all dairy and stopped giving him the raw milk. Not because I thought it had anything to do with the raw milk, but with dairy in general. It tends to cause alot of mucus and makes it harder for DS to breathe.
Had the lady that told you that done any research on raw milk?? Probably not, and it sounds like you have. So you should be confident with your decision. I do not think that giving raw milk to your child is "endangering her life". Raw milk has tons of wonderful benefits!! Just make sure you trust the people you are getting the milk from and know that the cows are grass-fed.

 

[changingseasons]

That is ridiculous. How have people survived all the thousands of years before pasteurization?

BUT... I will say that with asthma and other health problems, and the fact that she really craves the milk, you might want to look into food allergies. Craving a food is often a sign of allergy (as your body is trying to avoid withdrawal symptoms) and dairy is the #1 food allergy in children- often causing chronic inflammation leading to things like ear infections and asthma.

 

[sunnylady303]

Thanks. I am aware of the correlation and my other child is dairy allergic. But her asthma has actually gotten better since we started drinking the raw milk. Is there any other way I would know if she is allergic?

 

[changingseasons]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnylady303 Thanks. I am aware of the correlation and my other child is dairy allergic. But her asthma has actually gotten better since we started drinking the raw milk. Is there any other way I would know if she is allergic?

You could try taking her off dairy completely for a few weeks and then reintroducing some raw milk and watch for changes in digestion, skin, sleep, behavior, asthma symptoms, etc. (And make sure to keep a food journal, because it's hard to remember subtle symptom changes unless you're writing them down every day.)

 

[dogmom327]

I'm guessing the lady at church hasn't done her research and is reacting out of fear created by years of scare-tactics from the dairy industry and government. I'd strongly suggest she avoid spinach, peanut butter, pistachios, among other things as well. Much more likely those things will make her sick

FWIW, we only do raw. DS (22 mo) has never had pasteurized milk and if I have my way he never will.

 

[2bluefish]

Well, then she'd really be upset about me giving my infants raw goat milk! What does she think pumped bm is?!

 

[FernG]

We don't let DD (12 months) eat much cheese, milk, yogurt, etc. We think that human milk is better for her, but what little dairy she does eat is always raw. We never let her eat pasteurized dairy. We think that would be dangerous and irresponsible.

However, b/c of the superstitions surrounding raw milk, we don't let anyone know that we let DD drink it, and we only let a few people know that we drink it.

 

[Ola_]

Oh please, I grew up on raw milk. Where I lived (rural Poland) that's all anyone drank - I don't even know if the store sold milk since I imagine it wouldn't be too popular in farm country. It sounds like they are unfamiliar with it and so it makes them nervous. Or they are listening to too many scare tactics.

 

[JaneSmith1010]

I got a scare/hurt like this from a friend regarding our vaccination status. Do not listen to fear mongers, bullies or anyone else. Something has brought you to raw milk, it wasn't just you pulling ideas out of your rear. I feed it to my 2 yo and drank it through my pregnancy. If you are sure your suppliers are clean and ethical you can rest assured that raw milk is healthier for your child than store bought. I think people don't realize the damage pasteurized, homogenized does to your body and that when you pasteurize away the 'good' bacteria in milk you allow the pathogenic bacteria to proliferate. Don't talk about your milk with anyone--that is what I have learned. I call it the herd effect- people feel more comfortable going with popular opinion, even if there is plenty of evidence that this opinion is wrong. Know your research, trust your gut and don't spill the beans!

 

[gardenmommy]

Guess I'm another irresponsible mother, since all of mine enjoy it in one form or another. Make like a duck and let it roll off your back. Most people really don't understand how safe it is, they are only repeating what they have heard repeated over the years.

 

[Storm Bride]

I know very little about raw milk. However, in your OP, you state that you started buying it because your dd had asthma. Therefore, she was obviously "sick so much" before she started drinking it. You also state that she has improved on the raw milk. So...it sounds like the couple at church are talking...just talking. They don't know anything.

 

[sparkly]

For those of you who buy your milk, how long does it last? We've gotten raw milk but I've always pasteurized it myself unless using it that day..

 

[laohaire]

This is why I don't talk about my parenting choices to anyone other than people I know are supportive.

 

[dogmom327]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparkly For those of you who buy your milk, how long does it last? We've gotten raw milk but I've always pasteurized it myself unless using it that day..

Raw milk doesn't go bad (become dangerous to drink) like pasteurized milk does. So technically it lasts until you consume it but on a practical level, it tends to get sour after 7-10 days depending on how cold your fridge is (colder is better). Once it sours though, you can just cook with it.

 

[desertpenguin]

i agree with everything everyone else has said. we quit buying raw milk for about 8 mo now (for various reasons) and i really want to switch back. are you doing kefir? i would suggest that to help further improve your child's health. we also don't talk as much about our parenting choices with others, but i'm getting more to the point where we also don't listen to fear mongers, bullies, or anyone else, as a pp stated. most of the people in our lives who don't like how we do things choose to gossip about it behind our backs rather than flat out be rude to us. however, from the other person's p.o.v i would say they are speaking out of care/concern/love for your child because they don't want to see her hurt, and they are just terribly ignorant on the truth of matters.

 

[fruitfulmomma]

Quote:

For those of you who buy your milk, how long does it last? We've gotten raw milk but I've always pasteurized it myself unless using it that day..

As pp said, raw milk doesn't go bad, it sours... In a good way, not that putrid taste you get from pasteurized milk souring. I would reconsider what you are doing as it contains good bacteria which keeps it safe to drink. Once it becomes pasteurized, those bacteria are dead and can no longer fight off any bad bacteria that it comes into contact with... Which is one of the reasons I believe raw is safer and would buy it if I could afford to.

OP, honestly I would stop speaking to people about this choice. Shameful as it is, many people do believe it is neglectful to feed it to your children,(I've heard raw milk compared to cocaine!) but it sounds like your daughter is doing well and I have heard several people testify to it improving their asthma.

This site has quite a bit of research on it http://realmilk.com/

 

[FernG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparkly For those of you who buy your milk, how long does it last? We've gotten raw milk but I've always pasteurized it myself unless using it that day..

Depending on the milk, mine has soured withing 10-14 days of opening a carton. A sealed carton has tasted fresh 3 weeks later but soured more quickly. Raw milk does not spoil - it naturally sours as the bacteria multiply. It becomes like whey and clotted sour cream. I used sour milk to make sour-cream cheese or for sour smoothies or kefir or even baking (although I hate to do that with raw milk because the heat kills the good bacteria/enzymes).

The term "sour milk" comes from old-fashioned raw milk. Technically, pasteurized milk rots or putrefies.

 

[Ola_]

Mmm, sour milk is so delish. The texture is more like that of plain yogurt than sour cream. We would often pour some milk into mugs and set it aside specifically so that it would sour. It's certainly nothing like when pasteurized milk goes bad, that stuff is just nasty.

 

[Storm Bride]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fruitfulmomma (I've heard raw milk compared to cocaine!)

People are nuts - that's just totally bizarre.