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So I've been some research on raw milk.. I've even found a supplier very close to me.. but I was wondering.. Have any of you or your children gotten sick? I know you can get sick just as easily from spinach, etc that you buy from the store.. I was just wondering if there was an increase with raw milk! Thanks so much!
 

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We drink nothing but raw milk--in fact, I'm not sure if any of the three younger children have ever had any pasteurized milk--and nobody has gotten sick.
 

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We only use raw and no issues here. I have a theory that if people were getting sick, we'd hear about it on the news. Those are the stories the media and government loves (...those crazy raw milk drinkers!).
 

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provided you get your supply from a healthy (hopefully grass-fed) animal, the raw milk should be just as healthy (mostly more) than pasturized milk. The studies have shown raw milk from healthy cows contains less harmful bacteria then milk from conventional dairy cows on antibiotics. You have little to worry about.
 

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Nope, no sickness here. DD's never even had a hint of a tummy bug. I've occasionally gotten sick from dicey restaurant food but never my raw milk.
 

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When DH met me and took up my raw milk habit, he had a mild digestive upset for the first couple of days. This is known to happen for some people, as raw milk -- like natural yogurt, and other living foods -- does affect your gut flora. It's a change for the better, but the process can sometimes be a little unpleasant at first. So it's best to start slowly, especially if you're the sort of person who tends to have a sensitive stomach (e.g., has to avoid the tap water when traveling, even in developed countries with proper sanitation), or if you've been eating a typical American diet with lots of sugar and refined foods.

Other than that, there have been no problems for any of us. I've been drinking raw milk for years; I'm on my fourth pregnancy drinking it, and all three of our children drink it. The children get far fewer colds and "tummy bugs" than their friends do, and have never been sick to their stomachs for more than a few hours. By the time I get around to finding the Pedialyte, they're all better, ready to eat and drink normally again, and back to running laps around the house.


ETA: We drink certified raw milk. If it weren't so stringently inspected, I'd definitely want to visit the farm and check things out for myself, especially before feeding it to little ones.
 

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Going on 4 years, nope!

The most important thing is that it is from pastured cows not kept in stalls and they are fed proper food such as hay during off season, not grains. Then their digestive system, feces and surroundings will be healthy and not contain bad bacteria to begin with.

And actually tests have been done where bad bacteria was introduced INTO raw milk and it was killed off. More info at the Organic Pastures website I believe. The good bacteria and other immune cells protect the milk... this is talked about more often regarding breastmilk but it is the same principle.
 

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Nope. No problems here. I have been drinking raw milk for three years. When I was pregnant with dd, I drank between 1/2 and one gallon a day!
I don't recall having a stomach bug since I started the raw milk. And I was one of those folks prone to such things. And dd drinks it and has never had vomiting or diarrhea. And she's 27 months.
Make sure they treat the cows well, but that's my only caveat. Our farmer's cows are sung to by the girls who milk them! They really like it.
 

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DH & I have been drinking Raw Milk through a cow share for about a year, and neither of us have ever gotten sick from it. DH gets sinus issues from pasteurized/homogenized milk but the raw does not affect him this way.
 

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Quote:

Originally Posted by JaneS View Post
The most important thing is that it is from pastured cows not kept in stalls and they are fed proper food such as hay during off season, not grains. Then their digestive system, feces and surroundings will be healthy and not contain bad bacteria to begin with.
I'm not sure about this being "the most important thing." Pasture feeding is great, of course, but many cultures have been feeding some amount of grains to their cattle for a *long* time. As I understand it, there hasn't been a big problem with milk-borne diseases unless the housing and feed were clearly deficient, or the dairy workers had poor health and sanitation standards. I wouldn't want people to avoid raw milk just because their only available source happened to use some grains as a supplement to hay and pasture feeding -- which AFAIK is a nearly universal practice, even among responsible, small-scale farmers. Maybe this isn't what you were referring to, but I just wanted to clarify.

From what I've read here and elsewhere, there's actually some question as to whether a 100% grass/hay diet is "responsible management" for all cattle. The heritage breeds such as Brown Swiss and Canadienne can apparently do okay, but the heavier producing modern animals, such as Holsteins, have historically been thought to need some grain to keep them healthy. There's been some discussion of this subject in these past threads:

Pasture/grass-fed dairy goats (despite the title, has some discussion of cattle)
How much is your raw milk?
Would you drink milk from grain-fed cows if that was the only option?

I'm similarly confused about the stipulation, "not kept in stalls." Does this mean not 24/7/365... or not over, say, 50% of the time... or not ever?
 

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nope, definitely not! My DD is 2 and has never (except for when she is at grandma's house...but I let it slide...) had anything but raw milk. She drinks a LOT of it- she loves the stuff. And has never ever ever gotten sick from it. We drink raw milk, raw milk kefir, raw milk yogurt, raw cheese, sour cream, etc.... and I have seriously never felt better since starting this diet!
 

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nope, not in five years. in fact when we moved temporarily last year, DS got pretty sick from the store bought organic milk. his ears filled up with fluid, his tonsils got huge and he developed an asthma cough. when we switched back to raw milk it all cleared up in a matter of days.
 

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We've done both cow and goat milk, going on 3 years and never had a problem with either one. I suggest you go visit the farm you'd get it from. Ask questions, see the cows and the process - just get a tour. The farmer ought to be willing to do that for you. We did it with both the cows and the goats. It's an extra bonus for your kids to get to see the animals their milk comes from! You'll get a good idea of the quality of the milk from the farmer.
 
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