Mollie, question about raw milk

cameragirl21 wrote: Mollie, figured maybe you'd know the answer to this, depending on how long you've been drinking raw milk.
I've been drinking it for several months and love it, but I was wondering, is it safe to drink while pg and do you give it to your kids and if so, how old do they have to be before you'd call it safe?
The guy at Whole Foods who sells me the milk has 2 kids, ages 7 and 3 and he says they drink the milk and they're fine and that it's fine for pg women and even said if you don't BF, it's better for infants than formula...I'm not so sure I believe that last part.
Anywho, I know you BF for over a year but I don't see myself BFing for more than 12 months, if that so would you say it's safe for a 12 month old baby to drink? And would you/did you drink it while pg?
Before anyone asks, no, I am not pg, just thinking of the future as I'm so hooked on raw that I don't see myself going back to pasteurized yet I'm such a milkaholic that I don't see myself going without for 40 weeks either so I figured I'd figure out a plan B before it's an issue, if a plan B is needed.
Potentially risking my health is one thing, risking the health of my child is a whole other story.

mommy~to~a~bunch replied: I disagree about the part of it being better for infants than formula, too. I've never drank it while PG, but I wouldn't hesitate at all to drink it then. I'm still BFing Abby, and of course I drink it now too. Abby is almost 18 months old, and drinks it on occasion (with supper only). I only give her whole milk though (I save a gallon each week & don't skim the cream off. The other girls love it whole too.).

I see no reason why a 12 month old couldn't have it. http://www.realmilk.com/raw-milk-babies.html . I'd personally wait as long as possible to introduce it. I waited until about 15 months with Abby.

cameragirl21 replied: thanks so much for the info!
Btw, do you skim the fat off the milk that you drink? Sounds like only the girls are getting it whole. If so, how are you doing that? I thought you'd have to freeze it to skim the fat off? Is that what you are doing? I find a big globule of fat at the very top, that comes out when you pour it but then for the rest of it, it mostly sticks the the sides of the container but it tastes very rich and creamy like whole milk. I love it whole but if there was an easy way to skim off some of the milk fat, I suppose it may be healthier that way....

mommy~to~a~bunch replied:

cameragirl21 replied: Thanks again for the info, Mollie...may as well drink it whole, then, it's much tastier that way.

mommy~to~a~bunch replied:
Yes it is!!

punkeemunkee'smom replied: Mollie and Jennifer~Are the cattle you get your 'raw' milk from exclusively grass fed?

cameragirl21 replied: This is where I get mine, I think they are grass fed, not sure....
www.goldenfleece.net

mommy~to~a~bunch replied:
Yes. A friend of mine has the cow, and we've been to their place many times to see her (the cow). Her name is Sweet Pea , and she's a sweetheart!

punkeemunkee'smom replied: I have researched a bit about raw milk and I have found that the common thread that runs through both sides of the debate is that 100% grass fed cows have less pathogens in their waste and therfore the risk for milk contamination is much lower than cows that are fed grain. I found it very interesting. Unfortunately their are no exclusively grass fed dairy cows around me.....

cameragirl21 replied:
I will call Golden Fleece tomorrow and find out if their cows are exclusively grass fed. TBH, I'm really not worried, although maybe I should be, idk. I've been drinking it for months and so far, so good. And it's just delicious, tastes like what milk should taste like.
Btw, couldn't you get your own dairy cow(s)? Idk anything about owning cows but if I recall correctly, you guys have some pet cows, right? You had mentioned that they're not dairy cows but couldn't you get some dairy calves? Do you have space to keep them and do you know how to milk them? If I lived out in the country and had lots of land, I'd want to have some dairy cows, sure beats the hell out of paying over 4 dollars per every 2 liters of milk.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: We do have cattle and we have some babies that we are bottle feeding again (I posted pics a few days ago) Yes, we could get a dairy cow but they don't just give milk when you need it-KWIM? Depending they can give 3-7 gallons a day plus they need to be milked 2x a day...not that I have not thought of it but it is a TON of work and not something I have time for right now.

TANNER'S MOM replied: Not my thread, but Diary cows are really for someone who is HOME is ALOT. They have to be milked and there is no waiting. And you have to be set up a bit differently for Diary cows than meat cattle. A milk barn, storage, etc.

cameragirl21 replied:
oh, i see, i know you have to keep the cow pg to get the milk but i gotta say, judging by the line of people waiting to get the milk at whole foods when it gets delivered every week, if you started your own tiny version of golden fleece, you'd have it made, esp if raw milk is legal in your state. in fl, it's illegal so golden fleece markets it for pet use only but everyone who buys it at whole foods is drinking it themselves.
btw, it may sound dumb but if you did get that much milk and couldn't drink it all, i bet if you posted an ad on craig's list, you'd have takers. i'd be ecstatic if i could find a local person to buy my milk from, i bet it would be cheaper than whole foods (i think everything is cheaper than whole foods though) and i could get it more or less when i want and not on whole foods' schedule. just a thought if you ever decided to get a dairy cow.

punkeemunkee'smom replied:
Actually in Holstiens (the common black and white dairy cows) and Jerseys (the brown milk cows) they give milk-they don't have to be pregnant and they produce hormones when they are nursing which is one of the common reasons they pull the calves off them in a dairy. As odd as it is they are not the greatest mommas because their colostrum is watered down so much by the milk they produce. We have joked about getting a holstien momma to feed the bottle babies for us

TANNER'S MOM replied: The same with Dairy goats. They don't have to be breed to give milk. There are dairy cows, goats etc.

Crystalina replied:
I would think if you were going to go the raw milk route that a dairy goat would be less work wouldn't it. If it were just for your family I mean. You wouldn't produce more then you could take. Either way they are both work. I don't milk my goats and they are a handful. I could only imagine.

I wonder if it's the same kind of raw milk. If one is better then the other or if it's just taste?

holley79 replied:
I think goats milk is richer then cows milk imo. If we were zoned differently I would defiantly get a couple of goats. Annika loves goats milk. Now and again I get it from one of my deputies here.