Gallon of milk projected to cost $4.50 soon!

[zombielady]

Actually, they say that for babies the fat is some of the stuff they need. As my wife had nursed both of our sons, the nursing consultants and doctors have always emphasized the importance of making sure the baby nurses long enough to get some of that milkfat at the comes at the end of the nursing cycle (called the hindmilk). For our first born, our pediatrician recommended switching from formula to whole milk at a year and then keeping him on whole milk through toddlerhood. Apparently, fat is vital to brain development in infants and toddlers. They say that you should only cut the fat in a baby's diet for certain medical conditions.

Our doctor said nothing but whole milk until like five... and that 2% did not, in fact, have all of the vitamins that vitamin d whole milk has...

(Yay another homer )

[KronoRed]

Rice Milk is the nasty... as with soy milk... I keep telling people that plants are not mammals, and therefore, can not produce quality milk....

People milk is good, though...

That's like..super gross

I like rice milk, soy is super gross as well.

[Yachtzee]

That's like..super gross

I like rice milk, soy is super gross as well.

Not to babies.

[KronoRed]

Well I moved past that stage 20 something years ago

[Yachtzee]

Well I moved past that stage 20 something years ago

I seem to recall a well circulated craigslist ad a while back where a house full of vegans were looking for a nursing mom to move in for free rent in exchange for providing breast milk for the other residents to drink. Apparently they had heard of the health benefits and wanted to try it out. Bizarre to be sure, but not nearly as gross as the woman I saw on TV who fried up her placenta and served it as an appetizer for a dinner party.

[OldRightHander]

Very interesting thread, especially the inside information in the first page, but there is something that has gotten on my nerves for years. It's the use of the term "organic." Aren't all animal and vegetable products organic, by the definition of the word? I know what is meant by the word, but it still irritates the grammar pedant in me. When I go into the grocery and see the organic tomatoes, what are the other tomatoes made of, plastic? It's all organic, folks.

[redsfanfalcon]

Very interesting thread, especially the inside information in the first page, but there is something that has gotten on my nerves for years. It's the use of the term "organic." Aren't all animal and vegetable products organic, by the definition of the word? I know what is meant by the word, but it still irritates the grammar pedant in me. When I go into the grocery and see the organic tomatoes, what are the other tomatoes made of, plastic? It's all organic, folks.

GREAT post...my wife is a dietitian, my dad is a dairy farmer (explained on page one), and she keeps saying you're dad should have gone organic, and he would never have had to sell out. I told her that is the most overused term. What a waste. Isn't everything all natural? I mean everything came from something, right? Man may have thrown it together, but it still had to come from something natural.

[redsfanfalcon]

I have been concerned with these topics as well lately. My 11 month old daughter will soon be switching from infant formula to whole milk. I don't drink milk (just never liked the taste), so up until recently, I have been oblivious to milk prices or the controversies regarding antibiotics, hormones, etc. What really got my attention a few months ago was coming across an article claiming that girls as young as 4 years old were hitting puberty and some theories are trying to tie that back to hormones in diary products and meat. Now, I'm not gullable enough to buy into this without any sort of hard facts, but it does make you stop and think about what you are feeding your children. Then, of course, there is the cost. I think I could probably sacrifice a few bucks in other areas to make sure my child gets the best possible nutrition, but I feel for families who may not have as many options and whose children may suffer the consequences.

There are also a lot of hormones in the meat these days...especially in chicken. They are trying to get these chickens to mature faster to make a buck more quickly, and our kids are paying for it by hitting puberty earlier.

[GAC]

Actually, they say that for babies the fat is some of the stuff they need. As my wife had nursed both of our sons, the nursing consultants and doctors have always emphasized the importance of making sure the baby nurses long enough to get some of that milkfat at the comes at the end of the nursing cycle (called the hindmilk). For our first born, our pediatrician recommended switching from formula to whole milk at a year and then keeping him on whole milk through toddlerhood. Apparently, fat is vital to brain development in infants and toddlers. They say that you should only cut the fat in a baby's diet for certain medical conditions.

It really, I guess, comes down to the individual needs of the child. All are different. Whole milk is appropriate for toddlers and for people who are having trouble getting all the fat and calories they need. But if your child is getting the fat and calories in other areas it is wise to switch them to 2%. Some say after age 2. In our situation, our son, around age 2-3, was a little pudge. And that is when the doctor recommended switching to 2%. Most types of milk have approximately 300 mg of calcium per 8 fluid ounces; but with lowfat you're getting less calories and fat (National Institutes of Health National Institute of Child Health and Development).

I went back on whole milk about two years ago because my body, and I'm assuming it is due to age, is having a hard time absorbing the vitamin D. I also have osteopenia. I'm also on script vitiamin D as well as Actenol, and it has helped trememdously. My last bone scan was very good.

[OldRightHander]

We don't drink anything but whole milk, mainly because until I see a 2% cow I'm not buying 2% milk. I'm still a kid at heart though because I can't stand the taste of white milk without some chocolate in it. I wonder how many households without kids keep Nestle's Quik around.

[Yachtzee]

It really, I guess, comes down to the individual needs of the child. All are different. Whole milk is appropriate for toddlers and for people who are having trouble getting all the fat and calories they need. But if your child is getting the fat and calories in other areas it is wise to switch them to 2%. Some say after age 2. In our situation, our son, around age 2-3, was a little pudge. And that is when the doctor recommended switching to 2%. Most types of milk have approximately 300 mg of calcium per 8 fluid ounces; but with lowfat you're getting less calories and fat (National Institutes of Health National Institute of Child Health and Development).

I went back on whole milk about two years ago because my body, and I'm assuming it is due to age, is having a hard time absorbing the vitamin D. I also have osteopenia. I'm also on script vitiamin D as well as Actenol, and it has helped trememdously. My last bone scan was very good.

Sure, as kids get older, drop them down to lowfat. We did that with our oldest after he hit age 3 because we drink lowfat and it was getting really expensive buying two different kinds of milk all the time. But for an 11 mo. old as MrsHammer was talking about, fat still is a pretty important part of the diet. They rarely talk about babies being overweight, but if there's a concern, it's probably better to talk to a doctor first before cutting fat from the baby's diet.

[zombielady]

That's like..super gross

What's gross about it? You're a people right?

I'm what you might call a lactation activist. I nearly went through the roof when my mother in law suggested that "formula was just as good, if not better than breast milk"

[Yachtzee]

What's gross about it? You're a people right?

I'm what you might call a lactation activist. I nearly went through the roof when my mother in law suggested that "formula was just as good, if not better than breast milk"

I think that's the view that was popular when I was a baby. I can remember as a child, back in the days when you might reasonably believe that your Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs cereal was good for you because it was enriched with vitamins and minerals. Plain white Wonder Bread was supposed to be healthy food for kids.

I'm all for natural feeding methods. Not only is it good for babies, but formula is so freakin' expensive. If you think gas prices or milk prices are high, take a stroll down the baby isle and check out those costs.

[cincinnati chili]

Has anyone ever done any studies to see if money has changed hands between the American Medical Association and the Dairy Farmer Lobby?

The Dairy Lobby ads frequently show endorsements of the AMA. But it is my understanding (and I'm sure the dairy farmers here will correct me if I'm wrong) that doctors outside the U.S. have soft-pedalled their support of milk-drinking by humans. We're the only species that consumes milk of other species.

This doesn't mean I don't like dairy. I eat a fair amount of dairy, esp. cheese. I try to limit my ice cream consumption, but love it. For drinking, I switched to soy milk a few years ago, and now prefer it.

So overall, I like milk, but it seems to me that most parties without a dog in the fight discourage drinking it:

http://www.notmilk.com/

[KronoRed]

What's gross about it? You're a people right?

I am.

I just don't know if I'm ready to buy that off of store shelves