Today was Nugget’s 4 month check up.  Amazing to think that for his next checkup, he’ll be 6 months old.  SIX MONTHS.

He now weighs in at 15.5 pounds and 26 inches.  That’s the 60th and 90th percentile.  I’m happy that he’s just slightly over average in weight, since he’d been born small.  I’m weirdly proud of the fact that he’s TALL.  “Weirdly” because I have nothing to do with it.  I guess that makes me a bonafide parent, proud of every little thing.

He also got his second vaccination today and he DOES NOT LIKE VACCINATIONS.  Screams like a banshee, that one.  During our first visit with this pediatrician, I had a lengthy discussion with her about vaccinations.  I’m strongly against giving them all at once, for starters.  And pretty much against some of them, period.  There’s only a small handful that he’ll be getting, and only one per visit.  He will NOT be getting the MMR vaccination.  This isn’t up for discussion.  Like I said, I’ve learned a thing or two.  I used to think the alternative schedule/anti-vaccination people were crazy.  I also used to think people who did home births were crazy.  Then I learned a thing or two.

So, speaking of “those people,” we’ll be starting yet another thing to make people scratch their heads.  This weekend, we’ll begin giving Felix goat milk, for his primary food source.

This isn’t something I was going to say publicly, because I already got damn near lynched on an online mom group.  Then I decided it was stupid to stay quiet because this is something I believe in, wholeheartedly, and it’s an option that people should know about.

Originally, I had planned to pump exclusively (Felix was never able to latch) for a year.  Then, a couple weeks ago, my supply suddenly dropped and for as much bravado as I had, I was exhausted from the past few months and didn’t have the mental energy to work at getting my supply back up.  I’d hit a wall, as I often did, but this time I just couldn’t get my motivation back.  And then I started to feel resentful and frustrated and decided to stop pumping.  Or at least, stop pumping so often – in theory, I’d like to keep up two session per day and give him one bottle a day, but we’ll see.

However. The reason I’d kept pumping is because I do not like formula.  While I would never judge anyone else for using it, because I feel that it is absolutely a personal choice and everyone has to do what they feel works for them, it does not work for me.  I, myself, do not eat processed foods or chemicals, so I couldn’t justify giving them to my kid.  Let’s face it – no matter how you feel about formula, it IS a processed food and it’s nearly pure chemicals.

I’d been giving him formula, mostly, for the past couple weeks now and every time I’d think, “This isn’t so horrible.  Lots of kids are raised on formula and grow up fine,” then I’d get a whiff of it and feel grossed out and guilty all over again.  I find it disgusting and it doesn’t fit in with my beliefs and lifestyle.

Mind you, I am also a person who refuses to drink pasteurized milk, as I believe raw milk is far superior and yes, even safer than that pasteurized crap.  Don’t believe me?  Or want more information?  Instead of taking up yet more space on that topic, click here to read my rant about raw milk. I drank it all through pregnancy, still drink it, and Chris drinks it, also.  Might I just also add that neither of us has been sick in… oh, a couple years?

So. Today I had another lengthy discussion with our pediatrician about formula and goat milk – which she’d brought up before.  I chose this pediatrician specifically for their natural viewpoints and their stance on vaccinations.  She’s recommended goat milk, in place of formula, to many patients and never had a single problem with it.  I discussed the fact that, unlike before, he wouldn’t just be getting one bottle a day of goat milk, but that it would be about 90% of his diet.

The pros?  Well, to me, the pros are glaringly obvious.  Goat milk is an all natural, safe & healthy substitution. It is NOT as good as breastmilk, of course, but it’s far better than some smelly, scary, non organic chemical concoction that’s sold in cans whose linings have traces of BPA (yes, it’s true – even organic) in them.  Not to mention that whole hexane process. Don’t even get me started.  My pediatrician knows what she’s talking about, as do the many other pediatricians out there who recommend the same thing.  It’s SAFE.  It’s just not mainstream and boy oh boy, my favorite institution, The American Academy of Pediatrics, has scared everyone off of everything that’s natural and not mainstream. (That’s sarcasm, in case you didn’t catch it.  I loathe the AAP.)

And take into consideration that many cultures have given goat milk to their babies since the beginning of time, whenever breastfeeding wasn’t possible.

The cons?  Goat milk has a higher sodium content and can cause renal overload.  CAN.  She said she’s almost never seen this to be a problem – BUT, if we feel better, we can dilute the goat milk with 10% water.   And, quite frankly, I feel better about that than I do about the corn syrup in formula.

Also, goat milk does not have enough Vitamin D or folic acid.  The answer to that is to give him one drop per day of a liquid supplement.  Bear in mind, in this day and age, most ADULTS don’t get enough Vitamin D and many breastfeeding mothers are being told to give their babies vitamin D supplements ANYWAY, for this reason.  Personally, I drink raw milk & take icelandic fermented cod liver oil supplements every day.  That’s just about all the vitamin D we need right there.  (RAW MILK, people.  The vitamin D content is FAR higher than in pasteurized milk.  Pasteurization destroys most of it and it, along with Vitamin A, have to be injected back into the milk afterwards.)

So that’s that.  This weekend I plan on going to scope out a farm that sells raw goat milk.  Know your source.  Honestly, at this point, if you drink pasteurized anything, I don’t see the point in drinking it at all.

I realize that this is not a popular opinion, simply because it isn’t mainstream.  I’m sick of people taking the stance that everything the American Academy of Pediatrics says is gospel.  Or that anything your doctor says is gospel.  There are many viable, safe & healthy alternatives out there that are, in my opinion, far safer and healthier than what AAP recommends.

Chris and I haven’t been sick in a LONG time.  My kid isn’t just healthy, he’s thriving.  So I must be doing something right.  Once he begins eating solids, he’ll be eating foods that I puree myself, bought from farmer’s markets & Pike’s Place and Whole Foods.  That’s what I believe in.

The decision to give him goat milk is not one that I made lightly.  I’ve given it a lot of thought, researched it, talked to other people who’ve done the same, and asked a lot of questions of my pediatrician.  I’m not the kind of mom who just blindly follows what everyone is told, or who takes the easy way out of anything.  I’m also not the kind to be swayed or shaken by people who argue with me and tell me I’m crazy or don’t know what I’m talking about.

However.  My point.  If there’s anyone else out there who finds themselves in the position of having to supplement with formula and isn’t happy about it, there are options.  Drop me a line and I’ll seriously help you find a pediatrician who will guide you and support you in such things – or at least give you enough information to feel confident in making an informed decision.

It’s really ok to challenge the status quo.