We’re going to talk about our human baby for a change!
My younger child was adopted as a tiny baby. As much as I would have loved to nurse her, breastfeeding wasn’t an option with her as it was with my older child. I was going to need to give her formula.
While the baby was still in the hospital, her birth mother pointed to the brand of formula the hospital was giving her, and said “None of my other kids did well on that.” During the hustle and bustle of bringing home our new family member, the offhand comment was forgotten… When we settled in, we continued to give her the same formula she was given in the hospital nursery. Sure enough, my daughter vomited all the time. UGH. I was constantly changing my clothes, and her clothes, and kept my rocking chair covered in burp cloths to toss in the wash along with everything else that she puked on. I was so busy taking care of my newborn that it was weeks before I remembered the remark about the formula!
Consult your doctor when in doubt.
Now before I say anything else, I’d like to say that if you have any concerns about your baby’s diet, please consult your pediatrician. Nothing in this article is meant to substitute for or override your doctor’s advice. Experts agree that breastmilk is best for baby, but if you need (or choose) to feed formula, I hope my experience helps you decide which brand to buy.
My baby could have been vomiting for a number of different reasons, from reflux to allergies, but the easiest thing for me to do for starters was to change what she ate and see if there were improvements. As dairy goat farmers ourselves, my husband and I understand the benefits of goat milk and that it is often easier to digest than cow milk. In my search for a commercially-available goat milk formula*, I discovered Kabrita.
Here are some reasons I chose Kabrita for my baby:
Because Kabrita is made in the Netherlands, it is subject to strict European standards limiting the use of antibiotics, growth hormones and pesticides. Kabrita is free of heavy metals and free from GMOs. These are very important points for us. We wanted to make sure that nothing in our baby’s food would harm her.
Kabrita goat milk formula begins with (of course) goat milk. Goat milk contains less Alpha S1-casein than is found in cow milk. Breast milk and goat milk are both naturally low in aS1-casein, forming a softer curd in the stomach than cow milk produces. That smaller curd is easy for baby to digest and digests quicker than cow milk. Added goat milk whey brings the whey-to-casein ratio more in line with breast milk, which makes the curd even easier to digest. Research has shown that goat milk contains six times the amount of prebiotic oligosaccharides than cow milk, too. Hooray for happy tummies!
Fats are important foods for growing babies. Fat helps baby’s brain develop and supports their rapid growth during the newborn phase by making fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K more readily absorbed. Kabrita contains beta-palmitate fat blends that are shown to improve bone density, nutrient absorption and even the consistency of baby’s poops. Kabrita is fortified with 22 important vitamins and minerals, including folic acid, iron and DHA. Kabrita includes lactose, which is a naturally-occurring carbohydrate, for gut support and calcium absorption.
We ordered a sample of Kabrita formula through their introductory offer (click here to get a generous discount on your first can of formula) and as soon as it arrived, we started the gradual transition from her old formula by adding Kabrita to our daughter’s bottle, following the recommended amounts on Kabrita’s website. I’m happy to report that she not only tolerated the formula perfectly well (as we expected), but also the vomiting stopped!
Our baby has been drinking Kabrita goat milk formula for over eight months and is thriving. Our pediatrician is delighted with her progress! Now that our baby is 13 months old, she’s been given the go-ahead to start drinking whole goat milk, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still give her Kabrita products. Kabrita also makes a delicious goat milk porridge with apple and cinnamon, and goat cheese snack puffs that make mealtime fun for babies beginning to eat solid foods.
*You might be wondering why I didn’t give my baby straight goat milk. Our physician explained to us that the acid levels between whole milk and baby’s tummy are not compatible until baby is 10 months of age at the very earliest, but a year is a comfortable threshold. Not only that, straight goat milk wouldn’t fulfill all of baby’s nutritional needs, and formulas are supplemented according to the demands of a growing baby’s brain and body. As always, consult your physician for advice when you believe it’s time to transition your own baby to milk.
Although this post does contain affiliate links to Kabrita USA‘s website, I was a loyal customer for months before I discovered that Kabrita has an affiliate program. I believe in Kabrita USA‘s products or I would not be suggesting that you try them. I do receive a small commission on each sale I refer to Kabrita USA, but it does not affect your purchase price in any way, and it helps me maintain this website. Thank you for helping me out!