Organic milk or not?

BabyHope2013

Hello,

I will be transitioning my son over to whole milk in about 2 more weeks. I am trying to decide whether to use organic milk or not. What do you ladies do and why? Thanks in advance. 

DLo13

I use organic.  My pedi said it wasn't necessary but preferred and since it's just as easy to find these days I said why not.  I try and get the one with DHA.

biancag7

I use organic also. Just bc I hear so much about the added hormone thing & yes I know hormones are added in all food but milk is such a big part of their diet right now..

jasminelorraine20

I use organic chocolate and whole milk. I feel better knowing my kid isn't drinking milk with added hormones, pesticides and anitbiotics. . Even I drink organic- usually Horizon, but not always.

smileybabyboy

I give DS organic. The added hormones, etc make me nervous.  They say that could be the cause of children reaching puberty at such young ages. Who knows, but it makes me feel better using organic. 

mrsshawnavanb

We use organic too, for the same reasons listed above. Here's an article you might find helpful...

https://pediatrics.about.com/od/milk/a/08_organic_milk.htm

BabyCarryingVessel

Regular whole milk. I can see how hormones and antibiotics can make some people nervous, but as a farm girl I'll tell you that organic is not better (or worse). I think research has recently shown that organic is higher in Omega 3s, and conventional is higher in Omega 6s. Both are good for you, but organic is not necessarily safer or more nutritious, according to legitimate research. Farmers only administer antibiotics when the animal is sick or compromised, as they should since it's the humane thing to do. Antibiotics have a withdrawal period that farmers must abide by. All milk is highly regulated by the FDA and they're really strict about antibiotic residues, so farmers are extremely careful because they really don't want an entire truck load of milk rejected because of antibiotic residues.

As far as hormones, all milk naturally contains hormones (BST), and it's impossible to detect the difference between rBST (added hormones) and BST. The added hormones add scant amounts of estrogen to a serving of milk (less than 1 nanogram of estrogen), but a serving of cabbage contains 2,700 nanograms of estrogen. Hormones are in everything; they are not evil, nor are they contributing to children hitting puberty sooner.  

There's an extreme disconnect between consumers and farmers. I always encourage folks to find a CSA (community supported agriculture) program, and purchase from local farmers. Farmers through CSA programs are usually more than happy to let you tour their operation, and answer any questions you might have about how your food is raised.

cedenton

Regular. We started on organic, but he gets most of his intake at DC and it's regular milk so it seemed silly to keep buying organic. I did buy it this last time, though, because the grocery store was literally out of regular whole milk. Weirdest thing.

ExcitedMum2B

We do organic milk, although our pedi said there was no real difference.

jennyelf

Organic, but only because it seems to last longer in our fridge before going bad.

jasminelorraine20

jennyelf said:

Organic, but only because it seems to last longer in our fridge before going bad.

I noticed this too.

Meery82

jasminelorraine20 said:

jennyelf said:

Organic, but only because it seems to last longer in our fridge before going bad.

I noticed this too.

I think I read somewhere that it is ultra-pasteurized, so it lasts longer.

We only buy organic milk. I think it's just a personal preference.

Aurora_Borealis

We do regular, but that is because none of the dairies near me use hormones. If that was not the case I would buy organic.

[Deleted User]

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mb314

I give DS organic milk with DHA added.  I don't know if the DHA is bullsh!t or not, but I decided it might be good to have it added in. 

SBmomma

Organic! Absolutely! 

LittleApple

Wegmans regular whole.  It doesn't contain any antibiotics.

twinkletoes3126

We do organic.

buzzbee24

Organic. The hormones and antibiotics are a concern, but I am in no way an expert regarding the difference between organic vs. regular (for lack of a better term). I mainly do organic because I have a picky eater and I can find organic milk with added DHA which is great for brain development. I guess whichever you choose will be fine. It just depends on your personal thoughts of organic benefits, my pedi said either was ok. 

jllmb79

We do Organic.  I am no expert on the difference between the two.  I have seen some of the stuff regulated by FDA that was let in to the US.....I have no trust in the FDA.

pmduggan01

Regular.

kalette

I used to get organic milk until I bought a jug that DD wouldn't touch. I tasted it and it was like drinking a freaking Sharpie pen. I started buying regular milk after that because I lost my trust in that brand.

Meery82

kalette said:

I used to get organic milk until I bought a jug that DD wouldn't touch. I tasted it and it was like drinking a freaking Sharpie pen. I started buying regular milk after that because I lost my trust in that brand.

Ugh. What brand?

vamomtobe

@BabyCarryingVessel - thanks for the info, I'm one who does organic milk, not necessarily organic everything, because of concerns over antibiotic use.  Your post made me realize I'm just kind of accepting commonly repeated soundbites without looking into it myself.  Considering the difference in cost between organic and non, if there's not really any cause for concern, I'll be switching to regular.  We go through it fast enough that the longer shelf time isn't a deciding factor.  Do you have any recommended reading?  Thanks!

plus12012

We don't use organic milk at home but our DC provider swears by it and it's all she gives the kiddos.

zbeesma86

we use organic- publix greenwise or horizon (sometimes they are on sale 2 for 6)

it lasts longer for us. I don't drink whole milk- DD does and she only has about a cup and a half a day.

kalette

Meery82 said:

kalette said:

I used to get organic milk until I bought a jug that DD wouldn't touch. I tasted it and it was like drinking a freaking Sharpie pen. I started buying regular milk after that because I lost my trust in that brand.

Ugh. What brand?

It was Horizon Organic whole milk (no dha).

ttimmerman

BabyCarryingVessel said:

Regular whole milk. I can see how hormones and antibiotics can make some people nervous, but as a farm girl I'll tell you that organic is not better (or worse). I think research has recently shown that organic is higher in Omega 3s, and conventional is higher in Omega 6s. Both are good for you, but organic is not necessarily safer or more nutritious, according to legitimate research. Farmers only administer antibiotics when the animal is sick or compromised, as they should since it's the humane thing to do. Antibiotics have a withdrawal period that farmers must abide by. All milk is highly regulated by the FDA and they're really strict about antibiotic residues, so farmers are extremely careful because they really don't want an entire truck load of milk rejected because of antibiotic residues.

As far as hormones, all milk naturally contains hormones (BST), and it's impossible to detect the difference between rBST (added hormones) and BST. The added hormones add scant amounts of estrogen to a serving of milk (less than 1 nanogram of estrogen), but a serving of cabbage contains 2,700 nanograms of estrogen. Hormones are in everything; they are not evil, nor are they contributing to children hitting puberty sooner.  

There's an extreme disconnect between consumers and farmers. I always encourage folks to find a CSA (community supported agriculture) program, and purchase from local farmers. Farmers through CSA programs are usually more than happy to let you tour their operation, and answer any questions you might have about how your food is raised.

Thank you for your input, this was very enlightening. We've always just used regular whole milk, and this just reinforces that decision. I think a of people just assume organic is better without doing any research or looking into it - seems pretty silly to be paying 2-3 times as much for your milk when there's virtually no difference.

smileybabyboy

Meery82 said:

kalette said:

I used to get organic milk until I bought a jug that DD wouldn't touch. I tasted it and it was like drinking a freaking Sharpie pen. I started buying regular milk after that because I lost my trust in that brand.

Ugh. What brand?

It was probably a bad batch. 

minervacullen

Regular. But DS didn't start wcm until 3 years and Dd is still getting momma milk.

BLPL101

Don't plan on introducing it for a few months but we buy organic. GMOs scare the crap out of me,

BabyCarryingVessel

@vamomtobe, sorry just now seeing your post! I always encourage people to find information from .edu sources, or articles that site .edu sources.

Not about milk, but just in general... https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/organic-food-no-more-nutritious-than-conventionally-grown-food-201209055264 

https://calorielab.com/news/2006/08/15/organic-milk-health-claims-not-supported-by-science/

And here's one I referenced earlier about the Omega 3s vs. 6s. This is the only additional benefit research has found for organic milk. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/yep-organic-milk-really-better-you-regular-milk-2D11712970 

Organic farmers have a lot of hoops to jump through and certification is extremely difficult to obtain, so they certainly deserve premiums for their products. I just don't like seeing attack on conventional agriculture, especially from a blogger who reads an article on naturalmommy.com, then suddenly is an expert in agriculture.

I'm also not sure when "grain fed" became a bad thing. Have you ever seen how excited a steer gets when you give him a bucket of grain?? A pasture of green grass makes them equally excited, though. Both methods are perfectly acceptable.

 

 

MrsLele

I'm not introducing cows milk at all. DD still breast feeds and I may do almond or coconut milk eventually.

kderham

We use organic but on the occasions that the real organic isn't available (Horizon and the Wal-Mart brand aren't really organic) I make sure it is simply rBST-free. I know that pedis always say there is no difference but I have seen enough puberty, cancer and other health issues to think that something is up and I'm not risking it with my little guy. Plus, scientists don't always figure things out right away. We can't afford an all organic diet but since he does drink so much milk, its important to me that this part (and certain fruits) be organic. At DC, I just bring milk for him to drink and they are great about it.  

Meery82

kderham said:

We use organic but on the occasions that the real organic isn't available (Horizon and the Wal-Mart brand aren't really organic) I make sure it is simply rBST-free. I know that pedis always say there is no difference but I have seen enough puberty, cancer and other health issues to think that something is up and I'm not risking it with my little guy. Plus, scientists don't always figure things out right away. We can't afford an all organic diet but since he does drink so much milk, its important to me that this part (and certain fruits) be organic. At DC, I just bring milk for him to drink and they are great about it.  

Please explain?

michelle615

Regular whole milk

kderham

For organic milk, cows are supposed to be pasture raised or at the very least spend the majority of their time in pastures. This was established by the organic farming community and is known to be the standard. However, the official rules/laws (USDA) for something to be certified organic states that they have pasture "available" but stipulates nothing about the actual amount of time the cows should have free range of the pasture. Horizon and associated milk brands (Great Value Organic Milk) have small pastures on their farms but the cows do not actually get to use the pasture. This may not seem like a big deal to some people, and I get that, but when the cows are in stalls, their muscles do not develop in the same healthy way, they are more likely to become ill as they are in closely confined quarters, which will require veterinary intervention. Ever wonder why Wal-Mart organic milk is so much cheaper? Have you noticed Starbucks no longer carries Horizon milk? Its because people are very upset that this company is knowingly scamming people out of extra money and they want true organic goods.

Its a bit challenging to explain. The link below has an article about it which may explain it better. https://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_8105.cfm

Meery82

kderham said:

For organic milk, cows are supposed to be pasture raised or at the very least spend the majority of their time in pastures. This was established by the organic farming community and is known to be the standard. However, the official rules/laws (USDA) for something to be certified organic states that they have pasture "available" but stipulates nothing about the actual amount of time the cows should have free range of the pasture. Horizon and associated milk brands (Great Value Organic Milk) have small pastures on their farms but the cows do not actually get to use the pasture. This may not seem like a big deal to some people, and I get that, but when the cows are in stalls, their muscles do not develop in the same healthy way, they are more likely to become ill as they are in closely confined quarters, which will require veterinary intervention. Ever wonder why Wal-Mart organic milk is so much cheaper? Have you noticed Starbucks no longer carries Horizon milk? Its because people are very upset that this company is knowingly scamming people out of extra money and they want true organic goods.

Its a bit challenging to explain. The link below has an article about it which may explain it better. https://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_8105.cfm

Good to know. Thanks for the info. It sounds like the Target brand is part of that scam also. Which is unfortunate, since that is the majority of organic milk that we buy. That and Horizon. There really aren't any other organic brands carried in my area. I'm going to have to figure something out. That really pisses me off. X(

mrsbhk22

We buy from a local organic farmer. It's ultra pasteurized but not homogenized. It comes in a glass bottle and it's the best $3 we spend on groceries. Now I think regular milk tastes like cardboard or plastic.

sunnyday016

Our family does regular 2%. Our grocery store brand does not have any added hormones. DS gets almond milk though, because we suspect a little dairy intolerance.

smileybabyboy

kderham said:

For organic milk, cows are supposed to be pasture raised or at the very least spend the majority of their time in pastures. This was established by the organic farming community and is known to be the standard. However, the official rules/laws (USDA) for something to be certified organic states that they have pasture "available" but stipulates nothing about the actual amount of time the cows should have free range of the pasture. Horizon and associated milk brands (Great Value Organic Milk) have small pastures on their farms but the cows do not actually get to use the pasture. This may not seem like a big deal to some people, and I get that, but when the cows are in stalls, their muscles do not develop in the same healthy way, they are more likely to become ill as they are in closely confined quarters, which will require veterinary intervention. Ever wonder why Wal-Mart organic milk is so much cheaper? Have you noticed Starbucks no longer carries Horizon milk? Its because people are very upset that this company is knowingly scamming people out of extra money and they want true organic goods.

Its a bit challenging to explain. The link below has an article about it which may explain it better. https://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_8105.cfm

Oh wow, I just read the article.  I will no longer be buying Horizon.  How do we know if the brand we buy is actually organic then??