Organic Milk...Does anyone else do this...and why?!

[Camping Griswalds]

I was just having a discussion with my girlfriend whom has a 3 yo DD. She stated that they only give her Organic milk. Mostly because of all of the extras added into milk, and the cows getting all of that extra hormones to produce more milk. I am new to having a baby again, and am just wondering how many of you do this (feed girls only Organic Milk) and why you feel it is necessary. Also poor boys of mine are 9 and 13, so I guess the harm to them is already done? People don't seem as worried about giving the regular milk to boys as they do to girls. Opinions welcome!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Yes--b/c I would rather my child not develop at the age of 6, 7, or 8.

They get organic yogurt as well--but not cheese b/c it is just too darn expensive. I would feed boys as well--and although they aren't going to develop in that way--they don't need female hormones that their body doesn't already naturally contain.

However--DD decided she likes soymilk better.

the other reason I get it--we don't consume a lot of milk as a family. Organic dairy products have a longer shelf life (I think it is b/c they go from cow to shelf in a much quicker pace), they are good for 7 days once opened (as long as it is consumed before the expiration date).

I had so much milk go bad before I had kids b/c I can't stand the stuff to drink but use it in things....we were down to half gallons and milk would still go bad. I found that last benefit when we began purchasing milk for my oldest.

 

[Brina]

My children drink organic milk, and I try to mostly as well. Read fast food nation for a full explanation. Basically, non-organic the cows are raised in unsanitary conditions. To couteract this they are fed massive does of antibiotics, thus contributing to the antibiotic reistent bacteria problem in this country. In addition, they are fed hormones to keep their milk production high - these hormones pass into milk. I don't think this is something that my children need to be ingesting.

 

[kdtwiss]

I do when I can, if $$ were more plentiful I would do it always.
This may be a gross out explanation but since you asked -
cow's milk is basically cow breast milk , since I would not want to be taking hormones or other such drugs/medicines while breastfeeding - imo it would stand to reason to avoid it in cow's milk if possible.

 

[minkydog]

Nope. My kids happily drink milk on sale, eat lettuce from a bag, ground beef in a tube, and drink soda at least once a day. I don't let them smoke though. None of them has developed early. The only one who has any health problems at all is the one born with brain-damage(hardly caused by all that horrible milk!) I think it's fine if others want to use it. I'm glad it's available for them. I just don't think it's necessary. I'm sure mothers in South America would love to have our cast off yogurt, produce, cheese, and bagels even if it has all those icky preservatives in them. In the meantime, I'll continue to feed my kids healthy meals of fresh veggies from Publix & fresh chicken from Krogers, and some red meat now & then. I believe our diet is "good enough".

 

[3boyzmom]

I also give my children organic milk (all Boys). We try to use as many organic products as possible because we feel it is better for our boys not to be needlesly exposed to chemicals and that organic products are much more environmentally friendly.

 

[liamandcaili]

I have been having milk from a local dairy delivered to my house ever since my DS was 18 months. My DD has never had anything but dairy-fresh, organic milk. Even if regular milk didn't have the antibiotics and the Bovine Growth Hormones -- which eventually, I think, will explain why so many children have antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains and why so many young girls hit puberty much earlier than their mothers did -- the organic milk just tastes better. Regular milk, to quote my sister, "tastes like clams," while organic milk tastes fresh and sweet...sort of like a milk shake. I have a big glass of milk every day now...I haven't done that since I was a child...but this tastes so good, it's a great way to start the day. At least from my dairy, it doesn't cost that much more than the store milk, and the extra cost is worth every penny!

 

[disneymom225]

We only buy organic milk in our house--We don't freak out if we are out in public and get regular but we prefer the organic b/c of the hormones that are added. We also buy certain veggies/fruits organic--example-apples, strawberries-anything that we eat the outer skin.
I think it is about .20 more a 1/2 gallon--so not a big deal. I also like the taste better.

 

[Tine731]

I purchase for a totally different reason....it does not spoil as quick. I just bought some yesterday and the exp. date is Sept. 26.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I began buying Organic Cow milk after my bout with breast cancer. I like it and have it delivered by our milkman.

 

[Gillian]

I recently started buying organic milk for my kids, DS4 & DD2. We've always done organic yougurt. I am worried about the hormones & other added stuff. I have also been shopping for better meat (grass fed beef, not sure exactly what to look for in chicken) but my favorite grocery store doesn't carry much so I need to find another source. We have Whole foods and Wegmans nearby.

It's a difficult thing to do, because it totally changes our grocery budget, but I think it will be worth it in the long run.

I sometimes order grocery coupons online and found a bunch for organic milk!

 

[Kermit]

We buy organic milk from a local dairy. It's whole milk (this dairy doesn't offer reduced fat--and we don't want it!), and it's only lightly pasteurized. It's not homogonized (sp?), and it doesn't have artificial vitamins added to it. BTW, I only have boys so far.

I just don't like the idea of giving my kids milk from cows that are on a constant diet of antibiotics. As a breastfeeding mom, I abstain from medications as much as I can. I prefer the food we eat to be healthy, too. We don't eat only organic foods, but I do prefer for our meat, dairy, and eggs to be organic. I figure that animals are higher on the food chain, so there's more of a cumulative effect with them, since there's pesticides in the food they eat PLUS the antibiotics and hormones they administer to the animals when you buy conventional products. We do eat some organic produce and grains, but if I can't find what I want in organic, I don't stress about it.

 

[amarberry]

We definitely drink organic milk. It's a little bit more expensive, but if you shop around you can usually find it for just a little bit more than regular milk. Trader Joe's also sells organic butter, organic yogurt, and BGH free cheeses at what I think are pretty comparable prices.

I think that the use of BGH and antibiotics in our milk supply is very dangerous and I want to limit my daughter's exposure to it as best as I can. BTW, when I told my daughter's pediatrician that we were doing the organic thing, she told me that she also only feeds her daughter organic dairy products.

 

[DiznEeyore]

We also recently switched to organic milk for our 12yo ds (and us, too, though we don't consume nearly as much as he does) because of the chemical/antibiotic factor. It's a lot more expensive here ($2.69 for a half gallon of Meijer brand organic as opposed to $1.99 a gallon for regular milk on sale) but if it helps my ds, it's definitely worth it!

 

[Dancind]

Organic milk, definitely, also as much organic produce and meats as I can afford. Wild fish as well. We aren't 100% organic, because my husband shops sometimes and he goes to Costco! LOL I got very sick a few years ago from exposure to pesticides. One of the ways I got better was going organic in my diet, and avoiding additives and processed foods. I'm not that strict anymore, but as much as possible. It tastes so much better too! I mean, just compare a nice ripe organic tomato to what you usually get.

 

[iheartdisney]

Growth hormones in animals is also linked to childhood obesity.

 

[dtsaos]

Wish I could do organic everything all the time .....Anyway there's a company in Maine called Oakhurst dairy and they only buy from local farmers that don't use artificial growth hormones so I try to buy from them as often as possible-they are a little more expensive but I think it's worth it.

 

[Zoesmama03]

I skip milk completely with my dd and she drinks soy milk. Mostly becasue she is mildly allergic to cows milk but when I started researching into it I decided none of our future children will get cows milk organic or not. Its just not the best for them. All the hormones, pus and lots of other stuff to worry about, no thanks.

 

[Mac and Us]

I buy Organic milk when I can. If I don't buy organic I ALWAYS by hormone free milk. In fact Oakhurst (from ME) is the milk of choice in our house. I love their whipped cream in the spray can.

I almost always buy organic yogart for DD. Sometimes she talks me into buying Scooby Doo sqeeze yogart.

The reason why Organic milk lasts longer is because it is Ultra pasterized. Ultra Pasterization (sp) means they zap the milk with a higher temp to make it last longer.

We buy only natural ground beef (no hormones) and ground buffalo as it is against the law to give Buffalo hormones, etc. Believe it or not Buffalo really doesn't taste that much different than beef. I use it in recipes so you would never know the difference.

Also, my husband hunts so we eat venison as well. It's not my favorite but he enjoys hunting and it's basically free meat.

As for chicken, pork and steaks we make sure to buy lean cuts and cut off all fat as that's where the majority of the hormones, etc settle.

 

[tlbwriter]

I buy organic milk for DD (6). I read somewhere that if you want to reduce the amount of additives/hormones/pesticides etc. your family is exposed to, but you can't or won't go 100% organic, the best thing to do is switch to organic milk for your children. It's the most bang for your buck.