I had a friend who fed her son goat's milk when she couldn't breastfeed. She said it was easier for him to digest. Would this be an acceptable alternative to formula when I go back to work and cannot breastfeed on a regular basis? I am worried I won't be able to express enough milk.
Plenty of moms are able to pump enough breastmilk for their babies at day care. I suggest you find some helpful resources that will show you how you can be successful. Call the experts in nursing, La Leche League, at 1-800-LALECHE or contact a lactation consultant.
Breastmilk is by far the best for your baby and so it is worth the effort on your part.
If you do find you need to supplement your breastmilk with some other liquid, goat's milk is not the best choice. It is low in iron, folate and vitamins C and D. It has a high solute load relative to cow's milk and very high relative to mother's milk and may cause metabolic acidosis if fed in the first month of life.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants not be fed a steady diet of this milk because of its nutritional inadequacies. Expressed breastmilk or a commercially prepared infant formula would be a better nutritional choice.
