# Drinking raw milk during pregnancy



## McCarthyFarms (Apr 24, 2020)

Hey all!

My husband and I have recently found out we are expecting baby number two - so exciting! 
We added our milking does after our first daughter was born, so while I regularly drink raw goats milk, I never had to consider it during pregnancy. We all know the internet is a crazy place and there is SO much conflicting information about whether it is safe or not.
We don't pasteurize our milk - we drink it fresh. We have good milking practices, but I was wondering what the experts over here think!

I am going to bring it up with our doctor during our appointment later in the week, but I also don't hope to glean much more than "Oh no definitely not" from that LOL. 
Hubby doesn't want me to drink it, where I have literally JUST got my does back in milk (seriously, they kidded last week) and I would hate to not be able to drink their milk. I'm not totally opposed to having to pasteurize it I guess, if drinking it fresh would be a serious risk.

We wash our hands, wash does' udders, strip the first bit of milk out, sterilise all our equipment and strain the milk into bottles and straight in the fridge.

What is the general consensus here on drinking raw milk whilst pregnant?


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

You probably going to have a healthy sized baby. I dont think it is harmful. Goats milk isnt as fatty as cow's milk


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I would have your milk tested just to be sure. While milk from healthy goats drank by healthy people shouldn't be a issue..it never hurts to take an extra step for safety. 

Congratulations on the pregnancy!!!


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

I never had issue with it. I didnt have goat milk but raw cows milk through my pregnancies. 

I agree...of worried test your milk.


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## AlabamaGirl (Jun 18, 2020)

McCarthyFarms said:


> Hey all!
> 
> My husband and I have recently found out we are expecting baby number two - so exciting!
> We added our milking does after our first daughter was born, so while I regularly drink raw goats milk, I never had to consider it during pregnancy. We all know the internet is a crazy place and there is SO much conflicting information about whether it is safe or not.
> ...


I am all for raw and pasteurized milk, as long as the girls are raised in a clean area away from mud and muck, they are free from any illnesses (staph, mastitis, etc.) and your milking supplies are clean, then nothing bad should happen.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

The biggest problem (besides cleanliness) is Tuberculous- TB Since it is pretty rare in goats, it probably isn't a problem, but to be safe- find out from either a vet, dairy farm or your University- where a lab is to send milk for testing. TB would be the most worrisome thing and pasteurization takes care of that. 
Congratulations on your new baby's impending arrival! Is it nosy to ask when you are due?


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## McCarthyFarms (Apr 24, 2020)

Thanks everyone - I'm not "worried" exactly and fairly confident in our milking practices here, but I may look more into pasteurizing our milk. We are all a healthy family and healthy herd, so I don't think there would be any issues, but I will look into both getting a milk sample tested and also pasteurizing our milk. Thanks!



Goats Rock said:


> Congratulations on your new baby's impending arrival! Is it nosy to ask when you are due?


Thank you - we are very excited! Not nosy at all LOL. I am still very early - only 7 weeks along. Due mid-July next year. I am very excited to have a winter baby LOL, my first was born middle of summer and it was revolting. (If that confuses anyone, I am in Australia so our seasons are backwards to most of you haha!)

This photo is how I revealed my pregnancy to my husband, under the guise of having family photos done with our daughter.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

McCarthyFarms said:


> Thanks everyone - I'm not "worried" exactly and fairly confident in our milking practices here, but I may look more into pasteurizing our milk. We are all a healthy family and healthy herd, so I don't think there would be any issues, but I will look into both getting a milk sample tested and also pasteurizing our milk. Thanks!
> 
> Thank you - we are very excited! Not nosy at all LOL. I am still very early - only 7 weeks along. Due mid-July next year. I am very excited to have a winter baby LOL, my first was born middle of summer and it was revolting. (If that confuses anyone, I am in Australia so our seasons are backwards to most of you haha!)
> 
> ...


Precious pic and congrats! Our dil is an rn and she wouldn't drink raw milk while preggers. But! The first fourish months of her pregnancy were hell. She bled often during those months so anything that could possibly harm this baby she did not do. She would however eat some cheeses that i made..... depending on if it was a recipe where the milk was heated enough to pasteurize it. But even then she didn't start until six or so months.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Congratulations again! Maybe not drink raw milk but just use in baking etc. It makes great puddings, creamy potatoe soup, etc. (and fudge, of course!)


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I have 4 sons, all adults now. I drank raw milk all through the pregnancies, mostly goat, but for a while with the last 2 we had a cow dairy also. I was completely healthy through all 4 pregnancies, and the babies arrived and stayed healthy until they grew up and moved away.

I had mentioned it to my doctor with the first pregnancy. He had a stroke that I was drinking raw milk and rode horses right up til birthing! LOL I never mentioned it again with the other 3 pregnancies. The pediatricians were freaking out that I was feeding the kids raw milk, but since the kids were healthy, and almost never sick no matter what illness was going through the school at the time, there was little they could do!

My 3rd son was raised from birth on raw goat milk. He was the only one of the 4 who slept all night, every night, from the day he came home from the hospital. He also had no cavities growing up and as a baby never had colic or any digestive upsets.


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## Cinnamon101 (Oct 17, 2020)

I have drank raw milk while expecting and I think it really helped delivery and it was great for my pregnancy. I would NOT pasteurize it, it kills some types of bactiara that is really good for the body.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

I second the fact that raw milk is healthy. In Kenya and Congo people dont pasturize their milk, there just isnt money for that there. Still have yet to hear about any adverse effects of raw milk on humans. But it is up to personal taste and preferance.


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## McCarthyFarms (Apr 24, 2020)

lottsagoats1 said:


> I have 4 sons, all adults now. I drank raw milk all through the pregnancies, mostly goat, but for a while with the last 2 we had a cow dairy also. I was completely healthy through all 4 pregnancies, and the babies arrived and stayed healthy until they grew up and moved away.
> 
> I had mentioned it to my doctor with the first pregnancy. He had a stroke that I was drinking raw milk and rode horses right up til birthing! LOL I never mentioned it again with the other 3 pregnancies. The pediatricians were freaking out that I was feeding the kids raw milk, but since the kids were healthy, and almost never sick no matter what illness was going through the school at the time, there was little they could do!
> 
> My 3rd son was raised from birth on raw goat milk. He was the only one of the 4 who slept all night, every night, from the day he came home from the hospital. He also had no cavities growing up and as a baby never had colic or any digestive upsets.


That is good to know! Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm lucky with my first born, my doctor didn't care at all that I was still riding my horses. I train horses for a living and he said as long as it's something I was doing beforehand, it won't make any difference. I stopped starting horses, but I rode up until I was 39 weeks!

We did a lot of research and looked into pasteurizing our milk. I also spoke to a local goat friend that is also pregnant with her second child, and she is continuing to drink raw milk too. We decided that as long as we keep our clean milking practices, the benefits of raw milk outweigh the risks. My doctor's appointment is today so I will be chatting with our doctor about it to see what she thinks.


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## CBPitts (Jan 29, 2020)

What did your doctor say?

I drank raw milk with my 3rd pregnancy and my hippyish doc was fine with it. I did have the doe tested for everything under the sun though! My kids have been raised on raw goats milk. Our first pediatrician was pretty hippie (spouse of my ob) and was fine with it. They retired and the new pediatrician about had a heart attack when she found out 

We now see a family doc and he's pretty reasonable, the milk practice is clean, goats have been tested, healthy family, so we're more likely to get sick from raw produce from the grocery store than raw milk.

My sister was raised on raw goats milk from birth after mom went septic and almost died after having her. Sis had horrible reactions to formula and the pediatrician suggested getting a milk goat for her (folks were very poor and goat milk was hard to find and expensive). It worked and sis thrived. Plus she's the only one that doesn't get poison oak!


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## McCarthyFarms (Apr 24, 2020)

My doctor handed me a flyer with "foods to avoid" and it literally said at the top "Raw, unpasteurized goat milk" it's like she KNEW haha. I didn't even bother bringing it up with her...it was a new doctor I haven't seen before and there were a few things she said throughout the consult that made me less than impressed. Mainly, arguing with me about when my daughter was born! When I said she was born 2019 she kept arguing and trying to convince me she was born in 2018. Uhh I was there lady, pretty sure I remember LOL.

Anyway, not the kind of person I wanted to waste my breath on arguing about the pros/cons of raw milk. So waiting for my follow up (with a different doctor this time!) and will raise some questions then.


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## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

You got some great advice and you should test your milk for TB just to be sure, its is too important not test it. If the milk comes back free and clear then there is no need for worry and you can drink your goat milk with peace of mind. So you do what you want.


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## Hounddog23 (Jan 13, 2021)

If you think about it people were living off of thier goats at one time.. having babies and all.. k think it would be good nutrition for you amd your baby aa long as your practice os very aseptic(clean)


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