Good to check the archives on goat's milk, soy milk etc.  The beautiful
words from the AAP statement can do a LOT to teach.  Human milk is
"SPECIES-SPECIFIC".
        If you use comparison tables with human milk and other milks/formulas, the
Michigan Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Manual has a great way of comparing
milks and this was picked up in the Texas Manual.
        Soy milk or soy milk formulas for babies?  Are human babies plants?  No,
we are mammals.
        I have had clients that don't like the idea of getting milk from another
woman, but they think it is fine to get it from a cow.  Of course, they
think that because of ADVERTISING!  And then there are health care
professionals that promote goats milk for no reason other than they have
learned cow's milk is bad.
        Ultimately, the mom gets to decide, but she deserves an explanation from
us.... (your human baby needs human milk).  Mom may choose otherwise, but
we are giving her informed consent.  Please do not promote goats as being
more like humans than cows.  This kind of thinking nullifies the concept of
species-specific milk.  Our genetics are most like chimps -- not goats.  In
otherwords, we tend to suggest milks we can BUY on the store shelf.
Availability does not make for a good choice.
        Remember that milks sold on the market have to be pasteurized.  This is so
we don't get sick from unwanted organisms.  Milks sold on the grocery store
shelves can still have contaminants, but maybe not enough to make us keel
over right away.  Breastmilk can also have contaminants, but breastmilk has
beneficial properties that none of these other milks have for humans.
(weigh benefits vs. risks)
        The most common thing I've heard lately in the WIC clinic from moms is:
"I don't eat right."  And my response is:  "Do you think cows have a good
diet?"  Makes for a fun discussion.
        Goats are known to eat garbage.  Think about it.
Jill Lund, RD, MS, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, WIC Program
"Loving Support Makes Breastfeeding Work"
National WIC Breastfeeding Promotion Campaign