Make Your Own Baby Formula at Home :)

So with all the recent formula scares it's nice to know you can make something at home and know exactly whats in it and how it was prepared. Here are a few examples of the recent scares, Enfamil's killer bacteria, Corn Syrup.... in most formulas as a main ingredient we see Corn Syrup, which contains mercury which is known as a neurotoxin, especially for a young infant.  Corn Syrup also leads to many other problems later in life including metabolic disorders.  Then you have the DHA and ARA that are extracted using a dangerous chemical called Hexane, of course they say it evaporates before it makes it into your infants milk, but why take that chance? This is health of your child we are talking about..  I thought I was doing good using Baby's Only Organic, which uses brown rice syrup in place of corn syrup, and the DHA and ARA are extracted using water, plus my infant had lots of digestion problems/ acid reflux that only this formula seemed to magically cure.....only to find out that rice absorbs arsenic left in the soil from pesticide use years ago and may be found in trace amounts of my favorite formula!! Oh and did I forget to mention that Soy food/milk has almost 5X the amount of estrogen found in a birth control pill!!!  And especially for boys, you would not want them forming female characteristics because of their diet!!  So I did alot of research on the net and found different variations of Homemade formula recipes, but this particular one intrigued me simply because my recent trip to Earth's Fare Grocery Store (My hubby refers to it as the Hippy Grocery store, and my daughter calls it the Stinky Tomato..lol) I found every thing listed :)

Formula Goes as Follows and is Great for Babies Who Have any Dairy Allergies :)  (yay no soy!)
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This recipe is adapted from Dr. Mary Enig & Sally Fallon's Milk-Based Formula recipe in Nourishing Traditions:

Raw Goat Milk Formula
36 ounces:

2 cups raw goat milk (Why raw? Raw milk provides numerous enzymes, and allows the proteins to stay in tact while pastuerization renders them denatured. While raw milk will give optimal nutrition, it is my opinion that pastuerized and even powdered goats milk may be perferable, in some cases, to cow's milk for children with extreme sensitivities.)

2 cups filtered water (As the child grow, you should adjust this water-to-goat milk ratio by increasing the amount of goat milk and decreasing the amount of water. This can begin gradually at about 9 months. If stools become more difficult for the child to pass, then increase the amount of water and try again in another month).

1/4 cup liquid whey from goat yogurt or kefir (contains lots of good probiotics and is very nourishing; making it more like breast milk. To get whey simply strain goat milk yogurt or fil mjolk from Cultures for Health. (I get a lot of questions about the whey. You can also make it by straining plain cow milk yogurt, as long as there is no severe intolerance. Some people omit the whey, but I think it's very important)

1 -2 tsp organic blackstrap molassas (start with less, add more if needed. This provides B-vitamins, iron, trace minerals, and helped relieve constipation.) (If stools are too loose, decrease amount!)

2 tsp raw agave nectar (adds carbs, necessary for brain growth. Alternatively, you could use lactose, but I wanted to avoid this as I could not find a source that was made from goat milk since Jonathan was reacting to anything made from cow milk. Organic Brown Rice Syrup is also an option, but I didn't like the processing involved here. Obviously honey is out.) Update: Grade B, organic maple syrup is looking like the most ideal option out there in terms of sweeteners, so consider this if you are concerned about agave nectar. My son did fine with the agave, and he is not addicted to fruit or carbs (I have him on a sugar-free, low-starch and low-fruit diet).

1/4 tsp of bifodobacterium infantis (I used Metagenics "Bifidus" which is a dairy-free culture and of high quality. Also, Bio-Kult is a strong probiotic that has been used with infants as well. Consult your ND! Available through naturopaths, chiropractors, and other practitioners)
1/2 teaspoon high-vitamin cod liver oil (I used the Quantum brand from Radient Life) but any will do.

1 tsp unrefined sunflower oil (Rapunzel brand) for Vitamin E

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil for monosaturated fats

2 tsp virgin coconut oil (this is very important, as it contains lauric acid which is a medium-chain fatty acid. It's an important antiviral, antifungal that's found in breast milk)
2 tsp nutritional yeast (this is also very important as it contains the B vitamins. I like Lewis Labs Nutritional Yeast because it's gluten-free and full of a wide spectrum of minerals ) If your child is gassy or has reflux on this formula, remove the yeast first and see if it improves. Yeasts vary from brand to brand, and I can only recommend Lewis Labs.

1/4 teaspoon amla or NOW acerola powder (I prefer amla, as it does not contain any extra additives, and I found this for cheap in an Indian store)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender. Pour into individual glass bottles or one large. To warm, place in a pan of simmering water. Never use a microwave. This formula is best made daily to preserve freshness and to optimize nutrition.


Notes: Many recipes say to add frozen, raw goat liver for the purposes of replacing B vitamins. I never did this, but did begin feeding my son pureed chicken liver at 6 months.

Updates: Yes, you can add liquid B-vitamins such as Folic Acid and B12 rather than the Yeast. B-vitamins should be given at 1/4 of the adult dosage listed on the label.

Coconut oil can be difficult as it is solid when cold. You will notice it forming clumps on the surface of the formula. It can help to liquify the coconut oil by melting it slightly before blending. Then, when you warm up the formula in a hot water bath, the coconut oil will liquify and you can shake it up. The oils are the biggest bugaboo, honestly, of this formula, and if they don't work well for you, you can omit them and it won't be the end of the world nutritionally :)
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 Here is the link to the site of a woman who had to use this formula for her son, and he is 4 years old now and doing Awesome! Here is her site http://oreganicthrifty.blogspot.com/2009/05/goat-milk-formula-recipe.html 


If you google it you will find lots of other recipes, here is another of my favorites although the recipe is pretty much the same she has where to order the ingredients if you find it hard to find the items locally
 http://www.cheeseslave.com/how-to-make-homemade-baby-formula/


Anyway  I went and bought the' Keifer,' (which is whey with probiotics) and added it to my infant daughter's powdered formula because she has developed a yeast imbalance due to the antibiotics and steroids she took while in the hospital, and the Dr's  prescriptions to clear it up were not working.... Within a few hours of taking she is already alot happier and less fussy and irritated, plus she has not spit up nearly as much as usual!! :) I only added 1oz to 4oz of prepared formula, so it has helped with her tummy issues already... This makes me Defiantly want to try making my own formula at home:)