Thursday, October 18, 2007

Home Made Baby Formula

2 cups goats milk
2 cups hemp nut seed milk
¼ cup goat whey
1 tablespoon colostrum
4 tablespoons lactose
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
¼ teaspoon camu berry powder
1 capsule aged garlic powder
1 teaspoon infant probiotics
1 tablespoon lecithin
2 teaspoons gelatin
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon cod liver oil
1 teaspoon flax seed oil

To make the formula, I mix all the ingredients in my blender. If making nut milks from scratch, I then STRAIN STRAIN STRAIN the formula. The recipe makes a one day supply of formula (about 32 ounces). I store the formula in the fridge and pour it into the bottle prior to feeding. Running the bottle under hot water does a great job of warming the milk without the heat destroying the nutrient rich properties of the milk. Never use a microwave to heat the formula. When dealing with the on the go feeding needs, I use formula which has been frozen in breast milk storage bags. Then when ready to feed the baby, Ieasily defrost it by running the bag under cold water. Never use a microwave to defrost formula and never re-freeze formula once it’s been thawed out.

Note: Gelatin is only added to the formula to help reduce the spit-up factor. I took the gelatin out of the mix once my son’s stomach was used to the formula and he seemed to be spitting up less.

This homemade formula was originally a recipe from the Nourishing Traditions book. It had been advocated by the Weston Price foundation. In working with homemade baby formula, I have consulted with two separate holistic pediatric nutritionists. We have used the Nourishing Traditions recipe as a basic foundation for the homemade formula. To date, the formula has been given to both the nutritionists, my midwife, my lactation consultant, and multiple health food store clerks. Each of those respective professionals has begun giving the recipe to mothers who for whatever reason cannot (or will not) breast feed. I am offering it here in this blog because I feel the internet has an informational void when it comes to healthy alternatives to breastfeeding.

Please note that all ingredients for this recipe can be found local health food stores or online. I myself have been lucky enough to find ingredients available in bulk through my local co-op. If I can find a way to access the ingredients from the remote location of Alaska, then I have faith that any mother within the Continental US should be able to get her hands on the ingredients.
And now for some other tid-bits of information regarding the ingredients used in the recipe…

Use the highest quality water that you can find when making baby formula. Avoid using tap water as there are many additives in tap water that are not beneficial for baby. Penta Water, Reverse Osmosis Water, or Distilled Water are the best quality waters that I can think of.
The best quality goat’s milk to use would be raw and un-pasteurized. I personally have no time to deal with the raw milk and it’s short shelf life. I use Meyenberg powdered goat milk.
The hemp nut seed milk is a great alternative to soy milk. Soy is a natural phyto-estrogen. Some researchers have indicated that large doses of the estrogen properties of soy are contributing factors to cancer. While soy has a slightly larger protein content than hemp nut seeds, it is harder for the body to process than hemp. The ease of hemp’s digestibility allows for the body to absorb more of the protein than it would with soy. Hemp is also a good source of Omega Fatty Acids (Vitamin Fat), which is ideal for brain development. One could also use rice milk as an easily digested alternative to the hemp nut seed. When working with older infants, almond milk could also be used in place of the hemp milk.

Here is a recipe for home made nut milks that could be used for both hemp and almond: To make nut milks, grind up (in coffee grinder or food processor) 1 cup of nuts. Blend the ground nuts into 3 cups of water along with 1 tablespoon lecithin and 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup. Thoroughly strain the mixture. Presto, you have nut milk. From here on out, try to remember to strain the milk as often as possible while making the baby formula. At least triple strain the milk before including it in the baby formula (because ground up hemp can be gritty). I used to buy the Nutiva brand hemp nut seeds and make the milk daily. I have since discovered the joys of pre-made hemp nut milk. It is more cost-effective and time-efficient than making the milk from scratch. The brand of hemp nut milk that I use the Living Harvest. I have only ever used the original flavor.

When working with whey, I only use Mt. Capra’s Mineral Whey sold by Wilderness Family Naturals. Wilderness Family Naturals is a company that provides high quality products for several of the ingredients in this recipe. The goat’s whey has minerals, electrolytes, and enzymes.

The best colostrum products that I have found are New Zealand colostrum by New Life Foods and Mt. Capra Goat Milk Colostrum. The New Zealand colostrum is bovine. It also comes in powder form, which is easiest to work with. For those who have bovine concerns, Capra’s goat milk colostrum is worth the time it takes to open capsules.

I’m not too thrilled about bovine dairy, so the lactose in this recipe was hard for me to adapt to. I finally decided to run with it because it seems to help add a consistency that helps my son seem full and not always hungry. As far as I can determine, NOW brands is the only company that manufactures Lactose Sugar. I eliminated lactose from the recipe once my son was taking cereals with his formula.

Nutritional Yeast is a valuable part of this recipe. It contains B complex. Nutritional Yeast is different from the flatulence-inducing brewer’s yeast in that it does not promote candida yeast overgrowth. The only brand of Nutritional Yeast that I trust is Red Star Active Dry Yeast. Many health food stores carry this in their bulk food aisles.

Camu berry, an Amazon fruit, is a personal preference. The original recipe said to use Acerola powder. The purpose of adding any of the two powders is to introduce an easily digestible food-based Vitamin C into the formula. The reason that I chose Camu berry over Acerola berry is because recent research indicates the Camu to be a higher source of Vitamin C. An added benefit of the Camu is it’s ability to help fight off viruses. Whole World Botanicals sells the highest quality powdered Camu berry. I personally use the powdered camu sold by Raintree Nutrition. This is because they sell the powder by the pound, a more cost-effective way for me to purchase ingredients.

Garlic is another personal preference. I added it to the formula after checking with the nutritionist/naturopath. The reason that I added garlic was because it is a natural antibiotic, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiparisitic food. Breaking open a capsule into a batch of formula supplements for the antibiotic/antibacterial qualities normally found in mother’s breast milk. I use aged garlic capsules because it is odorless and seems easy to digest.
Infant probiotics help to promote a healthy gastrointestinal tract. I use Jarrow Formula’s Jarro-Dophilus Powder because it is a good quality cost effective product. Regardless of what probiotic is used, please try to find one that has bifidobacterium infantis. It helps to encourage resistance to intestinal infections. Store the probiotics in the fridge because it preserves the live organisms.

Lecithin is not absolutely necessary. I use it as an emulsifier. I also use it because it contains nutrients that help to stimulate nerve growth. It seems as though nerve growth is important with little babies. Lecithin granules can be found in either bulk soy based form or encapsulated egg-based form. The Physicians Desk Reference for Nutritional Supplements points out that soy-based lecithin is not derived from soy protein, and therefore not carcinogenic. Egg lecithin is available to purchase online, but only in capsule form. I do not use egg yolk lecithin because it is not as rich in the nerve building nutrients.

Oils – virgin coconut oil is the only oil in this recipe that does not have to be refrigerated. It is actually easier to work with when it is room temperature. I store my coconut oil on top of the refridgerator to ensure that it stays in a liquid state. I prefer the oil sold by Wilderness Family Naturals. I find that it is cheapest to purchase the oil by the gallon from a local organic co-op. This product is high in heart-healthy cholesterol. It is also a source of omega fatty acids (vitamin fat). Coconut oil has historically been used to combat mal-nutrition in infants. Flax oil is another source of vitamin fat. Vitamin fat is important in brain development. The cod liver oil is also high in vitamin fat, especially the brain healthy DHA. The cod liver oil will also have vitamin D, which is important for children’s bone health.

25 comments:

Lauren said...

WHy did you decide to add nut milk to the formula - NT does not add this? I am just beginning to experiment with the goat milk version of this formula because I have been unable to continue pumping (my baby never latched when she was born 6 months ago) and my milk finally dried up about a month ago. My baby has been constipated and has had acid reflux (the doctor wanted to put her on zantac - WHAT?!) so I have finally started to look for alternatives to commercial formula...any advice/encouragement would be greatly appreciated!
lauren.s.elliott@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Our baby spits up a lot with this and all formulas we have tried so far. Any suggestions?

Dapper Lapper said...

Looking at a lot of goat's milk variations. Seems like you've done a great deal of research & care and have provided information I've not seen elsewhere. Thanks! Question: I've seen that goat's milk is crazy high in copper & potassium. Did this concern you regarding goat milk formula?

Unknown said...

Red star ACTIVE dry yeast is NOT the same as nutritional yeast. Unless I'm mistaken, that is a form of yeast which is used in making bread... and thus the word "active" in the title. If you add this type of yeast to warm juice or sugar water, you will see a tremendous growth of yeast. So this is NOT the one you want to put in your child's formula. I think it best to avoid any yeast in baby formula, until a child's immune system is more fully developed (after a year).
I would also suggest supplementing this entire formula with bottles of herbal tea during the day. Herbal teas are rich in minerals and raw materials like calcium (mints), which will help grow a healthy body. Teas should be made fresh each day. Combine herbs into a dry blend and then use a teaspoonful per cup (no real firm limit on teas which do not contain caffeine and which consist of tonic, nutritional herbs, such as nettle leaf, alfalfa herb, red clover flowers, chamomile, mints, etc.)

Unknown said...

I also suggest that storage of all oils which you plan to eat, should ALWAYS be IN THE FRIDGE, not on top of it. Just plan ahead and take out the oils a couple of hours before you want to make the formula. People seem not to realize that at room temperatures, ALL oils begin the process of rancidification. So... this is significantly slowed if the oils are stored in the fridge.

Tiffany said...

I am also curious about what the hemp milk brings to the formula? Also I have been reading that goats milk is too nutrient dense and has to be watered down about 50% or else it will be too hard on an infants kidneys how is that avoided with this recipe? Lastly, the amount of vitamin A in the Weston Price formula recipe bothered my because it was 5 times that of breast milk and that seemed like too much to me. Do you have any idea how much vitamin A this formula has?

Brooke said...

Is the lactose super important? I cannot seem to find any in our local whole food stores. I breastfeed my daughter usually, but I need to start using formula when I leave her with someone as I don't make enough milk to pump anymore. She's 8 months now and eats some solids.

natschultz said...

I too would like to know why the nut milk is included here, especially as 50% of the recipe!

Also, the amount of water is not included in this recipe! Very BAD! Without added DISTILLED water, this recipe is way too nutrient / mineral dense, nevermind way too thick of a consistency compared to breastmilk. This author used powdered goat's milk and whey - if doing so first mix the powder into milk following the manufacturer's directions. Then, you must STILL ADD more distilled water to the LIQUID volume of milk in the recipe! The Weston A. Price recipe adds 1-7/8 cups water to 2 cups LIQUID milk and 1/4 cup LIQUID whey - use this as a guide!

natschultz said...

Nutritional vs. Active yeast: DO NOT use Active (Baker's) yeast!

NEVER EAT ACTIVE YEAST! It leads to yeast infections in adults and may likey kill a baby! Do not use the yeast found in the baking section - use the "Nutritional" or "Brewer's" yeast found in the SUPPLEMENT section of the store ONLY! Edible nutritional / brewers yeast is the same yeast strain as Baker's (also ACTIVE Brewer's) yeast, but it has been heated to kill the organism so it cannot reproduce inside your body. The side-effect of killing the yeast cells is that they release glutamates (natural, not MSG). BUT, if you are using a Goat's milk formula the Nutritional Yeast is needed to provide FOLID ACID - goat's milk is lacking in Folic Acid and B vitamins (cow's milk is fine without the yeast).

natschultz said...

Lactose: Lactose is the healthiest / most natural form of glucose available. GLUCOSE is necessary for ALL cells to function! It is especially important for a baby's brain function and growth - without glucose a baby will not thrive, have delevopmental problems and maybe even die.

Glucose is a GOOD sugar. Fructose is a BAD sugar (we cannot properly digest it - causes liver problems). Sucrose is half Glucose, half Fructose. Lactose is a disaccharide of the 2 sugars Galactose and Glucose. The enzyme Lactase breaks Lactose down in our intestine into Galactose and Glucose, both of which humans can absorb. This is why a healthy gut flora is so important and infant probiotics are included in the formula recipe.

"Lactose Intolerance" is VERY rare in human babies - it is usually a symptom of a different problem. NEVER give a baby / child low-fat or skim milk - saturated fat in WHOLE milk is absolutely necessary to properly digest the lactose! Skim milk creates a lactose overload and the body reacts via an immune response because it is unable to digest all the excess Lactose without its accomodating fat, and this results in what we call an "allergic reaction" or "Lactose Intolerance."

natschultz said...

Lactose / Glucose alternatives:

Read the ingredients on ANY commercially available baby formula and you will see CORN SYRUP as a primary ingredient. Corn Syrup is Glucose! It is NOT the same as High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Even the Hypo-allergenic soy-free formulas are almost ALL Corn Syrup!

Dextrose is also available in bulk, and that is pure Glucose. But, it is usually made from corn as well.

The problem with these two ingredients is that they are made from corn. Even if they are "Certified Organic" I do not trust ANY corn-derived products as truly free of ANY GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) DNA. This is because tests of non-GMO and "wild" corn (and Canola) have proven to have genetically altered DNA as well. These are wind-pollinated plants (as is Alfalfa - watch out - Obama just OK'd GMO Alfalfa) and the GMO crops have infected the natural species!

So, if you absolutely cannot use Lactose, I'd recommend WHOLE ORGANIC MILK first! You will still need to add some "sugar" (Sucrose) for the additional Glucose needed by growing babies. Use the LEAST REFINED Sucrose available - either Black Strap Molasses or Grade B Vermont Maple Syrup. These are the healthiest versions of "sugar" available and they retain the bulk of nutrients and minerals that their more refined counterparts lose.

Grade B Vermont Maple Syrup is very dark and has a very strong Maple flavor. Grades A (Medium and Dark) and Fancy are lighter in color (and flavor) and not as healthy. Vermont has VERY STRICT harvesting / processing / labeling laws for their Maple Syrup production - this is the ONLY Maple Syrup I, personally, would give to a baby.

DO NOT give honey to a baby under one year of age!

DO NOT use Agave! "Raw Agave" syrup is NOT a nectar or sap as many people believe - it is made from the starchy root of the Agave plant and extracted via a GENETICALLY ENGINEERED enzyme - it is JUST LIKE High Fructose Corn Syrup - EVIL FRUCTOSE! It contains almost no Glucose - it is practically pure (non-digestable) Fructose.

natschultz said...

Hemp seed milk contains a 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids. It has most of the Essential Amino Acids, so it is a great non-soy protein replacement for a Non-dairy (Vegan) formula.

I cannot understand the logic of adding this much hemp milk to a Whole Goat's Milk (high protein) formula.

Adding a teaspoon of Hemp Seed Oil to the traditional W.A.P. Formula recipe makes more sense. It is also a LOT cheaper and easier!

What really bugs me is WHY was the Sunflower Oil removed from the W.A.P. recipe? That has much higher concentrations of Omega-6 as well as Lecithin (no need to add soy / egg-based), Tocopherols (Vit. E), and Carotenoids.

Sunflower Oil (Omega-6) in combination with Cod Liver Oil (Omega-3) and Flax seed Oil (1:3 Omega-6 to Omega-3) is a perfect combination.

Replacing the Sunflower Oil with Hemp Nut Seed Milk in this recipe creates a big imbalance of Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids to Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids. There is NOT ENOUGH Omega-6!

Yes, our modern Western fast-food diet has WAY TOO MUCH O-6, but it is STILL an ESSENTIAL Fatty Acid - the proper balance is closer to 1:1. This Recipe has WAY TO MUCH Omega-3 and NOT ENOUGH Omega-6 to balance it out! You MUST add back the expeller-pressed Sunflower Oil!

I think the high Omega-3 content of the Cod Liver Oil was over-looked in reformulating this recipe. Yes, Flaxseed oil and Hempseed oil have perfectly opposite O-6 to O-3 ratios and therefore balance each other out. But by removing the Sunflower Oil (no O-3, high O-6), and keeping the Cod Liver Oil (high O-3) the new recipe creates a shortage of Omega-6.

If you feel adamant about adding a nut "milk" to the formula, stick with the time-tested tried-and-true: Organic Coconut milk! You can even purchase it in liquid form by So Delicious. Still add the Sunflower Oil and Cod Liver Oils (and Flax seed and Hemp seed oils if you want). Coconut Milk will not replace / distort the Essential Fatty Acid components of the recipe, it is a GREAT source of Medium Chain Fatty Acids, and contains lots of electrolytes.

Ok, now that we've dealt with the Polyunsaturated fats imbalance in this recipe, next we must muse over the miraculously missing Monounsaturated fat content.

natschultz said...

Where is the Olive Oil?!?!

This new recipe removed the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil for some reason. I do not understand why? Goat's Milk and Coconut oil provide necessary Saturated Fat. Cod Liver Oil and Sunflower Oil in combination (also Flax and hemp in combo) provide the correct Polyunsaturated Fats. But, this leaves the recipe void of the necessary MONOunsaturated Fat!

Add a teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to this recipe!

Humans do not need a lot of Monounsaturated fat, but it is still necessary!

WARNING: Buy extremely HIGH QUALITY certified (preferably from Greece) EXTRA VIRGIN Olive Oil ONLY!!!

Sadly, a lot of what is sold on the market today as "Olive Oil" has been found to be contaminated - soy and canola oils dyed and fragranced or worse, industrial Rapeseed Oil.

DO NOT, under ANY circumstances, give a baby Olive Oil from Spain - that is where MOST of the contaminated oil has come from. Sadly, even the largest Olive Oil company in Italy has now been indicted for using poor-quality olives from Spain and other countries (transporting the olives to Italian farms at night, pressing them and calling it "Italian".)

The European Union has only granted "Protected Status" to certain GREEK Olive Oils - Italian Olive Oil is NOT regulated by the EU! According to the EU, if even ONE single olive came from Italy then the oil can be labeled as Italian!

So, purchase only the highest, gourmet-quality Olive Oil from Greece, or, if it can be verified, a small, specific Italian farm with the date of picking and pressing on the bottle. You're going for the Dom Perignon of Oil here! It will be green in colour and have a very distinct aroma.

natschultz said...

Acid Reflux / Constipation:

The first post from "The Mama" is old, but, it sounds like that baby was having a very bad reaction to commercial baby formula. Reading the ingredients on ALL organic and hypo-allergenic/ elemental, and ordinary formula, I am absolutely in SHOCK that babies haven't been dropping dead left and right! Even I would NEVER consume ANY "food product" that contains most of the ingredients contained in commercial baby formula!

It sounds like her baby was having severe gut flora issues. I'd have the gut bacteria and digestive enzymes tested for sure (I'd go to an alternative / natural homeopathic doctor - screw the mainstream ZANTAC for babies doc!). A healthy gut is CRITICAL for babies and adults alike! That is why this formula includes INFANT probiotics (slightly different than what adults need). Good bacteria in the gut keep bad disease-causing bacteria at bay. A week gut / low good bacteria is a breeding ground for bad bacteria and pathogens. Also, her digestive enzymes may be out of whack - that is why eating REAL fermented foods is so important.

In the formula, making FRESH whey from yogurt (cow or goat), and culturing fresh (not powdered) organic WHOLE goat's (or cow) milk with Kefir grains may help.

In adults, lots of natural fiber (leafy greens and WHOLE grains) helps constipation, and lemon water (fresh squeezed lemon in water - NO sugar) helps heartburn (no, oranges do NOT work - must be acidic like a lemon!).

Alex said...

How is the formula working out for you?

Unknown said...

Hello, may i know why you add hemo milk and not hemp oil? Have you changed the recipe? weston a price does not recommend to use goats mineral whey, they its not the same.

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Grace J Power said...

This article and the comments were all very helpful. I just made my first homemade baby formula yesterday for my 5 month old. I felt so much better about giving him that over any of the canned formulas after I did some research online. I wish the idea of home made formulas were more widespread. Even my friend who is a Physicians Assistant and has two kids who used formula had never heard of homemade.

karina said...

Grace, did you follow her recipe to a t? I have added hemp seed oil and flax seed oil. Never added hemp milk. I use wap homemade goats milk formula using raw goats milk kefir instead of whey. Coconut water, raw colostrum and moringa olefeira, spirulina, wheatgrass and kelp powder. My baby is almost 13 months old. Im so thankful for the wap recipe and this old recipe and the comments.

Grace J Power said...

Karina,
The only ingredient I didn't have was the whey.
Your recipe sounds awesome! I think you should share your entire recipe and the amounts you used of everything. Do you already have that online somewhere? Maybe do a youtube...
Grace

karina said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
karina said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
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