7 months after Eliza was born I started having major nursing complications and at 8 months finally allowed myself to chilax and started supplementing with formula. Now at 9 months she is no longer breastfeeding and drinks homemade formula and also eats solids (whatever we're having, I don't make baby food).
My purpose with this post is two fold; first provide a homemade infant formula recipe that I trust in case you want an alternative to store bought formula, and second I want to leave the lines of communication open to any mom or dad who is feeling guilty or upset about giving their kids formula. I am not going to give you all the reasons why breast milk is best because I think that is a given. I am also not going to tell you why store bought formula is bad because I am not a scientist or a doctor. Another thing I don't want to do with this post is expose myself and justify why I no longer breastfeed. If you're having nursing problems and you want to chat, or if you genuinely want to know what I have been through these last couple of months shoot me an email, I'll be happy to have a conversation.
I did a lot of online research, consulted with a holistic nutritionist, and have made several different recipes. This is the one I'm using for Eliza and I am happy with it. This is not the most complete infant formula but since she also eats solids I feel like this is good and has the nutrients she needs at this age. If your baby is younger than 6 months I would recommend using the Weston A. Price Foundation Recipe. That is the one that was recommended to me by a nutritionist and also a lactation consultant. My recipe is a variation of that recipe with a few added ingredients.
Homemade Infant Formula
Makes 36 Ounces | 5-10 minutes to prepare | Refrigerate for 24 hours
2 cups goat milk
1 cup carrot juice
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp blackstrap molases
1 tsp infant probiotics
1 tsp amla powder
2 tablespoons liquid whey
1 tsp sunflower oil
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp nutritional yeast
Pour the goat milk, carrot juice, and water into a glass jar. Add the other ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. Then close the lid on the jar and shake until all of the ingredients are combined. You can also use a blender. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
And here is why
2 cups goat milk
The protein composition of goat milk more closely resembles that of breast milk. Some people use raw cow's milk and some people use raw goat's milk. For convenience I use pasteurized goat's milk, which I found at Safeway, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.
1 cup carrot juice
For carbohydrate, important for brain development.
1 cup water
Since she is still young she needs the goat milk to be watered down otherwise it could be hard on her kidneys.
1 tsp blackstrap molases
Iron.
1 tsp infant probiotics
Helps with digestion.
1 tsp amla powder
Vitamin C. You can substitute for acerola powder. Found it in my health food store.
2 tablespoons liquid whey
I just scoop up the liquid from the yogurt I buy or make for the rest of the family (sugar free yogurt).
1 tsp sunflower oil
Vitamin E.
1 tsp olive oil
Monosaturated fats.
1 tsp coconut oil
Contains lauric acid which is both antiviral and anti-fungal.
1 tsp nutritional yeast
B Vitamins.
The oils are super important but hard to work with. Make sure you buy good quality unrefined extra-virgin oils. Melt the coconut oil before you use it otherwise it will stay solid and will not go through the bottle nipple. I always warm up her formula. If I'm rushed I'll do it in the microwave in a glass cup. Then I'll strain it using a tea strainer. The tea strainer removes any lumps or solid from the oils. If I don't do this her bottle nipple gets clogged every single time.
I measure the milk in the bottle, then transfer it to a glass cup. Microwave for 30 seconds and then transfer it back to the bottle and put the tea strainer in the cup and pour the milk in to the cup, remove any lumps, and then back in the bottle it goes.
This formula does not contain RHA or DHA. Some people add flax oil that has DHA. I had a hard time finding any flax oil with DHA so I give her some of this multi-grain cereal in the morning with plain yogurt.
There's something extremely empowering and satisfying with breastfeeding. Your baby grows and thrives from nutrients that your body makes.I have breastfed all three of my children and even though getting up in the middle of the night to nurse can be rough I wouldn't trade it. Not being able to breastfeed was really hard for me. I felt like I had failed and that my baby was not going to get the healthy start she needed and deserved. I tried giving her store bought formula but was overwhelmed trying to figure out all of the different ingredients. I didn't like that the first ingredient on most of the cans was fructose corn syrup and I especially didn't like that there were a bunch of other ingredients that I had no idea what they were. Feeding Eliza formula that I make at home has given me an incredible peace of mind. She is continuing to grow and thrive, that's all I really care about.
I wanted to share this recipe because a lot of people have asked me about it. Before making any changes to your child's diet I would consult with a health care professional that you trust.
This recipe is my contribution to World Breastfeeding Week. I know it sounds ironic but having this formula allowed me to continue breastfeeding for 2 extra months, until my body just couldn't do it any more. Knowing that I could supplement with formula that I trusted made it so that the one time a day where I was able to breastfeed was peaceful and also very special. I think kids should be breastfed for as long as possible, which may mean 2 years, 1 year, or just a couple of months. I have always been good at being supportive to my friends who have had breastfeeding issues and yet it was so hard for me to be nice to myself. I hope you are nice to yourself. Guilt is really unproductive. For all the mamas out there who for some reason or another have not been able to breastfeed I hope this post helps you in one way or another,
xoxo, Da
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