Feeding and nourishing a new born baby is a big, big job. And it can be even more overwhelming if you are not able to breast feed your baby as nature intended. Perhaps nursing just didn’t or isn’t working for you… or perhaps you are celebrating in a recent adoption or caring for a foster child that is in need. Either way, it’s smart to know the pro’s and con’s of what you are feeding your little one.
I have some major concerns about the infant formulas on the shelves in our grocery stores. Commercial formula contains refined sugars, soy, powdered milk, cheap quality vitamins, preservatives, additives that you cant pronounce and other things that have no place in baby’s diet.
When I get to mix my love of children (especially infants) with nutrition, it makes my heart skip a beat. I love it. I’m obsessed with learning more, and trying to support babies, kids and moms in this ever evolving (and very confusing) area. I was lucky enough to never need to venture into the territory of making formula for my own children, but I learned this week how to make it for a dear friend.
These recipes are inspired and modified from the cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon with Mary Enig. Disclaimer: This is my own personal variation of the Weston A. Price foundation’s recipe HERE ….I am not responsible for your baby’s health. This is my own personal version based on my research of what I think is best for infants. I am not responsible for any variation you create, or any problems you face if using my recipe.
Also- this recipe is going to seem really overwhelming. Give yourself 30 minutes of uninterrupted time in the kitchen to do it for the first time. Once you have it down, it will take only 5 minutes each day.
Ingredients and Directions. Recipe will make 36 ounces of
1 cup hot (almost boiling water)
2 tsp Grate Lakes Gelatin. (This aids in digestion and will be supportive of the GI track.) Stir this into hot water.
4 tablespoons Lactose Powder (Lactose is highly present in breastmilk. Most aversions to baby formula are NOT because of lactose intolerance.) Stir this into hot water with gelatin. Once dissolved, add to the blender.
combine all remaining ingredients in blender
2 cups raw goat milk (You can also use raw cow’s milk. For that recipe, please visit the Weston A. Price Foundation website. To find high quality raw goats milk, try a farmers market or local health food store. Be sure to trust your source.) Add to blender with water, gelatin and lactose.
1 cup cold spring water ( remove 2 T water once measured out.)
1/4 cup liquid whey (Human milk is more rich in Whey, so I suggest adding extra into your recipe. To make whey, simply put whole yogurt in a cheese cloth, hang and strain all of the liquid out. This takes about 4-6 hours. Once stringed, keep liquid whey in the fridge. No not use powered whey.)
2 tsp Blackstrap Molasses (this is am amazing source of vitamin B, iron, and trace minerals)
2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream (Raw is best, but if you can’t then pasteurized will work great.)
1/4 tsp bifidobacterium infants probiotic. (I like Udo’s Choice, which is available at most health food stores.)
1 tsp Cod Liver Oil (If you have fermented, just use 1/2 tsp, and omit the vitamin D drops. I like Green Pastures liquid fermented cod liver oil.)
1 tsp Organic Olive Oil (for monosaturated fats)
2 Tablespoons Virgin Coconut Oil (contains lauric acid- a medium chained fatty acid, and it a natural antiviral and anti-fungal found in booby milk. You can also use liquid MCT oil which will blend nicely. Because coconut oil is solid when it’s cold, you can add 1/4 tsp into each bottle instead of adding it to the blender. Then, when the bottles are heated, the coconut oil will melt and you can shake in.)
2 tsp Nutritional Yeast Flakes (these are essential when using raw goat’s milk since it is lower in folic acid than cow milk. If baby is spitting up a lot, try reducing this slightly)
