The advice to make homemade baby formula as an alternative to commercial formula has been one of the most controversial positions taken by the Weston A. Price Foundation—and also one that has elicited the most grateful praise. While government officials and orthodox pediatricians are often appalled at the thought of a parent mixing up baby formula—and one based on raw milk, no less—the feedback we have received from parents has been extremely positive.
Some breastfeeding advocates have also criticized our stance, claiming that by providing a more healthy alternative to commercial formulas, we are discouraging breastfeeding. Make no mistake: the best food for baby is breastmilk from a healthy mother. However, many situations call out for a good substitute: adopted and orphaned babies, babies born to mothers with serious health problems, and babies whose mothers do not have enough milk (a situation that does happen occasionally) deserve to receive something better than commercial formula.
The following questions have been compiled by the authors over a period of several years and should cover most situations encountered by parents giving homemade formula to their babies. Refer to these Q&A when using our Recipes for Homemade Baby Formula. See also videos on making the formulas by Chapter Leader Sarah Pope: Milk-Based & Liver Based Formula Video.
- Iron supplementation?
- Mixing the formula
- Using the Lact-Aid
- Additive in acerola powder
- Reaction to the formula
- Spitting up
- Commercial formula brands
- Powdered whey
- Making whey
- Freezing the formula
- Modifying the formula
- Refrigerated ingredients
- Is bifidum infantis necessary?
- Is raw milk safe?
- Pasteurized cow’s milk or raw goat milk?
- Safety of raw liver
- Dry kefir culture
- Taxing the kidneys
- Cream in the liver formula
- Maximum storage time
- Beef or chicken liver
- Soy feeding of animals
- Constipation
- Feeding juice
- Lost weight on the formula
- When to switch to plain raw milk
- Formula for older children
- Feeding tube
- Private Facebook group for parents and caregivers
- Nutrient comparison between breast milk and the homemade formulas
- Liver-based formula
- Cod liver oil in formula/Too much EPA?
- Raw milk formula
- Feeding egg yolk
- Breastfeeding
Iron Supplementation?
Q: Does there need to be iron supplementation with cow’s milk formula? My son’s pediatrician freaked out when I told him I had my son on homemade formula (I didn’t tell him it was raw milk however to avoid another discussion). He told me my son needed to be on iron supplements because he wasn’t on commercial iron fortified formula. There is no mention of needed iron supplementation with the cow’s milk formula only the goat formula. Also reading I have read that iron from cow’s milk is not easily digestible for infants. I did notice there is 4% iron in the nutritional yeast.
A: Mother’s milk is low in iron for a reason–iron competes with zinc, which is needed for neurological development. However, the lacto-ferrin in raw milk helps the baby absorb all the iron that is there in the milk. If you will look at the nutrient charts for our formula recipes (see below) you will see that there is actually more iron in the homemade formulas than there is in breast milk, so there is no need whatsoever to add additional sources of iron up to the age of six months. At that time, the baby does need additional iron. This should be given in the form of egg yolks and liver–liver is the first weaning food in traditional cultures for this very reason–because at the age of six months, the baby does need additional iron.
Mixing the Formula
Q: When I give the formula to my baby, the oils float to the top and the baby ends up getting a lot of oil that makes him gag. So he ends up not getting all the oil in the formula.
A: Try this: gently warm the amount of formula you are going to give the baby, and then blend in the blender. The baby most likely will finish taking the formula before the oils separate. You can also give the cod liver oil separately, with an eye dropper, to ensure he is getting all he needs.
Q: Once I heat the gelatin until it dissolves it’s still hot and I mix it with the cold dairy ingredients and blend — should I let it cool off before mixing it with the dairy products in the blender?
A: In my experience, the gelatin did not get hot enough for it to matter about adding it to the colder ingredients. In fact, I melted all the ingredients that I had previously frozen. Above is my process, which may offer a little help.
Q: After I’ve blended the ingredients I’m left with quite a bit of foam on top of the mixed formula. I’ve been tossing out the foam — is that correct or should the foam settle to blend in with the liquefied formula underneath?
A: About the foam, I do remember there being a little that formed after blending, but once I poured it into the bottles and let them sit for a little bit it seemed to dissolve back into the formula. I would try leaving it and see what happens, if anything it is one less step you have to do.
Using the Lact-Aid
Q: In order to continue to nurse while I am giving formula to my baby, I am trying to use the Lact-Aid device (which carries the formula through a small tube that the baby takes in his mouth while also suckling on the breast). But the formula is too thick and keeps clogging up the tube.
A: Be sure that the formula is well blended (in a blender) before putting it in the Lact-Aid and also that it is warm enough. It is best to use the Lact-Aid with raw milk, not cultured milk, as the latter tends to be thicker. You may also try leaving out the gelatin. One other option is to add about 1/4 cup more water to the formula. The nutrients will be less concentrated, but he is also getting your breast milk.
Additive in Acerola Powder
Q: I notice that the NOW brand acerola powder for the formula contains maltodextrin. I am concerned about giving any additives to my baby, especially one derived from corn.
A: At the moment, the only acerola powder available to us is the NOW brand, which contains maltodextrin as a flowing agent. Acerola powder really does get caked up without some kind of agent. So, until we find a brand with a better flowing agent, this is the best we can do. Baby really does need vitamin C and the amount of maltodextrin is very small.
Reaction to the Formula
Q: My baby threw up repeatedly from the formula. Through a process of elimination, I found that my baby was having a severe reaction to the added nutritional yeast. My baby was born with a very weak system and we, her parents, are very sensitive also. What does a parent do for what’s missing without the nutritional yeast?
A: The yeast is not absolutely necessary in the cow’s milk formula but it is in the goat milk formula. If goat milk is the only milk available to you, then switch to the liver-based formula (see the next question).
Spitting Up
Q: What modifications do I make if my baby is spitting up frequently?
A: If you are using the cow’s milk formula, first try eliminating the nutritional yeast, which may be causing the problem. If that does not work, then switch to the goat milk formula; if the problem persists, try the liver-based formula. We can cite several examples of babies who had extreme reactions to any milk-based formula (including projectile vomiting) who did beautifully on the liver-based formula.
Commercial Formula Brands
Q: Is it possible to use other commercial brands of formula when making the Fortified Commercial Formula recipe? I’ve seen other suggestions made on mercola.com.
A: The only formula brand we recommend is the one made by Mead Johnson. It is the only commercial formula that we know of that uses lactose and it also contains coconut oil. The recipe should be made up for one day only. The Mead Johnson formula is only a stop gap formula to be used in emergencies or when the ingredients for homemade formula are temporarily unavailable.
Update: We are sorry to report that the Mead Johnson (Enfamil) Low Iron formula is no longer available. In fact, all commercial formula now contains iron, by FDA decree. The best choice for commercial formula today seems to be Baby’s Only Organic Dairy Formula. It contains iron but otherwise contains higher quality ingredients than any of the other commercial formulas. It is also the only brand on the market at this time without the Martek DHASCO and ARASCO additive. If you are forced to use commercial formula, make sure that baby is getting cod liver oil, either added to the formula or given with an eye dropper or syringe. As soon as possible, introduce solid foods like egg yolk, liver, meat and bone broths.
Powdered Whey
Q: Can I use dry milk powders from high quality sources like Garden of Life’s Goatein, if I can’t find a good source of raw or organic milk?
A: We do not recommend powdered goat whey—it is lacking in casein. And no matter how carefully it is processed, whey proteins are very fragile and the proteins are going to be altered in processing—that is why scientists do not use whey-based feed in animal experiments. Instead, they use dried casein, which is a much less fragile protein. We heard from one parent in California who was using Goatein, when she could have gone out to the store and bought raw milk. If you can’t get raw milk, you should make the meat-based formula. Powdered whey is not appropriate—this is a whole foods formula.
Making Whey
Q: I’m having trouble getting raw milk to separate to make fresh whey. Basically it sours but never separates. One recipe for whey calls for bringing milk with added salt to a boil, adding 2 tablespoons lemon juice and stirring until it is curdled. Is it OK to make whey this way?
A: It takes longer to make fresh whey from raw milk than it does from yoghurt, sometimes up to 5-6 days for the milk to really separate, especially in cooler weather. Set raw milk on the counter in an airtight glass container. When the milk looks really awful, then you know that it has separated. If you are still having trouble, make whey out of already cultured milk (yoghurt or kefir) or with a top brand of commercial whole milk yoghurt, such as Seven Stars Farm or Brown Cow. With yoghurt you can make whey overnight. Making whey by adding lemon juice to boiled milk negates all the good things about your raw milk, and you will not be putting back any good enzymes or bacteria, which is what happens in yoghurt making.
Freezing the Formula
Q: Can I freeze the formula? What is the best method to thaw? I am guessing warm water. I would freeze the formula in mason freezer jars that are 8-ounce capacity.
A: We recommend making the formula fresh daily—this is part of your new baby routine. The exception might be when you are traveling and yes, you can set the jars in warm water to thaw. However, raw milk may be frozen with no ill effects. Many parents must drive long distances to pick up their raw milk, and the solution to this is to obtain it in large quantities and freeze it. When the raw milk thaws, there will be small clumps of cream that can be smoothed out with a whisk or by putting the milk in a blender.
Modifying the Formula
Q: My daughter has 5-month-old twins and we’re in the process of weaning them off of infant formula. I have ordered milk from one of the dairy farmers mentioned on the Weston A. Price Foundation’s website. This particular farmer does pasteurize his milk but only to a degree that does not destroy the enzymes in the milk. My question to you is what variations can be made in the formula that would make this affordable as well as a good formula for the twins. My daughter and her husband are on a budget that won’t allow a large monthly expense for the ingredients. Is there some way that the formula can be varied so that it won’t cost that much for them? Also, I know my daughter won’t have the time to make the easy whey recipe. Please give suggestions as to how to make this work affordably for them. My daughter is on the WIC program and the ONLY formula approved is the Similac (which is what the twins are on now).
A: We do not recommend altering the formula to save money. You could be compromising a child. The recipe was formulated to exact specifications to mimic nutrient-rich human mother’s milk. If you find that raw milk with shipping is too expensive, then do the meat-based formula, which is less expensive. The homemade formula ingredients cost just under $4 per day, through mail order with shipping charges, or when purchased locally with sales tax. This does not include the cost of the milk and cream, which varies widely. Similac costs around $4 per day, including average local sales tax. So while the initial homemade formula cost including milk and cream will be higher, over the long run it is much cheaper considering the typical health challenges and costs that come with conventional formula. This, of course, says nothing about creating a superior foundation for your child’s optimal development and lifelong health.
If your daughter must rely on the only formula that WIC allows, she should use the fortified formula recipe. Unfortunately, from reports we receive from parents, Similac is one of the most problematic formulas for babies. In fact, virtually every parent we’ve heard from, who has had their baby on commercial formula before using the homemade formula, reports very unfortunate stories. We recommend fortifying commercial formula only as an emergency backup. We have hundreds of customers report to us that when they get their babies off commercial formula, their health issues disappear and the babies thrive. They become radiant babies with vibrant health and beautiful dispositions.
I can really appreciate the circumstances of your daughter, and not with just one baby, but two! As far as the quick way to make whey, if she doesn’t have time to take a container of yogurt, pour it into a strainer lined with cheese cloth and collect the liquid after it drains, she really doesn’t have time to be doing any part of this recipe. Once you get into the routine, it is very easy. Parents report that it’s very fast and easy to make up the formula. Just think of how time-consuming it will be when these twins are age 2 and eat solid food and meals have to be prepared for them! Draining whey from yogurt will look easy!
Refrigerated Ingredients
Q: Which of the added ingredients should be refrigerated?
A: Sunflower oil and bifidum; keep the cod liver oil in a cool, dark place.
Is Bifidum Infantis Necessary?
Q: Would you need to put bifidus in the formula if you were using cultured milk? Wouldn’t cultured milk contain bifidus?
A: No, bifidum infantis is a beneficial gut flora that predominates in the infant until age 7. Infants can’t get it except from the mother in the birth canal, and then it’s still helpful to get more.
Is Raw Milk Safe?
Q: If I’m not comfortable using the raw milk in the formula because the woman at the farm I spoke to did not recommend giving their raw milk to infants; she said that not every single container could be tested, so there was no guarantee that every container was bacteria-free. What could be some acceptable substitutes? I would think that if I cultured the raw milk with kefir powder or kefir grains, then the beneficial bacteria would kill any bad bacteria that might be in the milk. Another alternative that I thought of was to pasteurize the milk from the farm myself and then culture it. My only concern is that what if I don’t pasteurize properly, will the beneficial bacteria from the kefir powder take care of any mistakes I made. (I already experimented with this and it was difficult, even with constant stirring, to keep the top layer of milk at the right temperature.) A third alternative that I thought of is to use some good quality yogurt from the health food store. What do you think of these ideas? Can you help alleviate any of my fears about bad bacteria? I don’t want to take any unnecessary chances with my child.
A: Farmers need to be careful when speaking to the public, but you can be assured that if basic sanitation measures are followed, raw milk is completely safe, in fact, safer than pasteurized milk. Raw milk contains many bioactive components that get rid of bad bacteria. When bad bacteria such as E. coli are added to raw milk, these components get rid of them. Of course, this marvelous system for getting rid of pathogens can be overwhelmed if the cows are very unhealthy and the milk gets dirty. Basic sanitation measures include testing of the cows to make sure they are disease free; washing the teats with iodine solution before milking; using a milking machine; and storing the milk in a stainless steel bulk tank, glass bottles or hard plastic bottles at a cool temperature.
Most important, the cows should be on pasture as much as possible, and in the winter, in a well ventilated barn fed mostly hay. We do not recommend using any kind of milk, even raw milk, from cows kept in confinement, especially when the diet is based on grain and includes such additives as citrus peel cake and bakery waste. We recommend using cultured pasteurized milk only when raw milk is unavailable and in this case, the meat-based formula is probably preferable, given the way milk is processed today. We do not recommend pasteurizing your own milk, it is too risky.
Pasteurized Cow’s Milk or Raw Goat Milk?
Q: If you have a choice of cow’s organic, pasteurized unhomogenized milk that you have cultured or raw goat’s milk supplemented with raw liver, which would you choose? We do not have access to organic liver.
A: Use the raw goat milk plus liver recipe. Just use the best that you can find. Probably in this case, you should use calves liver or lambs liver, which would be a cleaner product than chicken. Another solution is to use desiccated liver (Carlson’s brand is good).
Safety of Raw Liver
Q: I am afraid to use the raw liver, as called for in the raw goat milk formula.
A: As long as you freeze the liver for 14 days, it is safe; however if you are concerned, you can simmer the liver before adding it. An alternative is the liver-based formula which calls for simmering the liver in broth.
Dry Kefir Culture
Q: Is Body Ecology’s dry kefir culture just as acceptable as the piima culture or culturing with kefir grains? GEM cultures has been a real problem for people—sometimes it takes six weeks to get their cultures. Do you like the powdered kefir culture?
A: We hear that the powdered kefir gets really thick—like yoghurt—so it does not work very well in the formula. GEM cultures was initially overwhelmed by orders, but has now caught up and is shipping as soon as people order.
Taxing the Kidneys
Q: I’ve read that the high solute load in goat’s milk results in a taxing of the kidneys. Can you explain this to me? What can I do to avoid this? Is just diluting the goat’s milk enough?
A: Yes, this is why we dilute both the cow and goat formula with water.
Cream in the Liver Formula
Q: Why is there no need for cream (or nutrients thereof) in the liver formula? Does the liver take care of what the other oils don’t?
A: This is supposed to be a casein-free formula. The coconut oil supplies the saturated fats. Coconut oil is essential in this formula.
Maximum Storage Time
Q: Is 24 hours the maximum you would consider storing mixed formula in the refrigerator?
A: Yes, to be safe, you should mix up the formula fresh every morning.
Beef or Chicken Liver
Q: Is there a preference for beef or chicken liver? The goat formula recommends chicken liver but the meat formula just states “liver.”
A: We used chicken liver for the goat milk formula because that gave us the best equivalent to the nutrients in mother’s milk. For the liver formula, beef or lamb liver give the best equivalents. However, for babies older than six months, you can use chicken, beef or lamb in either formula.
Soy Feeding Of Animals
Q: If a cow or chicken is eating soy, is there a concern for that with the liver?
A: Of course, it would be better if the chickens were completely pastured and not getting soy but this is very rare. However, the estrogens would be stored mostly in the chicken fat and not in the liver. Beef is not fed much soy so the beef liver is also OK.
Constipation
Q: My baby has become constipated on the goat milk formula.
A: Goat milk is more likely to be constipating than cow’s milk, which is one reason we recommend a formula based on cow’s milk as the first choice. A small amount of diluted prune juice may help and one parent had good luck adding a little warmed molasses to the formula. The Digestive Tea in Nourishing Traditions is also a good remedy. It is very important that baby’s stool not become impacted. A baby suppository should help him evacuate his bowels if the other methods do not work.
Q: I have been making the milk-based formula for 10 days and realize that it makes the baby constipated and she only has 1-2 bowel movements per day as opposed to the regular 4-6 she had on formula and they are more solid than liquid.
A: Actually 4-6 liquid bowel movements per day is not normal and the 1-2 more solid bowel movements per day is appropriate. The stool should be firm enough to be shaped, but not hard.
Q: Why a baby on WAPF Raw Milk Baby Formula can become constipated?
A: there may be two reasons for constipation in a baby: one is dehydration and another – high level of dairy protein.
Dehydration. To make sure that your baby gets enough water, keep an eye on the baby’s urine. It should be pale yellow and the baby should produce normal amounts of urine. What is normal amounts of urine? Typically after feeding the baby’s nappy should be full of urine and will need changing. If the baby produces too little urine and it is dark yellow (or even brown) colour, then the baby is not getting enough water. Make sure to give the baby warm water separately from a bottle or a spoon or add more water to the baby’s milk formula. If your baby just produced very dark urine in a small amount, then dilute the formula almost by half with water. After your baby starts producing normal amounts of pale yellow urine, experiment with different amounts of water in the formula to find the correct ratio for your baby. Every child has different requirements for water and you need to find the right amount for your baby. This depends on the weather (if it is hot outside, then more water needs to be added), the baby’s activity and metabolism (for example, how much the baby is sweating). Getting the right amounts of water often resolves constipation.
Milk protein can be constipating for adults and children, including babies. If your baby is getting enough water and is still constipated, try to move to the liver based formula. If your baby is older than 4 months, then look at the New Baby Diet in the GAPS book (Gut And Psychology Syndrome), part four. You can start introducing solids at this age and not rely on the formula anymore. Majority of babies in the modern words have disrupted gut flora, so solids need to be introduced in a certain way to create healthy gut flora and a healthy digestive function.
Feeding Juice
Q: A popular juice book recommends giving juices to a baby after 5 months. What do you think of this idea?
A: It’s a terrible idea! Apart from a little prune juice in cases of constipation, babies should not be given juice. There is no real nourishment for babies in juice—the vegetable juices are difficult for babies to digest and many contain a variety of anti-nutrients; and the fruit juices will be too sweet. And this rule applies right through the growing years. Do not get your child in the juice habit—these juices are very high in sugar and difficult-to-digest carbohydrates and can take away their appetite for nourishing foods.
Lost Weight on the Formula
Q: My 6-month-old baby was doing fine on the cow’s milk formula but suddenly broke out in a rash and lost 3 pounds. Should I switch to the liver-based formula?
A: Whenever there is a sudden weight loss after doing well on the formula, parents should look for other causes. In this case, with questioning, it emerged that the weight loss occurred after the baby had been given 4 vaccinations in one day! Exposure to pesticides or toxins is another culprit. If a cause like this can be pinpointed, then it would be best to stay on the formula that is working for the child. If no other cause can be determined, then try switching to another formula.
When to Switch To Plain Raw Milk
Q: At what age can we switch from formula to plain raw milk?
A: The answer to this depends on the age, weight and maturity of the child. A child that was premature, very small or delayed in development may benefit from taking the formula in a bottle well past the first year. But a child who is growing well, sitting up, eating solid foods and able to sip from a cup can probably transition to raw milk sometime after the 8th month.
Formula for Older Children
Q: I have a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old who suffer from asthma, bronchitis, eczema and other chronic issues. Can I use the formula as a supplement? I want a way to get really good nutrition into my kids.
A: This is worth a try. You may want to give the cod liver oil separately. (You can do this with an eye dropper.)
Feeding Tube
Q: We have a child who is being fed with a feeding tube. Can we use the formula in this case?
A: Yes, the formula would be very appropriate and would supply the child with good whole nutrition while he heals.
Private Facebook group for parents and caregivers
Q: Where can I go to get advice and communicate with other parents using the homemade formula?
A: Join Nourishing Our Children’s closed Facebook group for communal support: https://nourishingourchildren.org/groups/
Visit the website: https://nourishingourchildren.org
Follow Nourishing Our Children on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/nourishingourchildren/
https://www.facebook.com/nourishingourchildren
Nutrient Comparison
Q: Do you know the nutrient profile for breast milk vs. your homemade formulas?
A: See our nutrient comparison chart at the end of our Recipes for Homemade Baby Formula page.
Liver-Based Infant Formula
Q. When making the liver-based formula, can I use chicken broth made with just the chicken or do I have to make it with vegetables and spices?
A. You can use just chicken or chicken bones.
Q. Should the chicken broth be made daily and should I only use organic chicken?
A. You can make a big batch of chicken broth and refrigerate or freeze. Organic chicken would be best, but you can use non organic if that is all you can find. You can also use the bones left from baked or broiled chicken.
Q. What is the shelf life of the formula? Do I have to prepare it daily?
A. Daily is better but you can make it every other day if you need it while traveling or if your baby only takes a small amount.
Q. I would like to supplement my breast milk with about 10 ounces a day. How do I figure the amount?
A. I would make up the full batch and give half each day.
Q. What type of liver should I use, lamb or chicken?
A. Either is fine.
Q. How do you include the coconut oil without it solidifying or clumping?
A. The coconut oil is very important, be sure to warm it gently before adding.
Cod Liver Oil in Formula/Too Much EPA?
Q. I recently ordered the ingredients for home made infant formula and I have one concern. Although my wife and I take cod liver oil daily, I have read that fish oils contain too much EPA for babies. It is suggested that the EPA competes with DHA and can cause stunting of growth. The commercial formulas use an algal sourced DHA/ARA, but it doesn’t seem to be available to consumers. I could buy Neuromins supplements and break them open, but that would not provide the ARA. Is the EPA a real concern?
A. We do NOT recommend fish oil, not for babies nor adults, but high vitamin or fermented cod liver oil, which supplies A and D without giving too much EPA and DHA. The EPA in cod liver oil will not compete with the DHA–these two always occur together in food. And do not use the synthetic DHA/ARA, we have heard bad reports from this. The baby will get ARA from the butterfat in the milk.
We have had nothing but good reports on growth from babies on our homemade formula
Raw Milk Formula
Q. I have a question about the raw milk infant formula. My two month old adopted daughter has been taking the formula since she was about three weeks old, when we ran out of breast milk donated by a friend. She is doing very well on this but the pediatrician has concerns about the “low’ iron in the formula. I have seen the comparison chart that shows about 3-4 times the iron content of breast milk. The pediatrician is comparing it to the high iron formulas that have about 10 times the amount of iron as the raw milk formula. Do you have any information or opinion whether I should supplement with more iron?
A. You should NOT give extra iron in the first six months. Iron competes with zinc, needed for neurological development. Besides, the lactoferrin in raw milk helps the baby efficiently absorb the iron that is there. By 6 months, the baby does require extra iron and that is why the first weaning food in almost all cultures is liver. Egg yolks are also a good source of iron. So don’t give supplements, but start with iron-rich foods by six months.
Q. I have a 5-month-old baby whom I primarily breastfeed but also supplement with 8 ounces daily. I want to do your formula but am confused. I was told that babies should not have any oils added to their diet and that raw milk alone is sufficient to meet the baby’s needs. The same person told me fish oil is toxic because of the extraction process and should not be consumed by anyone (her information is taken from the work of Aajonus Vonderplanitz). She said the oils are solvent reactive, binding to toxins therefore pushing detoxification in the infant. Is this information correct?
A. If you do our formula, please follow the recipe exactly. It was designed to provide the same fatty acid profile as mother’s milk, hence the addition of the oils. The cod liver oil is VERY important to add; it is not toxic, but provides much needed vitamins A and D. Aajonus is not right about everything, he is not a scientist. Mary Enig, who formulated these recipes, is a highly trained scientist. Go to the following links to read about the formula and the testimonials:
We have a reprint on Children’s Health that you can order from our Store. It will help you as baby transitions into solid food.
Egg Yolks for Infants
Q. My 6 months old son is vomiting after eating egg yolk; what do you suggest?
A. If your son is having trouble with the egg yolk, just hold off and try to introduce it later. We did have one mother who was having this problem, but when she added a small amount of liver and salt to the egg yolk, the baby was fine. Remember to also add the salt.
Q. I have a 4-month old whom I’d like to introduce to solid foods. Your article indicates that egg yolk and bananas are a great start. How many servings of each should I offer per day?
A. It depends a lot on the baby, but 1 egg yolk and then perhaps 1/2 banana?
Q: How do you suggest feeding my child egg yolk when he cannot sit?
A: I would wait until the baby is sitting up before feeding the egg yolk. Give it on a spoon. You will have a mess the first few times, but then he will get used to it.
Q: My son, now 11 months, doesn’t seem to be able to tolerate egg yolk and liver. I have tried giving him the yolk (less than a ¼ tsp) at 5.5 months, 7 months, and 9 months and each time he threw up about 3 hours after eating it. Then same thing happened with chicken liver. My doctor said that he might have developed hyper-sensitivity to them if I ate too much of these while pregnant. What can I feed him to give him enough fat-soluble vitamins?
A: Please don’t blame yourself for this. Are you giving him cod liver oil? This is the first thing I would try–using an eyedropper. Use the fermented cod liver oil from Green Pasture–this seems to be the best tolerated brand. How about other foods? At nine months, he really should be getting other foods such as pureed meats, mashed banana, whole yogurt, etc.
Q: I read that removing the gelatin from the formula makes the formula flow better through the Lactaid. QUESTION is, what’s lost in removing the gelatin? (I.e. nutrition-wise?) Is the gelatin just for texture or does it have important nutritional value?
A: The gelatin makes the formula easier to digest. If the baby is not having any problems digesting it then you can leave the gelatin out.
Q: At times we will have to freeze the formula. I know it’s posted that you are supposed to make it fresh every day but there will be times (at least for us) when this won’t be possible and I’d still prefer using thawed WAP cow’s formula to anything commercial. Therefore, QUESTIONS is:
Which ingredients lose nutritional value or potency when freezing? (I could leave a few ingredients out and add before serving). Some say that you cannot freeze the formula if the probiotics and acerola are mixed in—these must be added separately after the formula is thawed. Is this correct information or is it okay to freeze the probiotics and acerola…
A; I would add the probiotics after thawing. I don’t think the freezing will hurt the acerola.
Q: I am an anesthetist and regularly provide pain relief to women in labor. My impression is that the ability to give birth has changed over the last decades, in large part probably due to changes in nutrition. Overall, it is more difficult, and more women require interventions such as epidural,
forceps or caesarean sections.
My question is, could you point out to me publications researching this topic, the influence of nutrition on the related anatomy and physiology of childbirth, links between nutrition and problems with deliveries.
A: I wish I could point out research that looks at diet and the resulting anatomy–isn’t is shameful that nothing has been done since Dr. Price?
Probably the best book on this is an old (1930s) book called Safe Childbirth by Dr. Kathleen Vaughn, which Dr. Price mentions in Chapter 19 and also on page 412 in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. I was able to read this book in England, but unable to obtain a copy, so we don’t have it in our library. She shows the different pelvic shapes, which Price believes correspond to the facial shape–i.e. narrow face = narrow, oval pelvic opening = difficult childbirth. Round face = round pelvic opening = easy childbirth. (Unfortunately, she misses the mark on diet, but nevertheless it is a very interesting book.) So you can see why there are so many Caesarians necessary today, with so many ending up with narrow face and consequently a narrow pelvic opening.
Probably the best research today is the research on vitamin K–we now think that vitamin K2 (the animal form) is the same as Dr. Price’s Activator X. (See the Spring 2008 issue of Wise Traditions) A sign of vitamin K deficiency is lack of development in the middle third of the face (that is, a narrow face), so lack of vitamin K would be expected to contribute to narrowing of the pelvic opening.
I also think that diet has something to do with how we can deal with pain. Mary Enig believes that MSG makes us very susceptible to pain, (this is her own personal experience) and I would guess that many nutrients (particularly vitamins A, D and K2) contribute to an ability to deal with pain.
What I can say is that our mothers who get on our diet for pregnant women usually report an easy childbirth. See (http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/diet-for-pregnant-and-nursing-mothers/) . This would be a very good study to do–looking at the relationship between maternal diet and difficulty of labor.
Q: I have a question about the baby formula, specifically the goat milk variation. My son is 8 months old and I had to put him on soy formula at 6 months after breastfeeding because he was not gaining enough weight. I am slowly transitioning to the goat milk formula but he has developed a rash on his face which I think may be caused by the lactose. I have been very careful not to introduce new foods during this process. Is it possible to omit the lactose from the formula or to use it at half strength? If so, would I need to make sure there is more goat milk in the formula? In place of the cow’s cream I am using coconut milk already. I did a trial before starting the homemade formula and gave him some raw goat milk with a little whey (made from homemade goat milk yogurt). He did fine on this without rashes breaking out.
A: How much does the baby weigh? Is he sitting up? If he is mature enough, you could probably just give him raw goat milk now, and not do the formula. But you should also be giving him cod liver oil, egg yolks and pureed liver, so that he does not develop folic acid deficiency. These will help mitigate any potential problems with the soy. See the link below for an article on infant feeding, and be sure to order our Healthy Baby Issue from the Foundation.
Use only our recommended brands of cod liver oil–see the section on cod liver oil on the website.
Breastfeeding
Q: Hi, I have a baby who will be turning 6 months old in a few weeks and I’m starting to try to figure out what to feed her. My first child was fed conventionally and my second child was fed the same type of conventional baby foods, but the organic version (like organic cheerios). This will be the first baby that I feed WAPF style. I plan to do soft boiled egg yolk for her first food. But what’s throwing me off is the part in Sally’s nourishing children book where she talks about feeding frozen grated liver to babies. I’m assuming she means raw liver? Is there a benefit to raw liver vs cooked? Because if cooked is okay then I was thinking of doing grassfed Braunschweiger sausage as one of her first foods. I’d love to hear more about how you all introduced solid food to your babies.
A: There are a lot of good ideas about breastfeeding and when/how to start table food, including ones in this Discussion group. (In the ’90’s, I breastfed my daughter for about a year; more recently, our co-chapter leader’s wife, Monica, breastfed each of their children as long as they were interested, one for 4yrs, gradually introducing more and conventional foods along the way.) Good that you are thinking ahead about a nourishing plan.
In addition to Sally’s book which you are reading, other WAPF articles may help. Here are a few outstanding articles:
http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/nourishing-a-growing-baby/pdf
http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/feeding-babies
http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/including-baby-at-the-family-table
http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/diet-for-pregnant-and-nursing-mothers
feed://www.westonaprice.org/thumbs-up-reviews/atom …(several valuable books are reviewed including: A Compromised Generation -By Beth Lambert, and Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health through Diet -By Elaine Gottschall )
As for liver, I imagine for a baby, Sally meant a known, high-quality source for the liver and cooked to be extra careful; sausages are complex and therefore, maybe better introduced later in a baby’s growth cycle. However, to clarify your important question about liver, you may email the WAPF and ask directly: info@westonaprice.org
Q: I am familiar with the problems of today’s soy-based infant formulas, but am looking for information regarding the make-up and effects of infant formulas used in the 1930s. Do you have any information about this or can you direct me to a source that might?
A: I am not sure that commercial formulas were on that market at that point. Most babies were given milk of some sort. Canned condensed milk with added water and corn syrup was one of the suggested
formulas.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2005.
NOTE TO COMMENTERS: BEFORE YOU ASK A QUESTION, please read through or use your browser search feature to make sure the answer is not already here. Yes, there is a lot to go through here but it will get even more unreadable if we answer the same question several times.
Thank you
<ul>
<li>Milk-Based Formula: <a href=“http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/09/video-homemade-milk-based-baby-formula.html” target=“_blank”>thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/09/video-homemade-milk-based-baby-formula.html</a></li>
<li>Liver-Based Formula: <a href=“http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/09/video-hypoallergenic-baby-formula.html” target=“_blank”>thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/09/video-hypoallergenic-baby-formula.html</a></li>
</ul>
Can you give me any tips for particles settling at the bottom and clogging the nipple when feeding? Should I strain the whole batch through cheese cloth before storing or is this an issue with how I am combining ingredients? Thank you!
You vigorously mix those particles all together. They should be able to go through the nipple. If they do not perhaps you need to heat and wisk the gelatin more in order to have it truly melted and dissolved. I’ve discovered that to the only time it wouldn’t go through the nipple. Hope your baby is doing well.
My baby has been on formula since he was 7 months old, unfortunately at the time my milk supply seemed to dry up and we were advised to just switch to formula. He is now about 10 1/2 months old, and I just came across the information about making homemade formula. I am interested, but with reservations. If I have read the information correctly in both of my baby books and at other web locations, I am to transition him over to regular cow’s milk when he reaches a year old. That means I only have at most 2 more months of being on formula. I am concerned that if I gather all of the ingredients needed and put forth the extra expense to make my own formula that he may reject it, and I will be left with a number of ingredients that I have no use for once he is on cow’s milk. I saw the post about commercial baby formula to use Baby’s Only organic, but after looking at the ingredients list I see that it has soy just like the regular Enfamil I have been using. I would like to hear your suggestions and guidance as to what you recommend me to do. Thanks!
I am so confused about the liver based formula. I ordered the expensive kit from Radiant Life. I am new to this so I should have done more research. I don’t understand why so many of the products in this formula use milk based items? The bifidobacterium is dairy based, the liquid whey is dairy based as is the lactose powder. If my child is reacting to the dairy how does this formula help? I’ve mixed it up minus the whey and the lactose, so how great is my nutrient loss? It is so stressful to make choices for your baby anyhow, but to add in these types of questions complicates the process further. Can someone please explain?
Thank you.
Hi there,is can’t seem to find the goat milk formula recipe. I am about to order desiccated liver powder, hoe much do you use per bottle?
goat milk formula is here – http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/formula-homemade-baby-formula/#vgmf
Please forgive me if this is a stupid question, but if I get cream from the raw milk, that would be taking the necessary cream out from the milk They cream they need?
So the adding of cream is in addiction to the cream already in the milk?
So I should buy a separate carton of milk to get the cream out of that to use extra?
Sorry for the stupid question.
Yes, the cream is in addition to the cream already in the milk.
My daughter doesn’t drink 32 ounces a day, am I able then to follow the left over to the next day and so on?
Yes, you can use leftover formula the next day.
I only have sheets of gelatin, that is 100%… Whilst I order off Amazon am I able to use this?
Yes
Hi! I am very excited to try this, however, my daughter (one month old tomorrow) has protein intolerances. I was advised to try making this formula with coconut milk rather than the whole raw milk for now and that as her digestive system matures, we can try adding the raw milk (my son has MSPI as well and could not tolerate regular milk based products until 6 months old… it is NOT a lactose intolerance, it is a protein intolerance).
Would this be an ok thing to do? We NEED a milk free option and are currently on similac alimentum but want to get away from commercial formulas.
Thank you!
Kelly Ford
Hi there
My baby seems to get constipated on any cows milk formula including his one.
Is there another substitute for the liver as we are vegetarians and I Cannot work with liver nor feed it to my baby.
Is there another form of b12?
Another question is in Durban South Africa I cannot find raw goats milk, am I able to use pasteurized goats milk?
Try the digestive tea for baby in Nourishing Traditions for constipation. Do NOT use pasteurized goats milk for your baby, keep trying with the raw goat milk. We really do NOT recommend raising children as vegetarians–they are likely to suffer from anemia and other deficiencies.
How long can I store homemade baby formula in the freezer?
Probably several months
Can i use organic camu-camu instead acerola powder?
Is bifidus infantis absolutely necessary in goat’s milk based formula?
I would stick with the ingredients we recommend. The bifidus infantis is not absolutely necessary, but recommended.
We have been on this formula for nearly a month. It has been amazing. She suffered from conatipation in the fort week but that’s sorted itself out now
Since we started she started getting baby acne. Started on her eye lid now it’s under Her mouth and around both eyes. I think it must an allergy to an ingredient.
i obviously need to figure out what it is. Have you got any idea where I can start?
Hello! Is BABYS ONLY ORGANIC still the best choice of commercial formula out there in 2014? I see this report was made in 2005…. Thank you.
P.s. I love this website and recommend it to everyone who asks me how I raise my 9mo daughter. She is always very happy and strong. Because she’s healthy. I kept to the pregnancy diet. :):):)))
There are very few options out there and none are anywhere close to perfect but as far as we know, Baby’s Only is one of the better choices. Our research does need to be updated but that will take some time.
Where do I find the actual formula?
Formula is at http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/formula-homemade-baby-formula/
My baby is 4 months old and was born 10 weeks premature. She has struggled with commercial formulas and struggled with goat milk formula. Mom isn’t producing enough breast milk and we are looking for another formula to supplement. Is she too young to put on liver based formula? I do not see any instructions on age limitations for liver based formula. I understand that too much iron at such a young age can be dangerous and liver has high concentration s of iron relative to most other foods.
Reply from Sally: You will just have to try it. We have a couple of cases where the baby started at one week of age and just thrived on the liver formula–it can be life saving for some babies.
I am in El Salvador and cannot get organic liver. I am trying to order ingredients online from the US. Is it okay to use a dried liver in the formula? If so, how much would you use and what do you recommend? I would have to use the meat based formula as I cannot get safe raw milk here.
My only other alternative is to used powdered goats milk. How bad is that compared to formula? And if I can’t get liver, what can I use for B-12?
I am desperately trying to give my baby good food since I do not have enough milk for her and she refuses to nurse.
Yes, make the formula with meat instead of liver but add a little of the dried liver to it. Be sure to add the coconut oil, it is a very important part of this formula. This would be better than powdered goats milk.
What have you decided to do? I feel your pain !!
I will make the meat based formula. I can’t get farm-raised meat, but it is still better than commercial formula!
We have been on this formula for a month. It has been amazing. She suffered from conatipation in the first week but that’s sorted itself out now
Since we started she started getting baby acne. Started on her eye lid now it’s under Her mouth and around both eyes. I think it must an allergy to an ingredient.
i obviously need to figure out what it is. Have you got any idea where I can start?
Please respond.
Start by taking out the nutritional yeast and if that doesn’t work, take out the gelatin. These are not absolutely essential to the formula.
How long would one need to wait for? It’s been 3 days without the nutritional yeast. It seems to flare up more whilst she’s eating.
When I took out the nutritional yeast my baby suffered from constipation. My out it back, she had normal bowel movements again.
I’m now trying the gelatin.
If these both don’t work what can you recommend? Surely it’s not cows milk? She’s been on cows milk formula since day one and no rash?
would there be any need for iron supplementation as iron for the raw coww milk seems preety low in comparison to conventional formula and doctors say a baby needs at leat 10mg/day of iron?
From Sally: The baby absorbs all the iron from raw milk, so in most cases iron supplements are not necessary. At 4-6 months, add iron-rich foods such as pureed liver and egg yolk.
What can I use in place of cream on goat formula baby is cow dairy (even raw) allergic/ sensative…
From Sally: The cream is not absolutely necessary, so just leave it out.
I have taken out both gelatin and nutritional yeast to see what my baby is reacyibg to. Doing this it has caused her bowels to to mess up completely and she’s constipafed.
It doesn’t seem to be either of those two. I doubt it would be cows milk has she was fine on formulas before this.
Please advise my next step?
From Sally: I would try something topical. Try putting cod liver oil on the rash. Another good product is this one: http://www.drkangformulas.com/EACHFORMULA/49.htm It is expensive but it works beautifully.
Would it be okay to add a little ginger and garlic to the stock for the liver based formula? Can you tell me how much dessicated liver to use since I can’t get it fresh organic? I don’t want to use too much since I am concerned about vitamin A toxicity.
If I can’t get farm-raised chickebs, is it still okay to add their organs to the stock when I make it?
Than you for all of your help!
From Sally: Yes, should be OK
Can’t you get organic chicken livers?? Or order frozen liver from a farmer? 1/2 tsp desiccated liver as the correct substitution for the 2 grated tsp of fresh chicken liver. In the goat milk formula you should use 1/4 tsp.
Yes, preferably using organic organs to make stock.
I may not be able to get raw cow´s milk for the first few months so I might have to do the goat milk variation. Once we freeze the organic chicken liver for AT LEAST 14 days, how long can it remain frozen? I imagine it would take a REALLY long time to get through, using only 1/4 of a teaspoon per batch. Also, why is the fresh chicken liver preferable to the desiccated liver? Thanks!
Thanks for making this information! My baby girl seems to do a lot better on this formula. I’m just wondering though if the lactose is too much. 4tbs to make one batch. Per 500g bag you only get around 5-6 batches it’s a ton of lactose. 80ml per batch. My question is, is this much really necessary or am I doing something wrong?
Also my baby is getting a acne or rash looking symptoms is that common?
I live in El Salvador and nothing is organic. I can get a farm-raised chicken every now and then, but it is rare. They don’t come in large quantities and neither do their organs. The only places that sell chickens use chicken feed and hormones, etc. I am assuming making the stock from these chickens and using that in the formula is better than commercial formula, correct?
I’m back. I’m at a loss of what to do.
Her rash is terrible. Cod liver oil isn’t helping.
I know his sounds bad but can I just give her the milk and water for a day and see if she still gets that reaction? Then I’ll know it’s the milk. If not I can start adding in ingredients one by one. I do have some liver frozen need to wait a while longer tho – If it’s the milk and go onto the bone broth formula.
Please help
Yes, try just the milk and water adn see what happens.
It seems to be the cod liver oil that is causing the rash. It’s the Icelandic one
In my baby Kirsty check that with yours
Hi there
Is it possible to replace the water with bone broth in the raw milk formula ? And then skip adding the gelatin ? I would like my baby to get the nutrients from the bone broth.
My daughter gave birth to my granddaughter are 32 1/2 weeks gestation. Her preemie daughter stayed in the hospital for 45 days. The pediatrician ordered iron without the consent or knowledge of my daughter….baby started getting gastrointestinal pain…gas, backarching, explosive “orange” diarrhea, and she was inconsolable. This happened every evening and symptoms would ease off slowly until the next afternoon and again return in the evening. The nurses and pediatrician kept asking my daughter what she was eating, as her breastmilk was the cause of the GI distress. Anyways i saw one of the nurses giving granddaughter iron and asked how long they had been giving it to her for, she said since birth. This was on a Sunday her symptoms started on a the friday. I spoke to a pharmacist friend of mine and asked him about the side effects of iron and they matched my granddaughters symptoms, he also said the dose being given is too large if her symptoms are that severe. Ugh
So the following day we spoke to another nurse about the iron and asked if she could find out when baby started iron…..she checked and it was started on the same Friday her symptoms/side effects started. My daughter had her taken off the iron, and was bullied by the nurses and pediatrician, they said babies mental and nervous system development will be compromised without iron supplementation because of her premature age. My question is…if my daughter followed a wapf diet does she need to supplement her baby with more iron and if so can desiccated liver be mixed in with her breast milk (for a bottle feed) to supplement her, without affecting other processes in the body like zinc absorption. I am afraid the iron stores baby did have were maybe compromised from the initial doses of iron and her body maybe eliminated her stores with her reaction to the iron supplement as the explosive diarrhea would lower these stores. Please help as we don’t want her harmed if supplementation is absolutely necessary.
thank you,
Desiree
We are just making up our first batch of WAP baby formula and, unfortunately, our seven month old baby simply does not like the taste/texture or something — she will not drink it. She is breast milk fed and has been eating solids joyfully for weeks now. Any advice on getting babies to accept the flavor? We have left the cod oil out of this first batch.
Have you tried mixing half breast milk and half formula in a bottle?
We just started our 6-week old son on this formula last night. So far, so good. If he starts eating and doesn’t finish the bottle, how long can it sit out before we need to toss it?
It can be out for a couple of hours.
Absolutely determined to continue with the WAPF formula ,my baby has been suffering with a terrible rash since starting that has got worse and worse. I then made the liver based formula – of which she will not eat.
I have now gone onto the goats milk formula- omitting the lactose and whey. In 4 days her rash is clearing up considerably.
But yes she is now constipated.
Screaming in pain. Her stool if any comes out are hard balls.
I have given her Lacson unfortunatrly. Hoping this will work. Would her body get used to the goats milk? Or would o have I to give her prunes /digestive tea every day?
Secknd question- does she have to have the whey, cream and lactoae added? I’m scared her rash comes back.
I do appreciate all your help with getting and keeping our babies healthy.
Reply from Sally:
So sorry about the constipation–goat milk tends to do this. Try giving baby a supository. And slowly adding the lactose and whey. Also prune juice and digestive tea. You will just have to try to see what works.
I use 2 tsp of unsulphured blackstrap molasses in the formula and it works great to relieve constipation. It also adds b vitamins, iron, and potassium!
I’m no expert, but I know you can get goat lactose here https://www.amazon.com/Goat-Milk-Lactose-Powder-Capra/dp/B016ATC1UQ
And you could make kefir using goat milk and strain it to get goat whey.
Wondering for potential substitutes for the lactose? I can’t he my hands on that up here in Canada. Also, having a tough time getting my hands on acerola powder…is that essential? Any replacements for acerola powder?
Thanks
In Canada, you can get the ingredients at: http://www.ovioorganico.ca
My baby was on soy formula for the first 5 and 1/2 months and we started the homemade cows milk formula 2 weeks ago. He had a rash on his face that seemed to clear up before my eyes and he is doing great on it. His eyelashes got longer and fuller too! But, he is only having bms every 2 or 3 days and they are very hard and small. It also seems like he’s not urinating as much as he was. I feel like he needs more water but I would like your advice. I’ve tried adding prune juice with no results. Constipation wasn’t an issue with the soy formula but I had no idea how bad it was for him. Thanks.
Reply from Sally:
Try giving baby a supository. Also, small amounts of chicken broth each day. Juice of cooked prunes might also help.
I am having trouble getting just cream. I don’t live where they sell whipping cream in the stores and the cows don’t have a lot of cream on their mlik here. Most cream they sell is soured and has additives. Should I add more oils to the formula? If so, how much and which ones?
Reply from Sally:
Try ordering cream from one of our Wise Traditions advertisers, or contact the nearest chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation
Thank you. I live in El Salvador which is why I was wondering if there is a substitute. I may have found some cream, but it can be hard to get. I will look at the website for when I visit the states.
I am having a similar problem as Ashley. My baby was on commercial formula and I switched her to the meat based formula which went well, but she only pooped every other day. It was not hard though. I was able to find a clean source of raw milk so I switched her to the cow’s milk formula and she loves it, but she is now really having trouble pooping and it is hard and dry. She does seem to be peeing a little less too. She doesn’t seem to be having any other adverse reactions to the cow’s milk and actually her cradle cap seems to be flaking off now and she is very energetic and happy when she isn’t trying to poop. She is sleeping better and seems fuller with the cow’s milk than with the meat based formula. Will the constipation be an issue always or should it subside as her body adjusts to the formula? I tried prune juice which she promptly spit up – something she is doing much less now on the cow’s milk. I am having trouble finding the leaves for the digestive tea, but I am giving her small amounts of chicken broth. How long should I give it to her and how long should I expect her to have trouble with constipation? Is there anything else I can do to help her? The poor girl cries when she tries to poop and sometimes struggles and can get nothing out. We did try a suppository and she was able to poop, but it was painful.
I’m sorry for so many question, but I am having trouble doing this in a 3rd world country. I can get oure cream that hss been soured. I can’t sem to get anyone to understand that I want it fresh. Is it okay to use the soured cream in the formula? If not, can I add more coconut oil to make up for the cream?
Reply from Sally,
Yes, sour cream is fine
Okay, last question for now. After the suppository yesterday, my baby has now been pooping more than usual. When she was on commercial formula she pooped once a day. When she was on the meat based formula she pooped every other day and sometimes every day. She has already pooped 3 times today which is so unusual for her. It is not formed, but she also isn’t upset or disturbed by the pooping, so I am guessing it is okay. How much is it normal for babies to poop on the cow’s milk formula? I just don’t know what should be normal or maybe this is still left over from the suppository? I have been giving her a little of the broth formula here and there because she has been peeing less, but that may be from the extreme heat we have been having the last few days. If she is happy and acting normal, is it okay for her to poop a lot on this formula? How long will it take for her digestive system to adjust to the formula?
Reply from Sally,
This sounds great! Looks like the suppository got things going and the broth is probably helping also. Several times a day is fine, in fact this is normal.
Help! I need some guidance as to how to make the ‘broth’ for the meat based liver formula. Can you please explain to me how to make it? How much water to chicken ratio? What kind of chicken cut and how much should I boil in the broth? How many cups of broth should I be making with one whole chicken? Can I use commercial organic chicken broth?
As for the formula, can I use organic chicken livers? I read above somewhere not to use chicken livers until baby is 6 months old, is this correct? Should I be concerned over high levels of vit.A if my baby is on this formula full time? How much of this formula should I be feeding my 3 month old? – the same amount as any other formula? Can I substitute the sucrose/glucose with maple syrup?
I fed my first baby WAPF goat milk formula, which I learnt to make on your website, with much success! My second baby who is 3 months, did not do well on it. He became very oilly and developed skin allergies, psoriasis and other skin issues in relation to milk proteins. I tweaked the formula, tried different variations, and store bought alternatives with no success. I have been asked to put him on hypoallergenic formula. All the hydrolyzed formulas are full of chemically processed junk. I would really like to make this meat based liver formula for him and see him thrive like my last child. Please help me. Thank you for your support and information.
Reply from Sally,
Do you have a slow cooker? If so, fill it with chicken bones, and heads and feet if possible (or a piece of pigs food if you can’t get heads or feet) Add a little vinegar, fill with water and cook on low overnight.
Chicken livers are fine–in fact very good.
You should use lactose if you can, if not just table sugar.
Okay nevermind the comments I made above. My baby just soaked me in throw up. I had taken the yeast out of the recipe to help with the constant pooping, but I am switching back to the meat based formula now. She has been energetic and happy with both formulas, but no throwing up and diarrhea on the broth, so there we go. Thank you for your help.
Hello,
Thanks for such a wonderful and informative website. I have read through all the Q&A on Westen A Price page and also all the comments and replies on this site, but I have a few additional questions I’m really hoping you can answer for me.
1) Can I mix half formula and half human breast milk in feedings? (I have a month’s worth of breast milk in my deep freeze that I was able to save before my milk supply ended.)
2) Can the formula be left out at room temperature for a certain amount of time after being warmed? For example breast milk is ok at room temp for 6 hours.
3) What kind of symptoms would indicate a reaction and how quickly would they appear after starting the formula feeding?
4) Can I mix the egg/liver/salt combination into the formula? Or do I need to give baby that separate as a solid?
Thank you so much for a response and for all the support!
Reply from Sally:
1) Yes, in fact my daughter did this and it worked fine.
2) I would not leave it out too long, because of the other ingredients. If you are traveling, keep it in a cooler
3) Just hard to say–crying and colic might show up right away. Diarrhea or constipation could show up quickly. Rashes some time after.
4) Better to give as a solid, as it might clog the nipple of the bottle.
Sally, I don’t know what ‘pigs food’ is? I can get chicken necks and backs, would that do? I have an electric pressure cooker that doubles as a slow cooker. Its great! Would that be apple cider vinegar or plain white vinegar? Can I make beef broth instead? and use beef liver? If so, I do the same but with beef bones? what beef bones would be best? How many lbs. or oz?
Could you address the high levels of Vitamin A in the meat based liver formula? I am concerned with vit.A toxicity. This formula has 20x the vit.A found in breast milk and is almost 3x the daily allowance for infants! This is VERY concerning and probably the only thing holding me back form making this formula for my baby.
If I put my baby full time on this formula, how much should I be feeding my 3 month old? – the same amount as any other formula?
Thanks again for your help and info. -tatiana.
Reply from Sally:
It is pig’s foot, not food. Chicken necks and backs are fine. Any kind of vinegar. You can make beef broth with various types of beef bones (tail, shank, shin are best), I would not add liver.
I have been making the homemade formula for my 8 month old twin girls for the past two weeks and the babies are doing great. I am having trouble with the formula separating. Occasionally there are particles in the milk that clog the nipple of the bottle. I am wondering if it is how I am making the whey. I separate the whey but after it has been in the refrigerator it has a white film on top. Could this be the cause of the particles? If I keep the formula cold it isn’t as bad but once I warm it the milk separates really bad. Any advice/suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Reply from Sally,
If you make the formula using a blender, it shouldn’t separate for awhile. But if it separates after warming, just shake it well. I don’t think this is caused by the particles in the whey, but you could remove them just in case.
My 3 month old baby just started the goats milk formula, he is spitting up and it smells horrible, what can I do differently? Thanks
Reply from Sally
Try removing the yeast and gelatin and see if he does better.
Raw milk is unavailable to me. Can I use Non-homogenized, grass fed batch pasteurized, grade A organic milk?
No, better to use the liver/meat-based formula.
how do I make homemade chicken broth?
Hi again, I have a question about broth for the formula. Again, I am in El Salvador, so some things are harder to figure out. I have been purchasing the chickens that people here have running around their houses. They are definitely free range and as close to organic as I can get here. However, the chickens are somewhat small and thin. No matter what I do when I make the broth, it doesn’t gel. I do use leftover bones and skin from store bought chickens (fed with some kind of chicken feed I am sure) sometimes to make stock that I use to flavor my food and makes sauces. This broth almost always gels even if only cooked for a short time. The only difference is that I put sea salt in the store bought chicken broth since that is what I use to flavor food for me. Is it bad the the broth I am using to make the formula for my baby doesn’t gel? Those chickens are better quality as far as chemicals go, but maybe they are malnourished? Any ideas as to why it doesn’t gel? Can you help me to get the best nutrition out the chickens for my baby? Thanks!
Reply from Sally,
Not sure why this is so. Can you get the heads and feet of the running-around chickens? This would help. And definitely add the skin, in fact make the broth from the whole chicken.
I have been using almost the whole chicken. I just started adding the heads, so we will see if that helps. I did start saving the bones from one soup to add to the next with the fresh chicken. That might help too. I did get a rooster that was fatter and actually hard to cut up because he was so well put together and that did gel very nicely. Maybe the cartilage isn’t strong enough on the other ones. I didn’t even have the feet for the rooster.
I do have another question. My baby has been growing very quickly. She had some trouble growing at first due to tongue tie issues and that is why she is on formula at all. I have been doing this homemade formula for about a month and she has suddenly stopped gaining weight so quickly. It might be her time to slow her growth, but I am wondering if I need to add more whey or something to the formula? She actually takes more than one batch in a day. I put the liver in her egg yolk in the AM because it clogs the bottle and so my batch makes about 33-34oz and she will take about 40oz or more and she is also eating an egg yolk in the morning, a few teaspons of chicken, and a little avocado. It seems like she is getting plenty to eat, but it is strange that she doesn’t seem to be gaining a lot of weight. Do you have any insight for me? She is just 6 months old, so maybe she has slowed her growth pattern? She was gaining about 2lbs a month and now has only gained about 1/2 lb.
From Sally:
The one thing I would try is adding more cream to the formula, and yes, give her more than 33-34 ounces if she wants it. I am sure her growth rate will pick up again.
I am using the meat based formula since she threw up on the cow’s milk and I can’t get enough goat’s milk here. So she hasn’t been getting any cream, but I guess I could try to add that into the formula. I am a little nervous about it because she had so much trouble with the cow’s milk formula. It gave her diarrhea and when I added the cream into the formula, she threw up. It might just have been too much with all of the other cow’s milk ingredients though.
Could I put extra coconut oil in? Or should I try adding some cream and see what happens? Also, should I continue to put the same amount of probiotic and cod liver oil in each batch even if she takes more than 1 batch in a day. She is doing about a batch and a half or sometimes a little less.
I do add a little coconut oil to her egg and sometimes to her chicken and I definitely let her eat all she wants. I always have since we had so many issues in the beginning and she really isn’t one to overeat. If she is not hungry, she won’t eat.
Thank you for all of your help. She has a good doctor, but definitely doesn’t understand nutrition like she should and so I don’t want to ask her these questions!
We started our grandson on the raw milk formula and he didn’t do well. He ended up being constipated and had projectile vomit. We changed to straight kefir, fermented with kefir grains, and he is doing very well now. His breathing has cleared up and he doesn’t vomit any more. Is very content, alert, and very happy. He is 3 months old now. Our concern is, what supplementation may he be lacking with just kefir as his diet at this point in his life?
Reply from Sally,
Very interesting. Glad he is doing well. Start him on the cod liver oil, you can just give that with an eye dropper or a syringe, no need to mix in. They at 4-5 months old start him on solid food, such as egg yolk and pureed liver.
Do you know if the protein in the liver is the same (in terms of easy digestion) as the protein in mother’s milk? Thank you
From Sally:
Not sure. But it has worked with many babies.
Can I use Country Life infant probiotic instead of the Natren? What am I looking for exactly in this ingredient? Thanks!
From Sally:
Does it contain bifidis bacteria?
Mayday! Mayday! SOS SALLY! I feel totally defeated! I am at my breaking point! I wish I could talk to you! or someone who is as knowledgable as you are in this area… instead of writing here in the comments and waiting desperately for your reply.
But alas, where to begin. I have 2 under 2. My first child did great on WAPF home made goat milk formula, which I religiously made for her daily following your instructions and videos without any set backs. It was a total success!
Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case this time around. After unforeseen health issues which rendered me in the hospital for a prolonged stay 2wks after delivery, I was never able to regain my milk supply. I started my then 2 month old on the WAPF home made goat milk formula, which I was an expert at making by that time. But he did NOT do well on it. He developed psoriasis on his face, chest, elbows, and ankles. Cradle cap. He became colicky and uncomfortable and would wretch his body. He was miserable, and so was I! From there we transitioned to Baby’s Only ‘lactoreleif’, which seemed to soothe him and alleviate some of these symptoms, although they did not go away all together. I started researching and figuring out how to make the broth for the meat based liver formula. Asking questions here on these post, reading others comments, bloggs and websites, watching videos, getting my supplies ready. Suspecting that his symptoms might be due to a milk allergy, I began the meat based formula. But his symptoms have worsened. I then proceeded to eliminate different aspects from the formula: first the whey, then the probiotics, followed by the lactose. I’ve tried different sugar substitutes. I’m down to the most basic: the beef bone broth, the liver, plain table sugar, the olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, cod liver oil, and acerola powder. All my ingredients are organic, grassfed, of high quality.
What is there to do but continue the elimination of ingredients from this formula until I find the culprit… or not? I am at my last string… this close to calling this whole thing off and going back to Baby’s Only or some other hypoallergenic processed formula (full of crap) as my dr. suggested. I hate seeing my baby like this! As soon as he finishes the bottle, he becomes very itchy. He rubs and scrapes his face, I need to keep him with gloves or swaddled bc he will scratch his face bloody! He wretches and cries, is irritable and will only sleep in my arms (exhausting!) What is a mother to do! I want the best for my child. I am doubting my judgement on making these formulas for him. I’d rather make my own wholesome formula over ANY processed commercial formula, but not with these result. Please advise me from a compassionate and knowledgable place. You are the source. What do you suggest? Please help us.
Can you offer some suggestions for substitutes for the coconut oil? Is the formula still viable without it? He’s doing slightly better today omitting it from the formula.
Do you have any tips for fattening up my baby. The doctor is on my case because she only gained 6 oz this month. I think cream made her vomit and butter seems to be making her spit up more than usual. I haven’t completely given up on buttter because she spits up more somedays anyway, but it seems to be that she spits up more the times after she eats it. She is 6 months old and is acting fine and is a healthy weight, but suddenly gaining slowly. I have her on the meat based formula and she is eating egg yolk, banana, avocado, and green beans so far. She usually has an egg yolk, a couple of teaspons of chicken and another teaspon or 2 of avocado or green beans, and some banana here and there. I don’t want the doctor to worry mmy husband into changing the baby’s formula or giving the baby bad food. Any suggestions to help weight gain? Thanks!
From Sally:
I would just watch it for awhile, and not worry. She will probably pick up weight gain again. Sounds like you are doing a wonderful job. Is she getting cod liver oil?
Thank you! She does seem to be picking up again and yes, she is getting cod liver oil. She loves this formula.
My second son transitioned over to the raw milk formula from breastfeedinh when he was around 4 months since I had to return to work. Other than being constipated at first he took to the formula very well.I have now began the same transition with my third son but I’m taking it much slower then I did with my other son. I started off with two bottles of about 3 ounces each prior to some breastfeeding sessions. This evening my son has come down with a slight cold and a groupie like cough. Has anyones child had the same reaction to the formula?I am Not sure if the cold is associated to a reaction with the formula if it just happens to be a coincidence. Your comments and responses are much appreciated
Our baby boy is doing fabulous on the milk formula, but he prefers it cold. Is it ok to continue giving it to him cold?
Thank you!
Sure, that’s fine.
Made the milk formula and my baby drank it fine. Hours later around bedtime she wouldnt go down like she normally does and was screaming and crying. Her stomach was gurgling like crazy and she was farting A LOT! She started screaming and crying cries ive never heard her do before. They sounded like she was in so much pain. Would could of caused all the gas?
From Sally:
What was she getting before? May move more gradually to the formula
I’m having a problem with the formula getting super thick once it is chilled. Once the bottle is warm, it is fine, so that’s not the issue. But transferring from the pitcher into the bottle is nearly impossible. A spoon would be easier. It’s the consistency of yogurt. I’m following the recipe precisely and not substituting any ingredients. What is causing this?
This happened to me as well! I made batches in the morning (without the lactose, acerola, and oil as I’m still waiting for those ingredients) but taking out of the fridge in the evening the milk was 2/3 yogurt. Could it be the whey?
It’s the gelatin that makes it thick when cold, like it does in jello. I use a dr. Browns breast milk pitcher found on Amazon to store mine in the fridge. It has a handle you pump on the top of the lid that mixes the formula for you before pouring some out.
Hi There, I’m due to have my 4th baby soon and have suffered low milk supply with all my children. My issue is 2/3 have been lactose intolerant. which of your formulas would u recommend for lactose intolerance?. Thankyou
The liver formula should work and possibly the goat milk formula
Hi my son is 5 months old and has never taken to the breast so I pump for him, but my milk supply has always been too low. We have had to have him on formula and the Baby’s Only really constipates him so we switched to Enfamil Reguline..We switched him back to Baby’s Only and added prebiotics. I don’t want to continue giving him commercial formula though as he has developed a rash and the Baby’s Only still constipates him really bad even with the prebiotics. We tried this WAPF formula but the best milk I can get is Strauss organic milk here, but it is pasteurized. Can I use this as there is no raw milk available? And he is also still really constipated, will this normalize?
It’s probably better to try the liver formula.
My 6 month old has been on this formula for about 2 weeks now and loving it, but I am concerned that he may not be eating enough. He used to eat about 40 oz of breastmilk a day. How much of this formula would you say is good for a baby at this age? I haven’t asked my pediatrician because I do not think he will be on board with the homemade formula.
Our baby has been spitting up for awhile on the cow’s milk formula, and I just reread that you recommend taking out the nutritional yeast to see if that helps. Our pediatrician’s office suggested decreasing the lactose. Thoughts?
He is 15 weeks old.
Can you substitute brown rice syrup for lactose? I have infant safe brown rice syrup, also is the cod liver oil absolutely imperative?
From Sally: NO, do not use brown rice syrup. The lactose is necessary for neurological development. The cod liver oil is very important.
Hi I have heard that organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses is good to add to this formula, is that ok and if so, would it replace the lactose in this formula or be in addition to, and what amount would be good?
Hi, I was reading the comparison chart again for the breastmilk vs cow’s milk formula and I noticed that some of the vitamin levels are 5 times what is recommended for infants. For instance the fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A are extremely high and I just want to make sure these levels are safe and not toxic. The B vitamins are much higher as well, is there a reason for this disparity?
Our twins have been on the Raw Cow’s Milk formula and we switched to the Goat Milk Formula because they were constipated. They have been doing better but was wondering if there was anything we can use besides the Raw Chicken Liver for the B-12? We know they need the Iron and want to make sure we are giving them what they need.
Is it safe to combine mothers breast milk with the milk formula?
Yes
Is it ok if I ommit acerola powder, n cod liver oil, since both are not available in my country
I made the formula for the first time today and it has almost become a gel like consistency in the fridge. Did I use the wrong gelatin maybe? I used Great Lakes Gelatin in the red can.
No, you probably didn’t do anything wrong. It will often thicken in the fridge but should be OK when warmed up and stirred or shaken.
my 7 week old has just tested positive for galactosemia and needs to switch from breastmilk to a totally dairy-free diet. Dr’s recommended soy formula, but I would much prefer to make my own. I am looking at the meat-based formula, but unsure if there is a viable substitute to the small amount of lactose…what do you recommend?
Two quick questions:
1. The nutrition chart does’t mention the amount of vitamin K in the formulas. Could you add this info?
2. Are these formulas safe to use from day 1 of a child’s birth, or do we need to wait before introducing?
Thanks
Steve
I am wanting to move our prem baby across to the raw milk formula but am having some difficulty. We are based in Cape Town, South Africa and have not been able to find lactose or acerola powder. At what sort of shop would I find the lactose – I have tried the pharmacy, health store and regular store and nobody seems to know what it is or where I can get it. Could it be labeled sometime else or is there anything that I could use instead. The Acerola powder is out of stock everywhere and nobody knows when it will be back. Are there alternatives such as camu camu? Finally the powdered gelatine is preserved with sulphur dioxide – is that ok or do I need to look for an alternative. Thanks
Reply from Sally:
I would suggest trying to get Radiant Life to send the whole kit. Meanwhile, just make the formula without the ingredients you can’t get. Can you get raw milk? That is the most important thing.
Ove made my first batch of milk based formula – since the formula has been in the fridge it looks like jello – is this from the Gelatine or have I done something wrong?
Thanks.
It probably is from the gelatin and I don’t think you did anything wrong. That happens commonly. You can warm it up a little to turn it liquid again.
Hi I just started making my own breast milk. I wanted to know the rules for storing my homemade milk. How long does the milk “just made” last? And how long after I put it in the refrigerator should I put it in the freezer? Also can I store the milk in madela milk bags?thank you for your time.
Reply from Sally:
It will keep in the fridge for several days and in the frreezer for a long time. I don’t know what madela bags are.
My 5 month old has had chronic eczema (~80% of her body) – thick/red itching and stomach issues. I have been thru every commercial formula on the market (made the problems progressively worse). Suspect it’s a protein allergy. Tried the goats milk formula first to see if it was any better than canned, and her eczema got worse and then progressed into chronic diarrhea. I switched to the liver formula – but without the whey/lactose. We are on day 4 of that, and still both symptoms seem to be worsening. I’m leaving out the coconut oil today to see if that can be causing sensitivity, though I can’t imagine a reaction that severe. Anyone with experience with severe diarrhea on these formulas? Not sure if there is a common culprit in the list I should be avoiding. I’m going to take her to the doctor, but I’m sure they’ll insist she go on one of the chemical-laden products that she’s already tried/rejected – or be horrified that I’m trying these in the first place. I’m at my wits end seeing her in so much distress.
Reply from Sally,
For the liver formula, it is ESSENTIAL to include the coconut oil, or the baby will indeed get diarrhea. I would suggest trying the cows milk formula with RAW milk, of course. Try it a few days to see what happens. For the eczema, try putting on caladril, to control the itching.
Hi, did you ever get this issue resolved? I’m having the same issues with my 5 month old. I’m wondering if she has a dairy allergy. Thank you!
This is a Question.
My daughter just spent over $200+ for all the ingredients for the homemade formula.
It is imperative that her 3 week old baby boy is supplemented with an alternative “formula”
since the mother’s milk supply is not adequate.
We have since made 2 batches of the formula since the first batch was thick and gunky.
We thought maybe we had done something wrong when making the first batch.
No matter how much we warmed and mixed the formula it was still thick and gunky and would
not go through the bottle nipple. Her son was very hungry and cried and cried while she was
trying to feed him the formula since he could not suck it out through the nipple.
I am hoping for a quick response for a solution to this problem. Her son cannot afford to lose weight right now while we try and figure out what to do. (We are feeding him some of the formula through a small syringe right now, but obviously that would be a poor long term solution.
Is there anyone who has made this formula Without the problem we are having??
There is absolutely nothing brought up about this problem and/or any solutions in the recipe instructions or on the video.
Thank you,
Very frustrated Mama and Grama.
Reply from Sally,
First question, what kind of whey are you using? It should be homemade whey from separated yoghurt or kefir, not cheese whey, which will make the formula curdle.
What kind of milk are you using?
For a stop gap measure, just use the raw milk, dilute with a little water and add the lactose. This will work while we are trying to solve the problem.
My 10 month old has been on Alimentum formula and our new pediatrician just recommended the goat milk formula to me. My daughter does not seem to like the taste and is refusing her bottle. I tried to start out slowly: half the bottle of goat milk formula with half a bottle of her old formula. She refused the bottle. I decided to really try to slow down the introduction and only included one ounce of goat milk formula to 6 ounces of her Alimentum formula. I really want my daughter to like and do well with this goat milk formula recipe. Do you have any suggestions for how to transfer her over if she does not like the taste? Your recipe is so nutritionally superior to commercial allergenic formula which I’m sure is why our pediatrician suggested it. Any information you could provide me with would be greatly appreciated.
My infant is intolerant to whey. Is there something i can substitute for the whey? What is she missing if the whey is left out, i.e needed protein, iron, zinc?
Reply from Sally:
You can use water in the formula instead of whey, but there is also whey in the raw milk.
This website is a blessing. I have a question concerning my 14 month old daughter. I would like her weaned off breast milk by 24 months. What should I give her instead? It seems as if the formula is meant for infants. If I should just give her raw milk, will that be enough to “fatten” her up? She’s very “skinny”.
Thanks in advance.
See this article – http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/nourishing-a-growing-baby/
We are having to transition over to formula from breastmilk (sadly). Our baby was 10.5 lbs when born. He wasn’t a “fat” baby, just tall and solid with the WAP diet during pregnancy and a late eviction notice.lol. Typical formula guides I have seen suggest about 2.5 oz of formula to each lb of body weight offered every three to four hours. Is this the same rule of thumb we should use for the WAP formula as well? Our baby is 3 and half months currently and weighs 18 lbs. Again, he isn’t “fat” looking at all, perhaps on the skinny side if anything, he is very tall and looks older than he is.
From Sally – Yes this is a good rule of thumb. Sounds like baby is doing well.
Would Moose or Caribou liver be an appropriate substitute for the beef or chicken liver formula? Living in Alaska it is much easier to acquire good wild liver than it would be to get organic beef liver.
From Sally – Yes, this would be fine
Hello!
How can this formula be transported? For instance, when out for the day – should it remain cold (as in take it in a cooler with an ice pack)? How long can it be kept in a “cool state” and remain good? Thank you!
So, what we do is put it in the bottles and put it in a lunch box with an ice pack on each side. Then to heat we have a Tommee Tippee bottle warmer which is basically a thermos (which would’ve been cheaper). We also now have an electric kettle that we carry along when traveling and staying in hotels with no stove. (And we use it at home too since my husband almost burned the house down when he forgot about the kettle on the stove).
My almost 9 month old seems to be losing interest in drinking from her bottle. She is being fed 4, 8-oz bottles of the WAPF per day along with some puréed food. Could it be that she is beginning to wean from bottle feeding? Any idea how to deal with this while still giving her the formula? Thanks!
From Sally:
Yes, at 9 months, she should be getting a lot of solid food–especially egg yolks and pureed liver. And if she is thriving and healthy, you can switch to just raw milk in her bottles.
She might only need 3 a day since she’s eating more and more people food. However, it doesn’t really need to be pureed. Try her on soft foods and work from there. I like to give the formula as long as possible even like a milk shake since it has so many nutrients. Also, avoid juice. She doesn’t need juice at all and if you’re going to give it at least give her homemade juice from fruits and veggies (add spinach! it barely tastes like anything but is so healthy).
Any tips on how I can get the bone broth formula to fit through my sns? It won’t even go through a slow flow nipple, this makes lactation options difficult, but it is also helping my babies eczema to go away.
From Sally:
It would need to be blended very, very thoroughly.
I will use the raw cow milk formula. Do we order extra raw milk and make our own cream or do they sale cream in grocery store? What brand of cream do you recommend?
The best possible choice is raw cream if you can do it. If that’s not possible, find the least processed cream (not homogenized) with no extra ingredients (carageenan, etc) in the store.
I go to the co-op for cream. You could also try a local farm.
My Dr had not allowed me to give my baby cows milk until 1years old. By all the responses to this formula I guess it’s safe to give cows milk from day 1. Why then are Drs not allowing it sooner?
Cows milk alone is not sufficient for babies which is why they say not to give it. i.e. if you give a breast fed baby cows milk before one year old they will not drink as much breast milk and will therefore become deficient in many nutrients. That’s why we need to add all the other ingredients.
Where do I find good quality cream? Can I just use the cream that separates from the raw cow milk?
I get grass fed cream at the co-op. I drive an hour into the city to get this (so worth it though). You could also try local farm. You want to avoid ultra-pasteurized.
I thought this might help for people having trouble with the BOTTLE NIPPLE CLOGGING. (I put some things in caps for people who are skimming through – we have babies; no one has time to read).
We were always having this issue. It looked like small, teeny, tiny crystals were getting stuck in the nipple hole and we’d squeeze it out only for it to clog again a few sucks later. Baby and person feeding got very annoyed. I realized we were over heating the gelatin and it was becoming sort of crystallized by the time we got it to the bottle. We heated on medium as directed but we have pots that are designed to cook at a higher temperature (high quality cookware). I imagine other people on here who care about the quality of food for their families are, like me, avoiding stuff like Teflon and if you’ve switched (which I think you should if you haven’t) then you may not be thinking about lowering the heat when dissolving the gelatin. It’s better to take a longer time to dissolve it than deal with the bottle clogging. We have an electric stove (not glass top) and have to set it to 3.5 with the good pots but closer to 4-5 with the more common cookware. Also, not over cooking the gelatin helps with GAS, SPITTING UP, and keeps baby from acting STILL HUNGRY (feels full longer and faster).
Hi, I was hoping someone could help, my baby is 4.5 months old and we started him on the raw Goats milk formula 3 days ago, I was transitioning him over form organic baby formula. He’s only had two batches of the formula and today has had terrible diahrrea, every nappy it looks like green curds and sticky gelatin? I have had to put him back on the organic formula while I wait for more goats milk tomorrow, but he is doing so much diahorrea I’m terrified to put him back on the raw goat formula. I was very vigilant at keeping everything clean and tasting all his bottles to make sure they tasted good. I followed the recepie to the letter. Has anyone else had this? Could it be one of the ingredients? Or an intolerance? He was doing ok on the organic baby formula, having one bowl movement a day but it was very dark green. In the last 12 hours he’s had 13 bowl movements… I don’t know what to do. Please help.
Reply from Sally,
Not sure what to recommend. Perhaps remove the yeast and the gelatin and see how you do And have you tried the cows milk formula?
We live in Australia and can’t get raw cows milk as it is illegal, but we can get raw goats milk. Turns out it was campylorbactor, I don’t know what I did wrong, I was very clean, and tested every batch. The liver was frozen for a month.He is still recovering and I’m terrified I have now done more harm than good. A friend of mine has been using the exact same milk formula ( from the same goat milk suppliers) for her baby for two years and has never had a problem. Maybe we just had very bad luck? I now don’t know what to do for him, he is back on organic baby formula with probiotics as my husband and I are pretty scared to try anything else, but I now don’t know what to do for his gut. Seems I have made a bad situation worse. I was thinking of trying him on the bone broth formula when his gut seems to be functioning better? Thank you.
PLEASE PLEASE be careful with this formula, my 4.5 month old baby has been in hospital with Campylobactor after having the goats milk version, – it is very unfortunate I know, I was very careful, clean and followed the recepie to the letter. It has been a terrifying experience, the milk was from a reputable source, and the liver frozen for a month. Maybe we have just had very bad luck but please be careful .
I tried the liver based formula because our pediatrician told us that our son who was born very early (3 months early) has high risk of developing anaemia. The corrected age of our son is 1 week old now and he likes the liver based formula but he started to be constipated.
I still produce breastmilk, but I know breastmilk is low in iron, which is OK for full term babies but not so for premature babies who did not receive enough iron during the 3rd trimester.
My question is, can I blend small amount of cooked liver into the expressed breast milk to increase the iron level?
We really want to avoid conventional iron supplements which are extremely constipating.
Thanks!
Reply from Sally
Yes, you can add a little liver to your breast milk, that would be a good idea. And you, mom, should be eating a lot of iron-rich food, especially liver. The baby will absorb 100% of the iron from your breastmilk.
There seem to be differing opinions (among the Yahoo group for parents) on what age to transition from raw milk formula to straight raw milk. Our daughter is 12 months old, 95th percentile for weight, no developmental issues, and we have started to give her straight milk, although still adding a bit of whey and gelatin during the transition to help digestion. But I’m hearing people say to wait until she is 2 to transition her because of the continued brain development? Is there any negative to transitioning her now? (i.e. any of the formula ingredients that might still benefit her to keep her on it)? I feel like we need to transition her at some point in time?
Thanks for your advice.
Check this link for our detailed advice on when to do what – http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/nourishing-a-growing-baby/
For those of us without the resources to make our own formula. Do you still recommend Babys only for infants? There have been some controversies over the nutrient levels being acceptable for those under 1.
Are there any premade goat milk “formulas” you recommend? For example Nannycare, Holle, or Sammy’s Milk?)
Is it essential to add the lactose? Unfortunately the NOW lactose is the only brand I can find, and the company they source it from (Foremost) does not make any GMO statements…which means it is GMO. I would like to omit this. My baby is now 11 months. Thoughts?
I’m only producing 30 ml of milk so I’ve had to supplement. I’ve put my baby on the cows milk formula and I finally found some but I had him on organic pasturized non homogonized milk. I hope that is ok. He has a rash all around his mouth and I don’t know the cause. Has anyone else had this experience with their baby and what was he reacting to?
I’m looking to figure out when to transition my son off of the formula. He is 20 months old and thriving on regular foods. We love the nutrition he gets from the formula, but want to know when it’s time to wean. Please advise.
I breastfeed my 4 month old but dont produce enough milk. Is it okay to give her plain ole raw milk as well as my breastmilk? Just wondering why infants cant just have the raw milk.
Thanks!
Hi, my son is allergic to dairy so I am making him the liver based version of the formula as a supplement to my own breastmilk, since I have a low supply of breastmilk. Because of his dairy allergy, I am on a dairy-free diet myself. My question involves the whey in the formula. I’m making homemade whey from raw cow’s milk, which also makes cream cheese as a biproduct. So my question is, can I eat the cottage cheese or does that have too much casein in it, and would there be a way to add gelatin or something to the cottage cheese to make it less likely to affect my breastmilk and upset his tummy? (Also, would gelatin in cottage cheese ruin the taste of it?) Thanks so much for your help!!!
Hi I would like to start making the Cow milk formula, but I am in Canada and cannot get Raw milk. Do I have to culture the milk? Or can’t I just add a multi strain probiotic. I am confused as to how to culture the milk
Hi, I have noticed that my daughter (11 months old) now that has the raw milk homemade formula has rash daily and bowel movements three to four times a day (she used to go 2 to 3 times a day before but had no rash). Is anything that I should be changing on the recipe?
When I make the raw milk formula it congeals once it’s cool in the refrigerator. Making it almost impossible to pour from a Pitcher into bottles. I’m following the recipe exactly and it happens every time. Is this normal?
Hello! Thank you for such wonderful information available through WAP! My husband and I have loved the results with using the milk-based formula with two children. It went problem-free, introducing egg yolks at 4 months as the first solid food, together with cod liver oil. Our son is in the 78th percentile, and our daughter the 66th. Everything went smoothly, and they grew wonderfully. We weren’t blessed with this knowledge on our first child.
Today, we are raising our fourth child. Alas, my milk supply wasn’t sufficient for age-appropriate growth, so I reached for my WAP formula.
So, the concern is how our six-month-old is not growing like the last two children who thrived on the formula. She is only gaining about a pound per month, hanging out at the 7th percentile. We need thoughts how to have good weight gain!! I have had to eliminate the nutritional yeast because she was spitting up a lot and breaking out on the inside of her joints.
Also, I’ve tried the egg yolks from the same organic source as the other children had. She does not tolerate it, throwing up a couple hours later, and throwing up over the next several hours,and not eating for the rest of the day. (Maybe the breakout inside her joints was from too many baths and too much soap after multiple baths after the egg-vomit?)
Anyway, what are thoughts on how to proceed with solids? Could it be I over-did pastured eggs during the pregnancy? Where to from here? I am concerned about her getting iron from egg yolks. With this problem, I’ve tried feeding her meat and all I can get her to eat is a few bites of pureed meat. She is not very interested in solids. She is 14 lbs at six months, and we are concerned that the weight will continue to drop in percentile, like baby number one, although even though we are following WAP principles this time. She just seems SO tiny for six months and we appreciate your help. Thank a lot!
From Sally:
The main question: does she seem otherwise healthy? Is she meeting her milestones? She definitely needs more solid food. Try the liver puree with lots of butter and salt. Start by just giving it with your finger and then gradually more. Bananas mashed with cream and salt would also be good. You can try the egg yolks later. Salt will help her digest any meat, liver or egg yolks. Hopefully these things will help.
Hi there,
I have been following Nourishing Traditions since my daughter was born. She just turned one year and she had been getting a lot of purée, solid food and everything else recommended by the book + breastfeeding. I definitely want to feed her with breastmilk for at least two years old but it looks like my breast is getting dry… not sure. Therefore I started to look for homemade formula but I didn’t find the information about if a formula would be necessary to her if my milk dries out as she is already on solid foods. She is a small baby and I am really concerned whether the supplementation with a homemade formula would be necessary in case my milk dries out.
Any help would be very helpful!
Sorry I am not sure how to make new comment so will just write here . My little boy has dairy intolerance which I didn’t know at the time when was making formula for the first time so I have stopped giving him the milk based formula and switched to liver based formula. He had reactions again from the lactose. In the video it suggested to use dextrose or sucrose when intolerant to lactose and I made formula with it but he still had reactions . I am struggling to buy sucrose here in the UK so unsure what to use instead of lactose? He is not a chubby baby and has anaemia so really wish carry on making him formula. Thank you for replies
Hello, I am wondering what your thoughts are on Hemp Seed Oil as an alternative to Sunflower. I feel concerned with it having the highest Omega-6 of all the oils and that this recipe yields an Omega 6 to 3 ratio that is too imbalanced. Hemp Seed Oil appears to have the closest ratio between the two omegas and, upon first thought, may want to substitute it for the sunflower; but wanted to check here first.
Can I just do the regular raw cow milk recipe and instead use raw goat milk or do I have to include the liver and use the goat milk variation? Thanks!
Reply from Sally:
It depends on the age of the baby. If baby is getting solid food (namely, liver and egg yolk) then you can just give the goat milk without the added liver. And by 8 months, you can give raw milk, without making the formula.
I have to supplement maybe 6 oz a day for my 3 month old. We are on a very very tight budget so we won’t be able to afford the homemade formula kit, we are buying the recommended commercial formula and we have a very very good source for organic pastured chicken and duck eggs. We also have blue ice cof liver oil. I am making bone broth, which will be done in a few hours. Would I be able to mix a little bone broth with the commercial formula (baby’s only) along with the Cod liver oil and the egg?
Keep trying to breastfeed more. The more you breastfeed the more you will produce. Baby will do best with just breastmilk.
I would actually recommend that you use the bone broth, raw egg, fclo, and if possible some raw milk and/or cream to replace the commercial formula. Then, try to acquire a lactating for supplementing while nursing, unless of course the issue is that you are away from baby (in which case the Lactaid won’t be useful). I would start by whisking 1 egg yolk (not the white!) into a quart of cooled, concentrated broth and add 1 tsp fclo and as much as 1 cup pastured raw milk/cream.
Let us know if this works for you!
Auto-correct changed “Lactaid” with “lactating” in the second sentence. A Lactaid is this:
https://www.lact-aid.com/facts-about-lact-aid
My 6 month old has been on the homemade cows milk formula for almost 1 month. He has spit-up botb liquid and chunky, maybe he isn’t digesting an ingredient, would you know which ingredient or what to take out? Concerned as tonight he vomitted the formula and there were 2 large chunks in his vomit. Any ideas of what could be causing the chunky spit up/vomit?
Our 4 month old adopted son was doing great on the raw milk formula for about 2 months but his stools were soft-not formed like I had read they should be. Then his stools got mucous in them and also tiny streaks of blood…we switched to goat milk and the blood disappeared but they are still soft and he has more than 2 a day normally. He is a content boy and seems to be thriving, but we don’t want to cause long-term problems if something is problematic now.
I tried making the whey last night. I put 32 ounces (1 quart) in a colander lined with a tea towel over a bowl and covered with a plate, as instructed. In the morning there was very little and the tea towel was wet. So, it seems the towel soaked up the whey? The house temperature is kept at 72 degrees at night. Please advise.
Think of it as the thermometer meets the band-aid.
What’s risky about pasteurizing raw cows milk at home?
I will be supplementing the homemade cows milk formula to my 8 week old soon, due to low milk supply. I already know he needs an additional 10-12 ounces that I can’t supply daily. However, just in the last day, I have noticed that he is reacting tp.my milk with acid reflux to the raw cows milk that I consumed. Up until now I have limited my dairy intake so the reflux has not been noticed. My question is, will he react to the cows milk formula this severely or will the added nutritional supplements give his body what it needs to digest it without giving him acid reflux?
How long do you recommend continuing the raw cow’s milk formula? How do you wean to raw cow’s milk once the baby doesn’t need to formula.
I’ve been making the raw cow’s milk formula for almost 3 months now. All of the sudden the milk smells like rotten eggs after the bottle has been warmed. Are one of my ingredients bad?
My baby is 11 months and I’ve been breastfeeding.
I would like to wean him to milk soon, but I do not have access to raw milk cow or goat.
What do you recommend?
Please help. My 7 month old began self weaning about a month and a half ago. I have been giving her straight fresh cows milk from pastured cows since. She has basically refused the breast the last 2 weeks so has had only raw cow milk. I just read about the formula and have all ingredients besides the lactose . Is it better to give her the straight cow milk for the next 2 weeks until the lactose arrives , or the formula without the lactose? There is no way to get locates sooner from our remote location.
Thanks for your time,
Maria
Hey,
I am making the liver formula. I made the homemade broth. Do I need to skim the top fat off the broth after leaving it in the refrigerator or do I use the broth with the fat included?
Thanks!
Mandy
Hi,
I have my 6.5 month old on the raw milk formula for a couple of weeks. I moved slowly from bought formula, she has become very constipated.
I have tried increasing the whey & probiotic and adding molasses. I also tried giving her chicken stock. I eventually had to give her a suppository.
Is it possible to add the digestive tea to the formula ??? I doubt she’ll take it from a bottle as she refuses water.
Yes, do add digestive tea as a water-based part of the formula. And don’t neglect to add all the other ingredients. I have found that even missing out on the lactose powder can make a child constipated with the formula, but it is also just likely a result of having started on commercial formula.
I have been separated from privacy from my child in the hospital and CPS opened an investigation on me yesterday for 2 reasons. The first being that I used this formula in place of prescribed formula after 4 months of frequent vomiting and severely excessive gas on multiple commercial formulas. He has a G-TUBE as a result of the commercial formulas causing an oral aversion. As soon as I switched to the broth based formula he completely stopped vomiting, stopped needing to be vented, and even started to take a bottle again and finally started to gain his weight until he got really sick from a reoccurring diaphragmatic hernia condition and was hospitalized. The other thing they are attacking my family for is the use of Young Living Lavender essential oil and colloidal silver even after I expressed my extensive research before implementation in emergency use after hospital had failed to treat him and sent him home to die, and again as preventative maintenance to avoid hospitalization with risk of lack of care. Their reason for calling CPS for this matter is that it was more than they had prescribed. Part of their allegation included the use of the oil topically, even though he infact had not received it topically and someone just claimed smelling it. They also contacted poison control.
We are all in danger of loosing our children due to this type of hospital discrimination towards natural methods. We are not allowed to make a choice on how to care for our children no matter the research if the doctor didn’t prescribe it, and they likely won’t prescribe something non-pharmaceutical.
If anyone has any additional research or resources to help me with this, then please help. I can’t bare to loose my children for making a decision for my child to be healthy. If they take him he is likely to continue to be on conventional formula and vomit for the rest of his life and possibly never get his gtube out. I am still in the hospital with him he just had 4 surgery procedures. I need help to help him.
I am so sorry. I wish I could help you but the best I can do is pray.
Kathleen, I am so very sorry for this. You are living every parent’s worst nightmare. The only thing I can tell you really is to hire the best lawyer you possibly can, and shout this from the roof tops. There are organizations out there, like The Rutherford Institute, which may be able to represent you. Aside from this, document EVERYTHING, including what he has been prescribed, dates, reactions, and responses with the homemade formula. We are up against, at times, a tyrannical government and its agencies and all we can do is fight! Please let us know here how things are going. And, if you would consider it, your story may be eye opening if it could be shared in our journal or elsewhere. I will pass this on to Dr. Sylvia Onusik who may be able to help you with documentation of formula (prescribed and homemade) and more. You are in our thoughts and prayers!
Thank you for your support. This reply is nearly 2 years later. I wanted to inform you the results. Luckily our caseworker was understanding and supportive so we did not lose our children! I know many are not so fortunate. I would like to share with you some things I learned through this scenario.
#1 Particularly with a high risk child like mine, but potentially for anyone wanting to have more support using this formula, it is very useful to hire a dietitian who backs you in using the WAPF formula. It doesn’t matter where they live or if you have to pay out of pocket, it is 100% worth it. Mine communicates with me through email and phone. She was able to write a letter of why she recommends this formula and the most critical part being her knowledge of the same thing WAPF acknowledges along with her ability to calculate adequate nutrient intake and any adjustments necessary for his particular and complex needs.
#2 Make sure to seek out physicians who are supportive of your decision to address your child’s health through whole nutrition, etc.. It’s really harder than you would expect but important that even if they don’t understand it that they support you and trust your decisions or at least those such as other alternative type practitioners involved with your care. Ask for every record so you can see at the end of your visit that you were on the same page.
#3 If you do end up in the hospital with your child, the first two could prove epically vital since they will likely attempt to contact them and it could be the difference between medical professional panic of a lack of understanding vs acceptance and fair treatment resulting in going home safely with your child! However, I learned a very important lesson that if you do have complicated information that your medical team might be unfamiliar with, do not tell one person at a time. Ask for a meeting between all medical professionals involved with the care of your child to discuss a plan of action. This way they all get to hear about it from YOU at the same time and there are less likely to be as many misunderstandings and they can keep each other in check on the truth. It’s kind of like when you whisper something in someone’s ear next to you and when it reaches the end of the line it changes completely. You do not want this to happen here!
#4 Anything you are doing, bring your research of it. I had much more success finding competent doctors that trusted me when I showed up with a book of all of the articles, data, and medical records I printed. One of them even wanted to read it all.
#5 Have compassion and understanding. First of all, if you are feeling a certain way towards them, they are likely to reflect that feeling back at you. Besides that point, it’s important to understand that what we know about health took us a long time to acquire and hopefully master. It also took them a long time, and money to acquire their knowledge. It doesn’t seem like a lot to ask them to open their minds to understand your information, but to them it could be overwhelming and even a challenge to the many hours they spent programming their mind to comprehend. That’s why they have specialists, and why it emphasizes the importance of instead of trying to make them understand your knowledge to help them feel comfortable by providing your own team who does understand and is backing you. They probably don’t want to feel challenged, just less overburdened in their already difficult task of saving your child’s life among many others also facing the loss of their child’s life. They might not even be accustomed to parents like us putting in so much effort into our childrens health.
The biggest change I would like to see is at the very least an integration of natural health by providing a natural health specialist in hospitals so the other medical professionals could consult with them about this information to find out if it’s safe before running to remove a child.
I hope no one else experiences this, but if you do I pray this information will help. I don’t regret this path because I couldn’t have watched my child suffer another day. I thank God every day that he hasn’t had to since we were so blessed to find the WAPF formula.
If I take organic milk from Kroger and use kefir grains to make kefir milk, do I need to add whey (from drained yogurt) to the homemade baby formula?
Organic, store-bought milk is ultra-pasteurized and will be much harder to digest than raw, grass-fed. Thus I strongly recommend you seek raw if at all possible. But aside from this, yes, do still add the whey for the sake of digestible protein.
How old does the babie have to be for the raw milk formula and the liver formula?
Rachel, the formulas are appropriate for a babe of any age.
I have been making the raw milk version of this formula for 3 months now. Each time it turns into a solid once refrigerated. I know that someone mentioned this too and understand that it is okay to experience this and warming it a bit helps but how do you prevent this from happening? Could I reduce the amount of gelatin?
No, do not reduce the amount of gelatin as it is a vital nutrient component of the formula. However, it will of course “gel” when chilled, but this is always reversed when gently warmed, as the formula should be anyway.
Hi!
I’m wondering what I can replace the lactose with since I can’t find lactose that is kosher certified.
Thanks for all your wonderful work!
Miri, there is no replacement for lactose. It is an important sugar that should not be left out of the formula unless not tolerated.
I need to be able to freeze my homemade formula for a number of reasons. I am wondering how long you can freeze the formula?
I ordered kefir whey from
The local farm – they bring it frozen in plastic bottle . I defrosted it and added to the formula .but How long does the whey can go in refrigerator ? Can I skip whey in the raw milk formula ?
Hi there!! I want to know if the Baby’s Only Organic Dairy Formula that you say is the best choice for emergencies, if it’s ok for newborn and babies under 12 months.
Thank you!
Hello
My 2 wk old son has been on the cow milk formula for 24 hrs. He recently had 1 episode of projectile emesis and 3 episode of green/yellow diarrhea/soft stool over the course of a day. I made the formula according to the recipe provided on the website. Please advise if I should omit the gelatin d/t to the emesis and a reason for the green stool.
Thank you
Is there a sheep milk formula? I’ve been reading how amazing it is,my son just turned 4 months and I’m not making quite enough milk and would like to supplement. I also have a ewe I’d like to try to milk!
Question. We know a child in NICU and they are fortifying his mom’s milk with Gerber formula for calories (a few) with breast milk.
Can you make this recipe WITH breast milk?
Any suggestions?
HI. We have all ingredients necessary, but here in our part of Canada, we have to make the formula with store bought milk. It says organic and grass fed, but who really knows. Anyway, once made, we would like to ask about shelf life. Our baby had lip tie removed, but now we discovered tongue tie. Feeding is 80% nursing, but baby was not gaining weight so we are making your formula to supplement. We read that you recommend making it every other day, but with baby only taking an ounce or 2 per day, it’s a large quantity to go unused. If frozen, how long can it stay in freezer? If in fridge, how long can it stay good? On counter in a bottle with fussy baby only taking in sips at a time (tongue tie), how long does it stay good?
Im having to supplement because my baby wont breastfeed, and supply is getting low. Im using the liver formula. My question is we are on day 5 of half formula and half breastmilk. His gas has increased can this just be an adjustment, that will pass?
We have been through a lot with our 4.5 month old. He has had eczema from when he was only a few weeks old. After trying many different formulas I saw that his eczema got worse everytime he got any kind of sweeteners other then lactose in his formula. Nothing helped to get the eczema to clear up. I found a modified recipe of the one on your website and startes giving my baby homemade goatmilk formula. His eczema cleared up almost completely. At one of his doctor checkups the doctor wanted to know what he was eating, not wanting to lie I told him. The doctor said that it sounded dangerous and referred us to a pediatrician. He was not too concerned, however, because he said the baby looked healthy and was growing and gaining weight well. Thats when they started to do bloodtests on him and had me start him on nutramigen (after me telling them about his reaction to corn syrup.in formulas). After eating only 2 oz 3 times he got red spots on his face and head, confirming once again to me he cant have any kind of sugars. I started him on the similac step 1 since that didnt have any other sweeteners except lactose. However, his eczema got worse and hasnt cleared up once since then. Now I started him on the goat milk formula again. As long as I dont put the codliver oil in and the whey and cream he is doing a lot better and the eczema clears up. I was wondering how can I give him his vitamins that he needs? All baby vitamins have some kind of sugar so I cant give that to him. Yesterday i gave him a little egg yolk and he got a red rash on both cheeks.and.his chin. So far I know he cant have sugars, sweeteners of any kind, cows milk products, egg yolk, and cod liver oil. PLEASE HELP!!!
My son is 5 months old and been mainly on organic goat formula. I could see he was getting a sore tummy from the formula – but he had regular, pasty, tan coloured poo (I have read this is normal and good). Due to the sore tummy we are trying your liver based formula. He seems to be much better but his poo has turned dark brown and very liquid (almost diarrhoea). Is this ‘normal’? I have read that poo can become more liquid and I assume the colour is due to the liver? Thanks
Looking for information if possibly, regarding the effects of the liver formula on the GI system? I’m trying to switch my 11 month old off hypoallergenic formula (due to cows milk allergy) that she’s been on for the last 2 months. Prior to that she was breast fed. I made a batch with all the ingredients except the lactose and whey and have been giving it in small “snacks” to see how she tolerated it before I add the other ingredients to make sure she doesn’t have a allergic reaction. Yesterday was the first day of introducing it and she had a total of 6-8 oz. Her stool has turned liquid. Just wondering if there is a “norm” of what others have experienced with bowels. I’m guessing all the extra liquid oils would cause loose stool, but would like to know if others have seen the same…Thank you!!
My grandson tends to have diarrhea on the raw cow’s milk formula. Could I cut back on a particular ingredient that may be causing this? He is also on solids now so I could make up for the omittance elsewhere in his diet.
My bet would be to be careful with the lactose, especially in case of diarrhea. Raw cow milk still contains lactase enzymes, which break down lactose. Pasteurized cow milk does not contain lactase enzymes.
Mother’s milk seemingly contains lactase enzymes as well. So you could either add lactase enzymes to the home made formula or decrease the lactose.
Hi there I started my baby 6months on the formula, I only suppement her as I don’t produce enough milk.
She struggles now with stomach cramps?
Could this be from either the yeast flakes or gelatin?
i breast feed and give raw milk formula to my 8 months bc i don’t have enough milk. I noticed last week the raw milk formula tastes bitter the second day, i made 36 oz which is good for 2 days . the first day tastes good, but second day usually bitter, could it be the whey i made from fresh milk ? is it still good / safe for baby to drink?
Hi, I was unable to continue breastfeeding my daughter when she was about 7 months old. She had been struggling gaining weight and refusing to nurse. We switched to the raw cow’s milk formula at that time and she has gained beautifully with it. However, she is struggling with constipation and I have tried all the recommended tips (adding more whey, more cream, more probiotics, more coconut oil, etc.) but nothing seems to help. We have even tried giving her prune juice. She was small and developmentally a little behind, so we waited to introduce solids until she was 10 months old. She is now almost 11 months old and eating a little bit of sweet potato, turkey (mashed and ground in the sweet potato), banana, and avocado. This has made her even more constipated. Any tips? Also, I’m unclear on how to transition her from the formula (she is still drinking bottles and refusing sippy cups of various kinds)…how do I know how much to give her vs solids? ANd when is it okay to switch to the milk straight if she’s only eating some solids? I was also considering trying the broth/liver recipe to see if it might help with her constipation? Thanks for any help you can provide!
I am currently using the cows milk formula recipe for my 2 week old baby. I am wondering if hemp milk could be used instead of cows milk?
How would I be able to take this homemade formula if I need to go away from home for about 4-5 hours?
I am about to adopt a newborn in two weeks. Is the cow’s milk formula ok to start using right from birth?
As an RN ad IBCLC I see many mothers who will never be able to make a full milk supply: surgeries, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Diabetes, Thyroid issues… I would much rather they have a healthy alternative to commercial formula. Thank you for supporting mothers’ healthy choices.
I breastfeed my daughter and she is 6% for weight , but does gain weight. I eat a very nutritious diet and lots of saturated fats but she is still small. We get raw cream can I feed that to her straight after breastfeeding? Or should it always be mixed with food or diluted?
Thanks!
Hi,
I have 2 questions. Can the formula be frozen? I froze it and gave it to my baby but she did not do as well on it. Do I have to add the probiotic in after?
How long does it last in the fridge?
Ty,
Sara
Freezling should not affect the formula, but if you notice a difference just give it a try making enough for 2-3 days and keeping it refrigerated. More than this length of time is not recommended.
Hi there,
My wife’s milk production thus far hasn’t been sufficient to sustain our new daughter. I’ve spent a lot of time researching the healthiest infant formula we can give our newborn daughter and ended up here. Bought all the supplies from Radiant Health and Amazon to make 6 months of formula and made our 1st batch yesterday, using only the highest quality ingredients.
Gave our daughter the formula and she almost immediately had more distress in terms of her crying, fussing and likely gastrointestinal issues.
I don’t want my daughter to experience any more unnecessary discomfort or more severe issues in trying to find out what in the formula was responsible here. I also want to provide her with the healthiest option possible that is 100% free of toxins and inferior ingredients. It breaks my heart to see her upset after I spent all this time and effort trying to give her better health and comfort, only to see her frustrated and uncomfortable.
My wife is pretty anti-diy formula and if I continue to try to improve our infant daughter’s experience, I’d better make progress in the right direction. I have no idea how to maintain the ideal nutritional profile of this formula while removing anything responsible for her discomfort…
What to do now?
my grandbaby is doing quite well 9 months old 22 pounds she has been on commercial formula we have started her on goat milk mixed with water doing quite well she has a runny nose a lot what do you suggest thank you Bernie
Hello, I’m needing to find a pediatric GI specialist that supports using this formula or using whole food diet to heal the gut nourish the body etc. I run into problems where they automatically assume that there has to be something nutritionally missing even though I have a dietitian and bloodwork proving otherwise. My son has special needs requiring both the Weston A. Price Foundation Formula and a GI specialist. Willing to travel anywhere but we are limited to our insurance which is disability Medicaid, unless they are affordable enough to forgo insurance. Any recommendations on where to locate one appreciated. Thank you! 🙂
My husband warm the bottle hours before the baby take it in very low range at the warmer. does the probiotics are damaged in the process?? I will like to know. I have 5 months twins and they are taking the homemade formula without the lactose and whey ingredients.
My 14 week old baby has been on the cow’s milk formula for 8 weeks and it has really helped his reflux, but he has gained a lot of weight. Should I cut the cream in half? Is it normal for babies to get really chubby on this formula?
Hi. My son is 13 months old. He has Down Syndrome and can not eat table foods yet. He is on the raw milk formula. He is anemic so I add powdered liver and black strap molasses to his formula. We just learned he has a food intolerance, not an allergy to potatoes and sugar. Should I cut out the nutritional yeast and the molasses? He is not gaining weight right now either. Could I reduce the amount of water and add more milk?
Baby is 10m old, and has a dairy intolerance. Only shows symptoms when it’s a lot of dairy. Because of age and eating other foods and ferments can I skip the whey and lactose? I’m hoping the infantis bact. Will still be ok.
Thank you
Comment from Sally: give it a try–raw milk, plenty of cream. Start slowly and build up gradually.
My son was born 4 weeks early but very healthy. Started very slow at the breast and wasn’t gaining weight. I got a lot of negative pressure from his pediatrician about this and was told he wasn’t getting enough food. I pumped non-stop and wasn’t getting much of a return. So I started feeding the WAPF formula on top of breastfeeding. Fast forward and my little guy is 4 1/2 months old and has just recently stopped breastfeeding totally. He has also become constipated. I have tried the diluted prune juice and it doesn’t seem to be working. Help!
My daughter is 5 months old. I was told to not give her the nutritional yeast because it contains synthetic folic acid which is not good for methylation issues and gaps conditions. She has two signs of methylation issues. I had her on Hipp Organic until the Corona virus made it impossible to obtain that formula. Should I leave out the nutritional yeast? Thank you in advance.
Hello,
I use Sari Foods nutritional yeast because it is not fortified with synthetic ingredients. Amazon link is below. Hope this helps!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJ3IPMI/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_qa5PEbS4D89DF
Hello,
My daughter has been on the homemade cow’s milk formula since she was a newborn. She just turned 9 months and is doing very well (23 lbs). My husband wants to wean her from the formula based on the response in the FAQS that if a baby is mature and thriving, you can do this after 8 months. However, I want to continue it until she is a year old like we did our son because of the nutrients. He thinks she may be getting too many nutrients and overloading her system. Is that even possible? She eats homemade pureed foods very well and eats lot, in addition to having an egg yolk with cod liver oil and desiccated liver every day. Is there any harm to continue feeding her the formula until closer to 1 year? Thanks!
Hello Ashley, I am glad that your daughter is thriving on the formula. One of our own babies did exceedingly well on it as well, after my milk supply dried up at about 5 months. We continued to supply him with the homemade formula until he was 18 months old as there is no harm in providing the deep nutrition that the formula supplies. As Baby gets older and is eating more solid foods you will be backing off naturally on how much formula she consumes, so it really isn’t an issue. Here is a link to a timeless article with great advice for feeding babies and toddlers.
Please help me with these issues that i am facing i live in uae and i dont have raw milk here so i am giving my baby liver based formula i am facing two issues
My baby spit milk shewas not spitting when i was using organic commercial formula when i started this formula she started spitting not alot but yes 2 3 times in a day she do
And secondly when i started this formula area around my baby anus was raddish and small red spots were also there i was noticing this and within this time now her vagina area is red and same red spots appeared and my baby itch i sont know wjat is causing this this only happened when i started this liver formula i am applying from outside cocount oil and cod liver oil please tell me what is causing this
And third she she passes more stool now but its all liquid i dont see any solids is thia because she only eats egg yolk and formula ? Please help me
Our baby was born prematurely at 25 weeks 4 days. He’s currently 31 weeks old and currently in the NICU. He will be getting donor milk until 34 weeks old at the hospital at that time if my milk supply does not increase they will slow switch him to formula along with what little milk I can produce. I would like to make the homemade baby formula however have concerns about how premature baby’s GI tracks would handle this homemade formula as preemie GI’s are sensitive. Any suggestions for changes in the homemade formula recipe? Things to add? Or avoid? Or is it better to wait until our baby is closer to a full term age? Thanks so much!!
In regards to switching to raw milk for the formula or after. are you suggesting to feed babies raw milk only, so no other ingredients? or are you saying to only use raw milk in the formula omitting water?
Hi there I have a five-month-old and I would like to introduce bone broth to her and I was wondering if store-bought 100% organic grass fed chicken or beef bone broth would be good/okay for them since it has vegetables and spices in it?
Hello I’ve made a couple of the batches of the raw cows milk homemade formula, he is struggling wit switching over, I did see your recommendations about slowly wheening into the homemade which I am currently working on this week. I feel that it is the taste of the cod liver oil. He begins to drink it then once it settles in his mouth he makes a face as though the taste is not good. I did try it myself and initially it tases like breast milk but then the cod liver oil taste hits you; i’m assuming this is the same feeling he is getting and why he is so resistant. I know that the nutrients from it are essential so i’m curious if there is a way to tone down the taste or if there is another product I can use to supplement the cod liver oil. I do use the Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil. Thank you for any help and advice, it is greatly appreciated, my son needs to get off store bought formula ASAP!
Can the raw milk formula be freeze dried? We just bought a Harvest Right freeze dryer.
Hi Paula, I am wondering if you ended up trying freeze drying? I have done two batches so far and am working on getting the water ratio correct. Any luck?
Can I freeze the cow formula once I make it? Thanks!
Yes Jenna, you may freeze it. However, the flat globules *may* clump. If so, just gently thaw and run through a blender to break the globs apart.
Yesterday was my first day switching from regular powdered formula to homemade formula, and the last two days my son has seemed way more hungry than usual. Is it normal for an infant to be more hungry with homemade formula
Hi,
I had been giving this to my infant for over a month and she was thriving. Then, my 3 month old and myself got a campylobacter bacteria infection from the raw pasture fed cow milk. We were SO sick. I was sick for close to 14 days and in the hospital. I can’t risk giving the raw milk from my area to my child again. She rejects the store bought formula and I can’t stand trying to give it to her. Is pasteurized non- homogenized milk an option to use? If so, do I need to do anything extra to the formula? I’m aware of the broth formula, but my daughter loves the cow milk formula, so I’m specifically wondering about this.
While watching a video from Sarah Pope on how to make the raw milk formula, she mentioned if your baby is having issues with constipation you could use raw milk yogurt. How would I adjust the recipe to do this, since the whey is in the yogurt already and the yogurt would be thicker? Thanks in advance!
Our baby is 7 weeks old and she has been drinking the raw milk formula. Today she spit up what looked like a piece of gum but non sticky. If there something I should remove from the recipe?
Reply from Sally
I would remove the nutritional yeast for a couple of weeks and see what happens. In fact, it may have been some powdered yeast that did not get thoroughly mixed in. How is the baby doing otherwise?
She does seem to be spitting up a lot, but I’m not sure how normal that it. Otherwise she is doing amazing. Very healthy and not fussy other than when hungry.
Hi, I am wondering if I could add brewers yeast to the goat milk formula instead of raw, organic chicken liver? If so, how much is safe? I am supplementing, my baby is 5 months and gets half from breast milk and half from the formula, so is the b12 supplementing to the formula still necessary? Thank you so much for the wonderful information and recipes.
From Sally:
At 5 months, you can begin feeding pureed chicken liver and egg yolk (both with salt), so no need to add the yeast or liver to the milk.
Im so weirded out that WAPF is still recommending fortified nutritional yeast! I would rather open a capsule of a methylated B complex than use folic acid and cyanocoblamin when most people have some version of the MTHFR mutation. Is anyone substituting the nutritional yeast with something else?
Hi!
I’m using SNS to breastfeed my baby and he has been showing signs of milk intolerance (using goat, also tryed raw). (( mucus poo, and now also a bit of blood))
Gonna shift to liver based formula but can’t find lactose here. He is now 6 months.
I wonder if I can leave out, but also am afraid he is not gonna go along with the new taste.
Any recommendations for replacement?
I’m also wondering if he would react to the lactose due to the milk intolerance.
THANKS and hope someone is still replying this questions.
So much gratitude, is
Are there appropriate substitutes for sunflower oil that are safe for newborns? What amounts should be used?
Am I able to make half of the formula so I don’t waste so much? My baby isn’t eating 36 oz a day. Also, am I able to store the formula in plastic baby bottles or food grade plastic pitcher throughout the day?
Too many questions and not enough answers. Is there a Facebook Group or something set up where parents can discuss in real time?
My 6 month old daughter can’t have cow or goat milk (or egg yolk). I’ve tried the liver based formula, but she’s reacting more and more to that: crying, screaming, fussing, upset tummy, gassy, odourous stools. I’m pretty sure it’s the cowmilk source of the (NOW foods) lactose (since she tolerated breastmilk well).
What is the consequence of omitting lactose in the liver based formula? Is there a substitute?
She tolerates buffalo milk. How can the recipe be adjusted for buffalo milk formula?
Thank you!
reply from Sally – I think the best thing is to make the formula with buffalo milk, you can substitue one for one, and just leave out the lactose. . .
Thank you for this awesome formula. My baby is doing great on it so far. Can you tell me a little bit more about the whey in the cow milk formula. Is it necessary? what is it good for? And what are the benefits for the baby?
How young can A baby be given this raw milk formula? A week old or younger?
Yes, a week or younger is OK
Hello,
I’m wondering if it is acceptable to use an MCT coconut oil (one that does not solidify) so that upon refrigeration of the formula the warmed coconut oil does not clump?
I am having trouble with my raw milk formula curdling. This has never happened before but now happens almost every bottle once I heat it up. Any ideas why this is happening?
Hi there,
I am planning on using the raw milk formula for supplementation in addition to breastmilk. Would it be possible and/or more beneficial to use the whey from breastmilk?
Just curious. Thanks!