Amazing Homemade Baby Formula
It has become extremely common for mom’s not to nurse their babies. I believe the stats are about 1 in 10 women nurse, which is really unfortunate. I know that a lot of moms have to go back to work and can only handle pumping for so long – totally understandable. I have been a fortunate mom who has been able to be at home with her baby and nursed him until 17 months. Even though I have always nursed him and never gave him commercial formula, there are times when I needed a supplemental source. I did not have good success with the pump so when someone was watching him I needed something else to put in his bottle, besides the measly 1-2 ounces that I pumped. Plus, after 5 months he was rarely satisfied with my milk supply and was always hungry, regardless of how much solid food he ate. Having that extra bottle around was great.
I want to share with you a “formula” recipe that I have used for my son over the past 2 years. He absolutely loves it still at age two. As he gets older, I simply modify the recipe, but it is still the same foundation: Goat Milk and Young Thai Coconut Water. As I have written previously, coconut water has similar properties to breast milk and mirror our blood make up in many ways. Goat Milk is also more similar to breast milk than cow’s milk – easier to digest, smaller fat and protein molecules and a more similar mineral ratio.
I will give you the variations of the recipes, depending on your baby’s age, if you are simultaneously nursing or giving only the bottle. Also keep in mind that when making your baby’s bottle, always use clean filtered water and never tap or flouridated water.
For babies up to 6 months that are not nursing: (They generally need about 2 to 2.5 times per each pound of body weight, of formula/milk). For the first 6 months, since they are most likely taking no other food/drink in, you might want to combine my formula recipe with a good commercial recipe; Only because the 1st six months are so crucial and they need every balanced form of nutrients possible. Especially at this age be sure to speak with your pediatrician in case your baby has any special needs.
· In an 8 ounce bottle, you would add…
· 3 ounces of goat milk
· 2 ounces of Young coconut water (I purchase them fresh)
· ½-1 tsp Coconut Oil or Algala DHA needed total for the day – give all at once or distribute amongst a couple of bottles.
· One serving of a liquid multi Vitamin for babies or a full teaspoon if you are not giving them any other type of formula – this should probably be distributed over 2-3 bottles
· Fill the rest of the bottle with filtered water – about 3 ounces.
For babies up to 6 months that are nursing (A supplemental bottle only):
· Unless your baby has cut back on nursing, there should be no need to add the multi or fish oil
· The ratio of goat milk to coconut water to water would be 3:2:2-3
For babies that are 6 months to a year not nursing: (They are now including solids so they can get some nutrients from foods)
· 8 ounce bottle…
· 4 oinces of goat milk or goat yogurt (actually easier to digest)
· 3 ounces Young Coconut Water
· 2 ounces hemp milk or Coconut Milk Kefir
· 1 tsp Coconut or Fish Oil needed total for the day – give all at once or distribute amongst a couple of bottles.*If your baby doesn’t like the flavor in the bottle, try giving it seperately in a dropper mixed with the liquid multi
· 1 serving of a liquid baby’s multi Vitamin – this should probably be distributed over 2-3 bottles
· ¼ tsp Spirulina powder – great source of minerals, protein and B’s
· Tip – if using goat yogurt, it is a bit tangy and your baby will probably enjoy it better if you add a couple of drops of stevia or organic maple syrup.
For babies/toddlers 12 months and up: (At this age they are eating a lot more solid foods and the bottle or nursing is not their main source of nutrition – for reference my son, when he was about 16 months, drank about 24 ounces of this mixture daily, per his request)
· In a 10 ounce bottle…
· 4 ounces of goat milk or goat yogurt (actually easier to digest) – you can try alternating them with each bottle.
· 3 ounces Young Coconut Water
· 2 ounces hemp milk or Coconut Milk Kefir
· 1 serving Algal DHA is optional – give all at once or distribute amongst a couple of bottles..*If your baby doesn’t like the flavor in the bottle, try giving it seperately in a dropper mixed with the liquid multi
· Add 1 serving of Amazing Grass Kidz Superfoods to one of their bottles or sippy cups daily. This product is packed with over 23 dried fruits and vegetables, green grasses and tastes great. It is a great assurance if your child is a picky eater and doesn’t like their vegetables J It is like a whole food multi vitamin.
· ¼ tsp Spirulina powder added to one bottle – great source of minerals, protein and B’s
· Tip – if using goat yogurt, it is a bit tangy and your baby will probably enjoy it better if you add a couple of drops of stevia, maple syrup or raw honey.
· *This recipe can also be added to sippy cups if they are no longer drinking bottles, as an assurance of getting enough nutrients daily.
I know this seems like a lot, but your child’s health is totally worth it. There is so much nutrition packed into one bottle, commercial formula can’t come close in purity and absorption levels. Having said that though, I am not your pediatrician and always make sure they are on the same page as you.
I have analyzed the nutrients per bottle and they are probably the closest to breast milk naturally. Here is the nutrient break down on average per 8 ounce bottle at 6-12 months…
One 8 oz bottle:
Calories :116; 18%RDA
Protein: 3.5 g; 30% RDA
Carbs: 6.4g; 7% RDA
Fat: 8g; 40%RDA
Vit A: 10%
B1: .29 mg
B2: .37 mg
B3: 37%
B6: .29mg
B12: .95mcg
Folate: 22%
C: 39%
D: .26mcg
E: 1mg
Calcium: 50%
Iron: 10%
Magnesium:18%
Phosphorus: 34%
Potassium: 21%
Zinc: 29%
Related posts:
What brand of baby liquid multi do you use/suggest/
thanks
Hi, I tried this formula for our 7 month old son but I have a question about it… He’s currently on Similac Sensitive because he can’t tolerate the lactose in the regular formula. But I would really love to get him over to this. My question is that when I tried this formula he seemed uncomfortable, I think because of lactose. I tried it with the goat milk and goat yogurt… both he had gassy uncomfortable reactions to. Is there anything I can add to the bottle to dissolve the lactose like lactase enzymes or something?
Hi Hillary. That is tough when babies have a lactose intolerance. I would recommend a couple of things to try. First of all, the lactase enzyme would probably do the trick but knowing how enzymes taste it might alter the flavor enough where he doesn’t like the taste. It is definitely worth trying (Enzymedica makes a great product) because it is really difficult to match the nutrients in goat and cow’s milk. Coconut water is great but not enough. The other option is to try raw cow’s or goat’s milk. I know it seems like that would obviously upset his tummy but unpasteurized milk is the easiest on digestion and he might react completely different to it. When it comes to raw milk I am even fine with cow’s milk. Our bodies are not made to digest pasteurized cow’s milk. There are companies who sell raw goat’s milk but it can only be ordered online and is pricy. Try the lactase enzyme if that still doesn’t work try raw milk you might notice a difference. Otherwise if only coconut water and coconut milk work on his tummy be sure to add in extra coconut oil, nutritional yeast (B12 and folic acid rich), and fish oil for the fat that his body needs. If you have to go that last route let me know and I will help you come up with a slightly different formula. Take care and best of luck!
Okay I will try the enzymes first, thank you!!! I love your website, lots of very valuable information!
Has anyone ever tried to add wheatgrass to babies milk? It is loaded with nutrition?
Hi Jake, I am not sure if that has been added to formulas before, I will have to check into it. I would think that it would be a bit too fiberous for a baby under 4-6 months. However, I started added powdered cereal grasses to my sons bottle, using my formula recipe, at age 1 so it would make perfect sense to me to give it to kids at a young age for sure. I can 100% say that after one it is a very nutritious food to give to toddlers/kids but will look into before age one
My baby(9 months) has been having a lot of food sensitivities, including dairy, for several months now. The doctor suggested rice milk, but I’m not feeling that will be enough nutrients for her. Do you thing that rice milk + coconut water/oil, etc would be enough?
What can I substitute goats milk with, to address lactose intolerance & also I dont have access to goats milk. Rice milk or soy milk would that work?
Hi. I agree with you about the rice milk. Rice milk has very little nutrients or protein. Also, I previously wrote an article about the high levels of arsenic naturally found in rice milk. In other countries they do not even allow rice milk on the store shelves because it exceeds the levels that they deem as safe for daily consumption. In the US the levels are allowed but when a random test was done on about 8-10 various brands, about 1/2 were found to be too high in arsenic. Even my pediatrician recommends against baby’s having rice milk and rice cereal. Just thought I would pass that along.
My first choice after goat milk would be hemp milk. Hemp milk at least has a higher protein content and is high in the good healthy omegas. One thought which you might have tried is to try giving your baby a little goat yogurt to see how they do. The reason I mention the yogurt is that you still have the high nutrients/protein but the culturing process actually removes the lactose making it much easier to digest. Just a thought but it still might be too much. For the 1st 3-4 months of my son having a bottle I diluted the goat yogurt with coconut water and hemp milk.
Last option…to mix with the hemp and coconut water try adding coconut milk kefir which has a good nutrient content and is easily digested.
Hopefully that helped, let me know if you have further questions
Hi, I would only use hemp milk or coconut milk kefir – both easily digested and higher in nutrients. Plus hemp milk is naturally high in the good omegas. I would only use almond milk if the hemp was not available because the almond is much lower in nutrients. Soy milk is acidic and extremely hard to digest and taxing on the kidneys, expecially for infants and toddlers. (I wont even touch soy milk). Rice milk is naturally high in organic arsenic and the levels in my opinion are too high for regular consumption for babies and kids – plus it has very little nutrition.
One thought which you might have tried is to try giving your baby a little goat yogurt to see how they do. The reason I mention the yogurt is that you still have the high nutrients/protein but the culturing process actually removes the lactose making it much easier to digest. I used to give it to my son all the time in a bottle diluted with the coconut water and hemp milk. Just a thought
Let me know if you have further questions…Rebekah
Hi Rebekah,
my milk supply drops right off in the evening, so I am wanting to supplement one feed with your goat milk / coconut water mix. Is the goat milk available from health food stores ok, or does it need to be raw milk? I am in Australia and trying to source milk from goat farms, but if I cant, wondering if I can buy it from health shop. Will I still need to diute it with water, or is adding coconut water enough to dilute the mix? Would you please write me clear instructions to mix a bottle up – with water, goat milk and coconut water? I would really appreciate it, thank you, Jess
Hi Jess. If you can find the goat milk fresh that would be amazing. I have always had to buy Ayden’s goat milk from a health store – the only raw milk I have found available is raw cow’s milk. I would assume that a local health store would sell it – it is fairly common here in all health stores. Regardless of raw or pasteurized goat milk I would always dilute it. I dilute with coconut water and hemp milk. I generally recommend that in an 9 oz bottle to add about 5 ounces milk to 4 ounces coconut water. My son at 3 still drinks the combo and I still dilute because the coconut water is so nutritious. I offten do 2 ounces coconut water and 2 ounces hemp milk for the extra omegas along with the 5 ounces goat milk. Hopefull that makes sense
Thank you, that’s great. I forgot to check, my baby is only 6 weeks old, is this still ok to feed her? Just one last query, can you make this mix up and freeze it? Thank you so much again, Jess
Hi Jess, Here is what I tell moms…formula is made from a base of dried and processed cow’s milk along with synthetic vitamins and unnatural sweeteners given to babies at birth. So, yes, goat milk and coconut water should be fine for all ages and the fat/protein molecules in goat milk are much smaller and easier to absorb compared to cow’s milk. I started giving this simple version a couple times a day to my son at about 2 months. The only thing to consider is that in case he has an allergy to lactose, which is still present in goat milk but much less than cow’s milk, is goat yogurt. In my research I found that the lactose is no longer present in goat yogurt – the culturing of the yogurt removes the lactose. You could always try that 1st to get your baby’s tummy used to goat since he/she has only had breast milk. If your baby does fine with the goat yogurt you could always switch to goat milk. If you try goat yogurt use a similar ratio of 4-5 ounces of plain goat yogurt to 3-4 ounces coconut water. Because the yogurt is tangy I always added a little bit of organic maple syrup if needed. My son LOVED the yogurt bottles! At 6 weeks I wouldn’t add the hemp milk…just keep it simple until closer to 4 months.
Hopefully I didn’t confuse you
Let me know how it goes,
Rebekah
Hello!
My 8 month old is on a prescription formula and I’ve been trying for 4 long months to wean her from it. It is full of corn syrup and awful synthetic vitamins. She is chronically congested. I have tried raw goat milk (w/ added necessary nutrients) and several other homemade formulas. I’m currently trialing the bone broth formula from Weston Price – and her tummy is really struggling this week yet again. I really need help and am not sure what to do. I really feel some sort of coconut milk is the way to go at this point but worry about it being nutritionally sound.
Any advice? I just don’t know what else to give her and am so concerned about her daily consumption of this formula. I haven’t tried goat milk yogurt – just the raw milk from the farm. Perhaps the yogurt would work made into a formula? Lastly, I’ve heard hemp milk is controversial for babies as well as adults? Any advice for a dairy free formula to try would be greatly appreciated.
Hi,
I completely understand wanting to wean your daughter off of formula! It is soo difficult to digest. Her congestion is probably due to the ingredients used to make the formula, which generally includes some form of cow’s milk-based protein added. I definitely agree that the coconut can be very nutritious. However I would’t give her coconut MILK until her tummy settles down and can handle digesting more complex foods. Coconut water is is really one of the best alternatives to breast milk. In other countries mothers who can’t breastfeed give their babies coconut water from Young Thai Coconuts. I talk a lot at my site about coconut water for babies, digestive issues, nutrients, etc. It is very nutritious and amazing for sensitive tummies. My son still drinks a lot of goat milk but I ALWAYS mix it with coconut water to help with the digestability, alkalizing and extra nutrients. I do feel though that you should give the goat yogurt a try for sure. I waited on plain goat milk for my son until he was a bit older because the goat yogurt is cultured, easier to digest, and lacking the lactose which can be difficult for many babies to digest.
Try combining in an 8 ounce bottle about 4-5 ounces goat yogurt and the rest coconut water. If needed try sweetening with maple syrup. If she does ok with it for a few days you could then add extra nutrients including liquid DHA and maybe small amounts of the Child Life liquid baby multi. I hope that works for her…please let me know how it goes and if you have any further questions!
Rebekah Winquest
Hi Rebekah!
Thank you so much for your reply.
I purchased some goat yogurt yesterday and have her two bites w/ her solids at lunch. She seemed fine! I will be so amazed if she handles that despite the fact that she couldn’t handle the regular raw goat milk.
It sounds like you think I ought to just mix it with the coconut water right away instead of just trying a few bites here and there of the straight goat milk yogurt? That is intereresting that the coconut water provides digestibility.
Oh my – if this works – 8 long months of trial and error will end in triumph!
Rebekah,
I forgot to ask – if I mix that 8 ounce bottle today w/ the goat yogurt and coconut water – how long will it last? I will probably only try a couple of ounces per day for awhile so as to not overwhelm her tummy in case she reacts. Oh, I hope she doesn’t – this would be incredible! I never knew goat YOGURT or KEFIR was easier to digest than the regular goat milk – not to mention that the coconut water makes it even better for baby’s tummy.
I generally prefer to make the bottles either as needed or if we were going tol be gone for the day I would just make enough to last for the day. That is smart to start with small amounts at a time to see how she does. You could also try giving her a couple ounces of straight coconut water to try it out too. I used to mix it with Ayden’s grains/cereal and give him an ounce or so after eating solids to help prevent any constipation, which he never once had.
Yes, anything culturred is always going to be easier to digest and I promise the coconut water is amazing for all stomach related issues. It is also amazing for pregnancy and nursing and one of the most hydrating liquid there is. Right now during my pregnancy I try to drink at least 16 ounces daily – I literally crave it!!
That is so great she did ok with the goat yogurt!! I let Ayden get used to the goat yogurt for a month or two before introducing the goat milk and he never had a problem. I think at 4 months I would let him have bites of my goat yogurt and he LOVED it even then
I would definitely add the coconut water early on to help her tummy absorb and digest the goat yogurt but of course try as you see fit and hopefully she will have no problems. Another thought…Jarrow sells a Baby Dophilus which is a powdered acidophilus which has no taste and dissolves. It would be good to keep this in your fridge in case of any stomach issues and you could try adding to a bottle to help with digestion and calming the stomach.
Good luck!!
We added a bite today! The only adverse reaction I found is yesterday and today, she spit up a decent amount within a couple of hours. She didn’t act like it bothered her, though? I’ll keep on keeping on with a few bites a day and I’m sure we’ll have a read-out soon! Oh, I hope hope hope!
Yes! She is on probiotics – a dairy free variety which she has daily so that is a positive. Next up – I need to pick up the coconut water. I too, love it, I just don’t consume it as much as I’d like.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
I will keep you posted should this work for our daughter!
Hi Rebekah!
If the goat yogurt/coconut water formula doesn’t bode well w/ her tummy, I’m curious about your thoughts re: just coconut kefir ect formula?
I see Hillary, above, mentioned this as well. Just wondering what the outcome was with her babe? I know it was over a year ago – just curious! I see you had mentioned coming up with a different formula if the goat yogurt base didn’t succeed.
She is still doing ok on a Tablespoon or two a day of goat yogurt – I’m picking up coconut water today finally!
Thanks for the recipe recommendations. My 8 month old has started biting terribly and I wanted something to supplement every several feedings while I had time to let my wounds heal! I did goat’s milk kefir, hemp seed, coconut water, cod liver oil, spirulina and coconut water (in my vita mix) and it worked perfectly.
My son is almost 9 months old, and I was wondering if I could substitute coconut milk for coconut water?
You can definitely substitute the coconut milk for the coconut water – I have many moms who do the same. At least the coconut milk still has similar nutrients but won’t have the extra minerals that the water has.
Hello! I am very excited try this! I made one bottle already with the goats milk and she seemed to like it! I have been giving her formula (gentelease) and she is on Previcid for reflux. I am hopeing this will help her with her tummy issues (gassiness) and her reflux. I had someone tell me to add (over the whole day) a tea spoon of Aloe Vera Juice for reflux. Do you know anything about this or have any other suggestions? I would love to get her off previcid!!! But it made such a difference I am scared to take her off. I might try this recipe for a few weeks then start reducing the amount of Previcid I give her and see how she does. I still nurse her at night and hope to keep it up a bit longer. My baby girl is almost 4 months!
I have been feeding my baby this formula for about a week now and she loves it! However, she is only 8 weeks old so I am combining the commercial formula that she was on before, per recipe suggestion. I was unable to breast feed so this mixture is the only source of nutrition she is getting. My question is about the vitamins. One dropper-full of the liquid multi vitamin I found is 100% DV of all essential vitamins, and obviously her commercial formula and the goat’s milk have vitamins too (she is on Similac Sensitive for Gas and Fussiness, which does NOT have 100% DV of vitamins…unsure of exactly what percent of the nutrients it actually does have!). My concern is vitamin overdose, how do I know the appropriate amount of multi vitamin to add to the homemade formula as to accommodate for the vitamins in the Similac? I was afraid to give much less than a full dropper of the multi for fear of deficiency too (I’m so confused!) In comparing the labels of the formula and the multi that is 100% DV of everything, I noticed the Similac seems to have way too much of some vitamins and way too little of others.
This is the info on the Similac can:
Vit A 300 IU
Vit D 60 IU
Vit E 3.0 IU
Vit K 8 mcg
Thiamin (Vit B1) 100 mcg
Riboflavin (Vit B2) mcg
Vit B6 60 mcg
Vit B12 .25 mcg
Niacin mcg
Folic Acid (Folacin) 15 mcg
Pantothenic Acid 450 mcg
Biotin 4.4 mcg
Vit C (ascorbic acid) 9 mg
Choline 16 mg
Inositol 4.3 mg
The multi vitamin I am using is Twinlab Infant Care multi vitamin drops with DHA
Is there a commercial organic formula that you recommend? We tried the Similac Organic but it is fortified with Iron so I was afraid to continue on that since the pedi has not told us to add iron to her diet. Also, do you recommend mixing half commercial and half homemade in each bottle? In trying to do the best for my daughter I just don’t want to inadvertently throw of the balance of nutrients or even hurt her. Thanks in advance!
I hope this blend works well for you baby girl! The fact that I recommend using coconut water should really help with her gas and reflux issues – great for digestive support. My only concern about giving her aloe vera daily is the possibility of it becoming too cleansing on her little system. Aloe vera can act as a laxative so I issue caution even though this is a healthy and healing plant because she is so young. If she was 1 year I would probably feel different. What I generally recommend for those issues is to add acidophilus to the bottle – the powder has literally no taste and dissolves easily. Jarrow has a good Baby Dophilus. Also try blending coconut oil into her bottle – amazing for digestion and can help with reflux, maybe 1/4 tsp. Let me know how she does
Hi Jade, I am so glad your daughter loves this formula recipe! I think that next to breast milk goat’s milk is one of the best alternatives out there. Unfortunately there is not one commercial formula that I have seen and actually like or would recommend. You have to watch the ingredients because most have corn syrup solids and many unnatural additives. Also they generally use synthetic vitamins. I am not sure what source Similac uses but you don’t want to give her vitamin D2, only D3 which is natural and absorbable. Also with B12 it should only be in the form of methylcobalamin and not cyanocobalamin which is synthetic and the source that Similac uses.
I am never comfortable with telling any mom to quit commercial formula 100% before 6 months since I am not their pediatrician and want to make sure the baby gets everything they need. I would recommend 1/2 formula and 1/2 my recipe until at least 6 months. While giving part commercial formula I would only give her 1/2 of a dose of the liquid baby vitamins so as not to overdose. Twin lab is ok but they don’t use a good source of B12. I generally recommend Childlife’s kids liquid multi which is also for babies. Then just add the DHA drops by Childlife or Nordic Naturals, D3 drops after 6 months and I like adding 1/8-1/4 tsp coldpressed coconut. I hope that helped. Let me know if you have further questions!!
I have an almost 6 month old baby boy who has no known allergies and that I can’t nurse anymore due to supply issues. I have used mostly formula with him for the past almost two months and also given him the little bit of breastmilk I have left. I hate formula!! I hate what it’s made of and figured there has to be a better alternative. I was searching and found your recipe. I want to try it, and am just a little nervous because of so much conflicting information online regarding goat’s milk. For example, what are your thoughts about this website: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/milk-supplements.html
I would really like to feed my baby something more nutritionally sound but I don’t want to cause him any harm. I guess I am just looking for reassurance. Also, what are the first solids you recommend introducing? We just started with whole grain baby oatmeal two days ago, but I have a feeling that is not the best choice. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi! I am trying to get my 3 month old onto an alternative formula as I am not happy with how his body is reacting to the formula…congestion, reflux, eczema. I had been doing a combination of formula, hemp milk and coconut milk. He seemed to be doing ok on that but now has had really loose bowel movements for the past day. Should I stop giving him the coconut milk and hemp milk? I have not tried the goats milk because I am nervous he has an allergy to milk ( eczema)…also if u can’t get fresh coconut water can the kind they sell at the store suffice?
My child is allergic to dairy and soy. It’s a protein problem not a lactose problem and therefore, goat’s milk is not an option either. I’m not sure of the nutrient comparison in using coconut milk instead of goat’s milk. Do I need to add anything else to make up for fat difference between the two? Or, is there another nutrient in goat’s milk that is not found in coconut milk that I might need to add to the formula?
Please help. There is nothing on the market that is dairy/soy free and that does not use GM corn syrup. I have milk supply issues around my cycle and I am not successful at getting much milk when trying to pump any other time. I need to be able to leave my child at times (10 months old) and need some kind of supplement.
Hi Krystal,
I checked out the link you provided and I do agree with her about not giving Cow’s milk to babies under 1 year. I actually believe that you should never give them cow’s milk at any age unless it is raw. The best is if you can find a local farm who sells raw goat’s milk – that is best after 6 months. Goat yogurt is extremely easy to digest and much different compared to cow’s milk yogurt. Plus, the lactose is gone from the culturing process. I began giving my son this combo of goat yogurt with coconut water and breast milk at age 4 months and he did amazing with it. He is almost 4 and still drinks a lot of goat milk and is a very tall and healthy boy. He was always very thin while I nursed him in the beginning but as soon as I started adding in the goat yogurt bottle 1-2 times/day he began putting on weight and stayed very healthy. In all my research I truly believe in goat milk for babies and toddlers. I think it is best to wait on goat milk for most babies until after 6 months and think that starting with the yogurt first is best in their bottle. Goats milk does not stress the body and is much more similar to breast milk than cow’s milk. The protein and fat molecules are very small, compared to cow’s, which makes it easy to absorb and assimilate. My only caution with goat’s milk is that it does not have every needed nutrieint which is why I recommend adding a liquid multi and D3 to the bottle.
I generally recommend giving Young Thai coconut pudding first..here is the recipe and about it: http://www.justgoodenergy.com/2011/01/24/baby-got-backed-up/ . Also, here is a link to my article on foods and recipes to give babies at different ages : http://www.justgoodenergy.com/2011/02/12/setting-the-right-course-for-your-baby/
I hope that helped…let me know if you have any further questions
Rebekah
Hi Katie,
If he is having loose bowel movements then I would omit the coconut milk for awhile. Coconut products can tend to have that effect when over-consumed or if the body is not used to them. It is really tough with formula. I have searched so many out there and have never come across one that I would actually 100% recommend. When my son was 4 months I began giving him a goat yogurt bottle every day and he did amazing. The culturing process of the yogurt removes the lactose and it becomes extremely easy to digest, even for most babies with milk sensitivities. I like mixing a few ounces of plain goat yogurt with coconut water and breast milk or almond milk. He did great with it and is very sensitive to dairy. The best is raw goat’s milk if you can find a local farm who sells it! Of course coconut water fresh is best but with the prices going up so much I have been using Zico from Trader Joes and we like it ok.
Hi Dyann,
I understand your frustration. You can use the coconut milk but you would be lacking the calcium, fats and protein found in Goat’s milk. So my suggestion is to add to the coconut milk rice protein powder along with a baby liquid multi like Child Life along with either Baby DHA by Nordic Naturals and/or their baby oil blend. At this age I also added Hydrilla algae to my son’s goat milk bottle. Hydrilla algae is one of nature’s richest foods in calcium and other minerals and is extremely gentle on the bottle. Hopefully that helped – let me know if you have any further questions
Rebekah
Thank you so much for your help! And the links are great! Now that I’ve actually started this I do have a few more questions, hopefully fairly simple. 1) Is there any way to warm this up at least a little during winter? I don’t want to kill all the good stuff but my baby definitely prefers a warm bottle. 2)What if I can only find low fat goat yogurt? Is that ok, or is there something else I should add or do differently? 3) I feel silly asking this but do you know how many ounces are in a cup of goat yogurt? I can’t find I good way to measure it and I know it’s quite a bit more dense than breastmilk. Thanks so much again for your help!
I meant that I can only find low-fat goat milk. Oops.
1. Sure you can heat it by making the bottle and letting it sit in a bowl of warm water for 30-60 seconds.
2. That is interesting you can only find lowfat goat yogurt – I have never seen that. I prefer whole fat like Meyenberg or the one sold at Trader Joes but if all you have available is lowfat then that is fine.
3. There are 8 ounces of goat yogurt in one cup
Good luck!!!
Maybe you should try requesting from the store that they bring in the regular goat milk. Otherwise I would make sure to add extra oils to the bottle like coconut or fish. Redwood Hills and Meyenberg might have it and Trader Joes sells a good quality whole goat milk…
Hi…I am just wondering if you can use goat milk kefir in place of regular goats milk in your formula recipe?
Hi Katie,
You can definitely use the kefir but I would not use the same amount as the milk. Kefir is so dense that I would only use 2-3 ounces per bottle and increase the other liquids. I would also add rice protein powder for extra protein along with oil such as coconut, fish or hemp to make up for the fats lost during the culturing process of the goat milk to kefir.
Hopefully that made sense. Let me know if you have further questions,
Rebekah
Hi,
I’m totally new to this alternative to baby formula. My daughter is 8 weeks and Ive breast fed her exclusively until this last week, where I introduced some Gerber Good start formula. She’s been throwing up a little more than usual. She’s always been gassy (due to frequent nursing). I have to go back to work immediately and wouldn’t be able to breast feed. Recently, there has been a recall on formula and I’m SCARED to give her the formula. I mentioned it to my friend who’s into healthy eating and she suggested coconut milk or water. Please HELP ME! 1)where do I start? 2) where do I purchase any of the ingredients/vitamins for your recipe? 3) is there a specific way to mix it?
I’m sorry if I sound like an idiot, but I really don’t want to give her commercial formula. So I’m doing some research. I just need a step-by-step guide. Thank you!!! Love your site and advice to other moms.
Hi Tamika,
You don’t sound like an idiot! Every mom’s biggest concern is feeding their baby and making sure they are healthy. Sorry it took me a week to respond (had a busy week with my 3 month old and 3 year old sons). I know the Gerber Good Start formula and am not a fan. Every baby I have known that was breast fed first and then tried transitioning onto formula will throw up a lot because their body is not used to the synthetic processed ingredients which are not easy to digest on their little tummies, poor thing. Formula scares me also and when my son was 4 months and needed a little extra even though I nursed him around the clock, I never even considered formula.
Yes, coconut water is great for babies and is one of the closest things in nature to breast milk however alone it is not enough. I am always cautious to recommend my formula as an exclusive food for a baby under 6 months only because depending on the baby my recipe might not meet 100% of what they need. Is there any way you can keep your supply going by pumping at breaks at work? It is ideal to mix these bottles with part breast milk to ensure optimal nutrition levels and ease of digestion. Goat is also similar to breast milk which is why I always recommend combing it with coconut water. You wouldn’t want to give them only coconut water or milk because it can cause loose stools and you don’t want your baby to be cleansing. So the combo of about 4 ounces goat milk, 2 ounces coconut water and ideally 2 ounces breast milk is probably best. Again though, check with your pediatrician to be sure this is fine for your baby.
You can purchase goat milk at health food stores (Meyenberg or Trader Joe’s brand) or if you can’t find it you can buy Meyenberg’s dried goat milk as a powder through Amazon website. I actually get all my supplements through Amazon – Child Life Multi, Nordic Naturals Baby DHA, Rice Protein Powder, etc. You can get coconut water at Trader Joes, health stores and even Costco now.
I would put everything in a blender and make enough for however many bottles you need in one day all at once. Then devide it amongst bottles and keep refrigerated. I would make this fresh every morning. If my recipe is not clear enough let me know and I can give you more detailed advice. Good luck and let me know how she does,
Rebekah Winquest
Hi,
I was wondering what the recipe would be for babies that are 6 months to a year that are nursing. Also I would like to know the vegan version as my son and myself are vegans. I have been giving him hemp milk mixed with coconut water and almond milk. I will be weaning him off my breast at around a year old but even now he has cut back quite a lot on his breast milk consumption and I am wonderin if I should be giving him something extra in his milk.
Thank you
Hi,
What I have recommended to moms wanting to keep the mixture vegan is to add Rice Protein powder. There is a raw sprouted one by Sun Warrior that is safe for babies through adults, here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Sun-Warrior-Vanilla-Protein-Pound/dp/B002IKKRYO. Also I would add a good babies liquid multi to each bottle so that by the end of the day he has received a full serving. I have used Child Life before which I really like. Also try melting some coconut oil to add to each bottle or flax or hempseed oil for the omegas.After a year I always recommend adding Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood powder which is over 33 dried fruits and veggies along with green grass superfoods. What I gave to my son starting at about 9 months was to add a small amount of Vitaminer Greens by Healthforce to his food or bottles once a day for the extra nutrients – he still has most of these products just in a smoothie and my 3 months old son loves to eat my Young Thai coconut pudding (pureed young Thai coconut meat with the fresh water).
Let me know if you have any further questions
Rebekah
Hi,
Thank you very much for you response.
However I would like to know how much hemp seed proptein powderI can give my son per day. I know it’s fine to give from birth but I just don’t know how much I should be giving. I have had trouble finding the child life multi vit. Do you know any websites that’s have it that will deliver to London, England.
One last thing, as I am not using any animal products i use quinoa milk, almond milk and hemp milk along side coconut water, could you please tell me what ratio I should be using these milks per 8 or 10 ounce bottle.
Thank you so much. It’s so refreshing to have somebody to be able to turn to for this kind of information.
Hi,
Of course it is my pleasure to help! Hmm, I tried to order the Child Life multi on Amazon and this product only ships within the US. I found one that doesn’t seem to have a limit on shipping on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Michaels-Health-Products-Pedia-liquid/dp/B0009S9H2A/ref=sr_1_37?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1327522884&sr=1-37 . As lomg as the multi does not have any added chemical preservatives and has a good spectrum it should be fine. You might want to start with rice protein because it will probably gentler on the tummy. Many babies do better with nut and seed protein after 1 but you know your baby best and maybe he does great with hemp. I would say about 3 grams of protein per 8 ounces of liquid is probably a good ratio to use.
I personally would do 2 ounces each. You probably shouldn’t give more than a couple ounces of coconut water at a time only because it can be a bit cleansing if they have too much at once. Also if I didn’t mention it earlier add about 1 tsp Black strap molasses per bottle for iron. Let me know if I can help further
Rebekah
LONG story short… breast milk was an awful start, started W.A.P. cows, then broth, then Goat…then all COW out of the Goat’s version. Currently, I’m using the Goats Milk based formula with Grade B Maple Syrup instead of lactose, and decreased the Goats milk by 1/2 cup, in it’s place, Coconut Milk. My husband had eczema as a baby, and at 3 months, mine started, and does still have it. She does have some gut issues. She has a bad pet allergy too, and who knows what summer will bring. She is doing much better on this formula, but I was thinking about adding coconut water. However, what if her eczema is due to a gut problem, and a possible yeast over growth like Candida? Do you know of Coconut water being more of a contributor, than a helper? She is now 10 months. She doesn’t really eat much solids due to the “healing” digestive tract. Oh, the additional add in’s to her formula are slippery elm bark, and nettle tea infusion.
Sounds like you have had a rough start. Coconut in general is an antifungal and anit-bacterial which is why I use raw coconut oil all over my baby’s skin, also wonderful for eczema. So the coconut water will in no way increase candida growth. If anything it will help. I would try and get the fresh coconuts as much as possible only because of the raw enzymes. The water should really help any gut issues too along with digestion. So is her formula blend primarily goat milk and coconut milk along with the herbs? Please let me know and I might recommend a few things like adding coconut oil, nutritional yeast, etc. But will wait to hear back from you first.
Rebekah Winquest
This is wonderful! I’m so excited to have found this. Question for you, how do I modify the toddler formula if it will be the primary source of nutrition as my boy is not on enough solids to justify that mixture? Thank you SO much!
Hannah
Glad to help
For a toddler blend here is what I did with my son until 3 (actually he still drinks the blend in a sippy cup because it is tasty and so nutritious). I always dilute the goat milk even when the toddler is over 1 I think it is better for their system. In a 10 ounce bottle: 6 ounces goat milk, 2 ounces coconut water, 2 ounces hemp milk, 1/2 scoop Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood, 1 drop of Carlsen’s liquid D3, and on occasion I would add an ounce of Goat Kefir. It looks like a lot but it has kept my son extremely healthy and now my 7 month old son likes to have a little here and there and gets so excited over it 
The other thing you could consider adding since he is not eating a lot of solids is to get rice protein powder and blend it with the mixture in the blender and pour into the bottle.
If I can help further let me know,
Rebekah