Recipe: Goat Milk Formula
A recipe for home-made formula, rich in nutrients.
To a clean quart-sized container, add the following ingredients:
- Fill 2/3 of the container with goat milk
- Fill 1/3 of the container with water
- 1 tbsp black strap molasses
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp fish oil (keep refrigerated) or vegan DHA liquid
- 1 tbsp glutamine powder*
- 1 tsp coconut oil (will liquefy when warmed and shaken) or MCT oil (which is liquid at room temp, so easier to work with)
- ¼ tsp infant probiotic (keep refrigerated)
To one serving per day, also add:
- 400 to 1,000 IU/day of liquid vitamin D3
The purpose of each ingredient
Each ingredient in this recipe serves a healthy function!
- Goat milk – calories, protein
- Water – dilute the milk for absorption, hydration
- Black strap molasses – iron, carbohydrate
- Maple syrup – trace minerals, carbohydrate
- Nutritional yeast – B vitamins
- Fish oil – Fatty Acids for brain, nerves
- Glutamine – large intestine support
- Coconut or MCT oil – calories, fat, medium chain triglycerides
- Probiotic – microbiome support
- Vitamin D3 – immune support, bone health
Cautions
Do use honey! Do not feed honey to children under 12 months of age, due to risk of botchulism. Do not substitute honey for the maple syrup in this recipe.
Consider leaving out the glutamine. Glutamine nourishes the colonocyes (cells of the large intestine), but can also sometimes make babies irritable. Do not include glutamine in formula for babies under 3 months of age. In children older than 3 months, if the formula seems to cause irritability (fussiness, anger, etc.) try leaving out the glutamine.
Vitamin D3. Consult your pediatrician to determine the right dose. I typically put my pediatric patients on 1,000 international units (IU) per day (yep, even newborns), since I’m based in the Pacific Northwest where it rains much of the year.
The risks of home made formula
The proteins contained in homemade formulas may be hard on a baby’s kidneys. For this reason, using goat or sheep milk is safer than cow’s milk. There is still a risk with using these milks, however. Always consult your doctor before starting your baby on a new supplement, medication, or home-made remedy.
It’s also important to use sterilized containers and utensils when preparing your own formula, and to store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Alternatives
Here are some alternatives to creating home-made goat formula:
- Use store-bought formula (note: most of it contains high fructose corn syrup and GMO ingredients)
- Use formula made in another country, or made from goat’s milk. (Such as Kabrita.)
- Use donor milk, provided by a mother you know who has recently had a negative HIV test. (Do not buy breast milk online! Not only is it illegal to sell human bodily fluids; it’s also dangerous. In the best case scenario, you’ll end up getting cow’s milk.)
- See a lactation consultant for support on breastfeeding your child, if possible.
- Ask your doctor about Domperidone, a medication that can stimulate lactation.
Photo by Rainier Ridao on Unsplash
