Breastfeeding is a tough job…
but somebody’s got to feed that baby of yours, and it ain’t gonna be the family dog. However, we all know things don’t always go as planned and sometimes our bodies don’t work the way we want them to. Choosing to formula feed is a big choice. For some, it isn’t a choice, they simple cannot physically breastfeed their child. For others, it’s a decision that’s made based on a number of factors.
I’m not going to discuss the difference between breastfeeding & formula feeding. While I do believe that breastfeeding is best and that mothers have a responsibility to do all they can to prepare their bodies to breastfeed, I understand that sometimes things just don’t work out they way we want them to.
Enter goat’s milk…
Whenever I share that our family owns goats and milks them each day, I always find people who say they were given goat’s milk as a baby, or that goat’s milk saved their son when no other milk would work. I LOVE hearing this! One of the reasons why we moved to goat’s milk in the first place was because of my son’s asthma. He was having experiencing frequent bouts of croup and asthma attacks, and my research led me to goats (and their milk). A change in our diet in other aspects helped as well, but goat’s milk was the first thing we changed about our diet and the first thing I attribute to our first winter season with no sickness!
What’s so wrong with formula?
There’s no question that store bought formula can sustain and keep a baby alive, but what should be done to help a baby thrive? The problem with store bought infant formula is that it is highly-processed and full of denatured proteins (indigestible proteins), GMO corn & soy oils, corn syrup, and other harmful additives.
Even worse, soy-based infant formulas contain phytic acid, which blocks the absorption of minerals and protease inhibitors, which block the body from absorbing protein. It also contains aluminum, fluoride, MSG (and MSG derivitives), which can negatively affect a baby’s nervous system. Soy also contains phytoestrogens which can have long-term hormonal effects, including reduced thyroid function.
What may look like a ‘healthy baby’ according to your pediatrician’s standards, may not be the whole story. A formula-fed baby will have deficiencies which may not be noticeable as a young infant, particularly in the areas proper neurological & digestive development. Today, more and more children are being diagnose with delayed development as well as gut-related issues like eczema, asthma, allergies, ADHD, & autism. While these health issues are not all attributed to the fact that a baby has been formula fed, the links are strong.
Why Goat’s Milk is the perfect alternative to Breast Milk
Of all the milk in the world, goat’s milk most closely resembles human breast milk! Isn’t that something? Goat’s milk is also very gentle on the digestive tract, which is great for an infant! Because goat’s milk has smaller globules, goat’s milk is more easily digested. Many people with lactose intolerance can tolerate goat’s milk.
A few areas that goat’s milk is lacking
You can see that goat’s milk lacking slightly in a few areas, particularly in the carbohydrate section. Also, the protein content is a little too high. There are also some micronutrients that need to be replaced as well. For goat’s milk to be a proper formula supplement, it also needs folic acid & B12. (source)
The Weston A. Price Foundation has worked tirelessly to provide a nutritionally accurate formula recipe that is a sufficient replacement for store bought formula. This recipe is a very slight adaptation of the original recipe as the WAPF recommend cow’s milk (because of the higher levels of B12). In this recipe we substitute liver & nutritional yeast to provide B12 & folic acid.
Ingredients
- Makes 36 ounces of formula
- 2 c raw goat's milk
- 1 7/8 cups filtered water (you can begin to reduce this water at 9 months)
- 1/4 c liquid whey (from yogurt only - not cheese. Breast milk is richer in whey than goat's milk)
- 4 TBS lactose (this provides more carbohydrates and is critical for the baby's nervous system - if you want to avoid cow's milk lactose, you can substitute 2 tsp. Grade B Maple Syrup instead)
- 1/4 tsp bifidobacterium infantis (this provides probiotics gentle for an infant)
- 1/2 teaspoon high-vitamin cod liver oil (provides Vitamin D & A)
- 1 tsp unrefined sunflower oil (for Vitamin E)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (for monosaturated fats)
- 2 tsp coconut oil (this provides lauric acid. It's an important which is a medium-chain fatty acid and provides antiviral, antifungal properties similar to breast milk)
- 2 tsp gelatin (aids in digestibility)
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast flakes (this provides folic acid)
- 2 tsp organic raw chicken liver , previously frozen for 14 days, finely grated (this provides a good source of B12)
- 1/4 tsp acerola powder (this provides a natural source of Vitamin C)
- 1 -2 tsp organic blackstrap molasses (this relieves constipation and is a good source of B vitamins, trace minerals, & iron)
Instructions
- Directions to Make the Formula:
- In a pan over medium heat, warm the water, dissolve the gelatin, lactose, coconut oil, & molasses, then remove from heat. Set aside.
- In a blender, add goat's milk, whey, acerola powder, bifidobacterium infantis, nutritional yeast, cod liver oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, and liver. Pulse until smooth.
- Add contents in saucepan to blender and pulse a few times to blend.
- Directions to Warm the Bottle:
- You can either warm the bottle by placing in a pan of hot water or use a baby bottle warmer. Avoid using a microwave as it destroys the enzymes needed to digest and could heat unevenly which could create hot pockets and burn your baby's mouth.
Recipe Notes
Finding all the Ingredients:
You can visit the Radiant Life Company here to purchase all of your ingredients. Some of them may also be available on Amazon. To find a source of raw goat's milk in your area, check out www.realmilk.com.
Adapted from Weston A. Price Foundation
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. This is a lot of ingredients. How much will this cost compared to formula?
A. Over the first year of life, average store-bought infant formula to feed a baby costs $1,733.75. This goat’s milk formula recipe will cost you $897.90 for a year’s worth of ingredients plus the cost of raw goat’s milk. For this recipe, you would need roughly 4 gallons of goat’s milk per month. An average gallon of goat’s milk can run from $5 a gallon all the way up to $20 a gallon, depending on the availability in your area.
The final price would depend on the cost of your goat’s milk, but even if you paid top dollar for goat’s milk, the cost of this homemade goat’s milk recipe would be the same, if not MUCH less than the average formula cost.
Q. Can I freeze this goat’s milk infant formula?
A. You can make large batches ahead of time and freeze for convenience, but it’s recommended to make fresh every day or two.
Q. Can I use liquid B vitamins & folic acid instead of the nutritional yeast and liver?
Currently there is no food based supplement of B vitamins & folic acid that doesn’t also contain harmful ingredients, so it’s recommended to use nutritional yeast instead, unless your baby cannot tolerate liver or nutritional yeast.
Q. Can I make any other variations to this recipe?
A. That decision is ultimately up to you, but it is recommended that you not deviate far from the recipe, as this recipe contains the proper amount of vitamins, nutrients, & minerals for a growing baby.
More questions?
To connect with other mothers who are using this recipe as an alternative to store bought formula, check out this Yahoo Group here.
Any help is appreciated! I have tried to make this formula several times now. And everytime I put it into the fridge it turns into a huge hard glob. Anyone know why??
Thanks, Kim
Hi Kimberly-
It may be that the oils in the formula are solidifying when they get cold. Warm the bottles up as the article suggests and they should liquify again. Also, make sure you are using the gelatin suggested (or one very similar that is hydrolyzed) so it dissolves in liquid and doesn’t turn into Jello. I hope that helps. Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
Hello Kim, did you ever figure it out? I followed the recipe exactly and had the same thing happen. Warmed my bottle on the stove in a pot of water and it was all curdled.
Is there any formula adaptation for 18month-2 year old? Little one is now doing 2 recipes a day, she is eating many other foods, though will mainly eat dinner. Should I just thin out the recipe to stretch it so she will eat more or give her less w/ maybe increase in some ingredients? thanks
Hi Holly-
That’s great you want to keep your toddler on a nutrient dense diet! You can continue to give her some of the formula, such as for a supplemental meal, but you definitely want her to start eating more solids as she progresses with age. Here is a link to to the Weston Price Foundation that gives some information on the toddler diet: https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/childrens-health/foods-to-tantalize-toddlers-preschoolers/
I hope this helps! Best of luck! Thank you -Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assistant)
I make my own homemade goat’s milk formula as well, though I use a different recipe (the Mt. Capra recipe). The only thing that concerns me here is the suggestion of substituting 2 tsp of maple syrup for 4 Tbsp of lactose. Babies (especially young ones) need the high carb. content to grow and thrive. Shouldn’t that be a direct 4 T to 4 T substitution?
Lactose has less grams of carbohydrates per TBS. while Maple Syrup has more grams of carbs per TBS. So, the recipe does this to even it out.
Is it safe to add raw liver in this recipe? What about the milk? I don’t need to boil it before giving it to my baby?
Hi Carla-
As long as the liver has been frozen for the 14 days it will be safe for your baby. The milk will be safe too, as long as it has been handled properly. Heating the milk (especially about 110 degrees F) will destroy many of the valuable nutrients, so definitely do not boil the milk. I hope this information helps. For additional information check out Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions: https://nourishingtraditions.com/
Thank you – Bobbi (DaNelle’s Assitant)
I used a similar recipe for my 1st born from birth and am planning on using the same recipe for my 5 MO old who is struggling with store formula. I wasnt able to breastfeeding feed and only have access to donor bm in small amounts. Anyway my son thrived on the goat milk formula! I didn’t ever add the liver though. I read somewhere to only add it after 6 mos. I don’t remember why though… thanks for the info!
The main photo for this post has a baby drinking with the Medela “calma” nipple. Is this formula recipe fit for use with that nipple? I know it can’t be used with regular powdered formula.
Good point Megan! I don’t have a baby so I had to use a stock photo. I’m sure there are better bottles than the one pictured:)
So, if you have no access to raw goat’s milk, this is a no go? I’ve heard all the positives about raw milk, I believe them, I simply do not have access to it. But I would love to make my own formula for my baby, he has slight digestive issues. He is almost 8 months old, so we have about 4 more months of formula.
I have heard of people using powdered goat’s milk, but I’d probably shoot for raw myself:)
I’m on baby number 6. The first 5 all had to be commercial-formula supplemented and I hated it. While I have very healthy children (Dr was so surprised when I brought my 4 year old in for a checkup and saw she’d NEVER been in for any illness before), it was such a blessing to come across the WAP homemade formula. I make it on raw cows milk and my 2 month old little man is thriving on it. We started him on homemade formula at about 2-3 weeks of age. It tastes far more like breast milk (than formula), and babies poo even looks just like that of an exclusively breastfed baby. Of course the evidence for the failings of commercial formula aren’t widely publicised. Like everything pharmaceutical, they don’t want to lose any $.
Hi Danelle,
Two years ago I actually came across a recipe for goat’s milk infant formula from another woman’s site. I tried to send her an email, but it never reached her, as her site wasn’t updated as much, so I had no way to thank her.I figured, I could instead thank you. hehe. 🙂 I just want to tell you how greatful I am to have found about this formula. It was two years ago, when my brother was born. He was a premature baby and times were tough. I had to be his sole guardian and had to rely on the formulas in store. I quickly realised how unhealthy they really were. I can still recall how lethargic he seemed. He would have rashes and had a phlemy sound when he breathed. It was so heartbreaking to me. Fortunatley I looked into natural ways to help him. So, long story short, I gave him the formula and all his problems went away. He is now a very intelligent, sweet and thriving toddler. Thank you. If it wasn’t for people like you, I would never have helped my family. We are much healthier than we used to be. I eat more organic, clean and wholesome food as I can and even try to sneak in some homemade food for my still weary parents.
you might want to update this, the Frontier brand nutritional yeast no longer has the B12 vitamin component, I used KAL brand.
Thanks!
Do you still have that recipe for thay special “robbers” essential oils?
I think you’re referring to Young Living’s Thieves oil. My favorite brand makes a blend with the exact same ingredients.
Adriana,
There are a LOT of children/babies that have issues with formula. All three of my nephews were strictly formula fed (never had any breast milk) – they have ADHD, asthma, constant ear infections, shit happens. So you and your kids were formula fed and that worked out great for you. I have two boys that were both breast and formula fed. One of them cannot have cows milk now, being 18 months old – I had continued giving him a small amount of formula and almond milk – but formula is so dang expensive! For people who live on farms and can’t just run to the grocery store and purchase scienfically created formula this is great! If you don’t agree with the chicken livers don’t put them in. It’s as simple as that.
If you don’t like this article or agree with it, so what. There is no need to be rude to the author by calling her insane.
And you have proof their issues came from formula, Laura?— “For people who live on farms and can’t just run to the grocery store and purchase scienfically created formula this is great!”——this comment just doesn’t make sense when you take into account all the ingredients needed to make this “goat milks” formula—–acerola powder, nutritional yeast flakes, bifidobacterium infantis? Sure those ingredients are something most farms just have on hand. Why would they have to run for one simple can of formula that you can stock up on but not for all these other ingredients? I would think some of these ingredients would be harder to find and not something you just find at your local grocery store. I called her insane because she is suggesting putting RAW meat in there. That is dangerous advice. She could cause a baby’s death from suggesting that. Most of my issue with what she said is suggesting that formula fed babies don’t thrive which is a bunch of nonsense. Formula fed babies thrive everyday.
Raw meat that has been previously frozen for 14 days (as she suggests) will not cause any issues and will most definitely not cause a baby’s death. Please do some research for yourself before commenting on things you may think you know but have no idea.
Also you will never know how much better you or your children could have turned out if you had all been breastfed, and that’s the rub.
So much WOO nonsense. It’s unbelievable. There is absolutely no solid evidence/proof that formula feeding causes all those problems you mentioned, NONE.
“There’s no question that store bought formula can sustain and keep a baby alive, but what should be done to help a baby thrive?”………Oh for goodness sakes. My babies were not just kept alive by formula. They THRIVED into very healthy, smart, loving children with vibrant personalities who are the top of their classes. Formula babies thrive just as well as breastfeed babies. Are you seriously suggesting giving babies RAW liver?? Are you insane? There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with commercial formula that is scientifically made to have everything a baby needs to grow and thrive. The woo is strong on this one.
And neither of them have eczema, asthma, allergies, ADHD, & autism. I was formula fed and I have none of those either. No health problems at 38 yrs old. I am not the exception.
Hi Adriana,
I know it does sound insane at first, but this blog focuses on traditional food and diets that traditional societies have thrived on. My grandmother ate liver often and gave it to her babies. Those of us who drink raw milk and eat liver are not afraid to eat and feed our families foods that have been used for centuries. Feel free to read blogs that coincide with your beliefs:)
Hi, Do you have a cows milk recipe or just a goats milk formula recipe?
Thanks!
I am so bookmarking this article for later. Thanks a million DaNelle!
This is awesome!…although your directions seem to be lacking something. Everything that was warmed on the stove, does that go into the blender? Where are the chicken livers in your directions?
I will certainly be saving this in case of another baby :-), just need to get another goat. I have milked my friend’s for her so that I could use it for homemade soap and milk for piglets (or other babies with no mommies).
Wow! I can’t believe the comparison. Thank you so much for this great information. While I don’t get to have more babies, I’m pinning this so that I can share it with others.