Homemade Baby Formula

Breast is often best, but what do you do when that’s not possible? Even the organic baby formulas are highly processed and highly sweetened – not a desirable option, and the conventional standard Similac, which is 40% corn syrup and 10% sucrose, is even worse. Plus, food allergies are an issue even for babies!

Here are some guidelines for making your own baby formula – whether you’re supplementing your own milk, or strictly bottle feeding, homemade formula is the best you can get.

This recipe does not include exact measurements, as I generally tweak it for each family that I work with, but it should provide a general guideline to get you started. There’s also more information out there – google “homemade baby formula”.

Here are the ingredients I often use:

  • Native Forest brand (BPA-free cans) or SO Delicious brand (cartons in the milk cooler) coconut milk. the Native Forest “Simple” – it’s a gum free product, which is best if there have been digestive issues or colic. You can also make coconut milk from dried coconut according to this recipe. I use coconut milk because so many people are allergic to animal milk, and there are concerns for allergies with nut milks.
  • egg yolksNOT the whites, which are more likely to be allergenic – just the yolks. If there is a known egg allergy, leave this out.
  • vitamin D3Current standard guidance is 400-1000IU (10-25mcg) for babies. There are various brands of liquid vitamin D drops – make sure that you’re getting D3 and not D2, and look for a brand that uses a good quality carrier oil, like extra virgin olive oil.
  • high quality probiotics – even a dropperful or a few droppers full (depending on the quantity you’re making) of a fairly neutral-flavored kombucha works great!
  • Nettle + Seaweed tea, or another high mineral tea. My favorite seaweed comes from Atlantic Holdfast
  • add some Chamomile, Catnip, or Fennel to the tea if colic has been an issue, or just because it’s nice!
  • a small amount of good quality gheeOrganic Valley and Pure Indian Foods brand ghee are grassfed, and casein and lactose free. This may harden if the formula becomes cold, and will liquify again on warming.
  • a small amount of dark maple syrup
  • a good, additive-free multi-vitamin. Open the capsule and add a portion of the capsule to the formula, based on the baby’s age and weight. I typically look up the RDA for two or three ingredients of the multi for the baby’s age and weight and use those to calculate what percentage of a dose is right per day, and then what percentage of that is right per serving of formula. It will be a small amount.

I much prefer food sources of nutrients than supplements, and i really really dislike supplements, which is why I include seaweed and nettle (or other high-mineral) tea. but sometimes they’re necessary, and this might be one of those times. Dr. Ron’s supplements are very high quality, and food-based, without all the additives found in other supplements, so if you prefer to know for sure what the ratios of your vitamins and minerals are, go with that option. there are other great food-based options available, just make sure that they don’t have fillers or additives.

Blend ingredients in a blender (or with a whisk, or shake it in a mason jar). Taste it yourself, but remember that babies may have different taste preferences than we do. Adjust to baby’s taste, and make the formula fresh every day.

5 Comments

  1. Rachael on 1 March, 2012 at 8:45 am

    Hello. I had o stop breast feeding early, due to physical issues and lack of knowledge. Since then my daughter has had good days, and very bad days of eating. I”m so lost. She’s allergic to cows milk, and for awhile Goat milk seemed fine. She has weak kidneys, and solids never go down easy. This could be her being awkward about them, I don’t know. I use the WAPF homemade formula. I was asked to try Coconut milk for her, and I’d like to use my ingredients, but I have no idea what the measurements would be if replacing the Goats milk with Coconut milk. Can you help?



  2. katja on 7 April, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    Hi, Rachel!

    I have never used goat’s milk, but I would just fiddle with it. Use the same amount of coconut milk as you did goat, and see how she responds. I would also add nettle tea into her formula, and maybe dandelion leaf, to give her kidneys more support – in fact, red clover would be nice too! If you do that, you’d reduce the amount of coconut milk, to keep the overall amount of liquid about the same. And if she’ll drink it with pureed liver in it, bonus! In her case, perhaps with pureed kidney…

    Good luck!
    warmly,
    katja



  3. Najwa on 30 November, 2012 at 3:39 pm

    We don’t have very many local resources. I’ve tried many different types of goats milk formula, but oddly enough she does better with and prefers cows milk. Do you have a non oil based formula. She has terrible reflux and allergies to coconut, rice, oatmeal, gluten, and the oils dont sit well with her at all.



  4. Shannon on 8 October, 2013 at 8:21 pm

    I’m feeling overwhelmed in searching websites on where to buy contents for making baby formula ad I’d like to start this process sooner rather than later since we too had to stop breastfeeding due to physical issues with myself from the c-section and supplementing with this organic soy formula is just not working and I want what’s best for my son! (He’s 7 mos and we JUST switched to adding formula into his diet) Thanks, Shannon



  5. Nicole Luikaart on 20 December, 2013 at 11:18 am

    Hi I have a 10 month old that was on raw goat milk since 9 months when I stopped breastfeeding to further my own health. I have been implementing Body Ecology for systemic yeast and leaky gut/parasite issues. I started him on liver based formula from nourishing traditions but he seems to be having digest issues as he’s gagged often– and it seems too be to thick…. Maybe cause of gut issues?? He likes coconut milk and we have been giving on side from recommendation of our Naturopath. My question is could I try the milk formula with coco milk..will there be enough nutrition? If I add liver will it taste funny? Additionally haven’t added the lactose to meat formula cause don’t know if lactose is part of allergy or milk protein..plus candida issues so limit sugar. Any recommendations?



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