A natural infant formula recipe is one option for new moms who are struggling with milk production or whose milk production has waned. Homemade formulas may be more easily tolerated by an infant’s digestive system compared to commercial formulas, when breast milk is not available. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies drink breast milk or formula, not cow’s milk, in the first year of life. For the first four to six months, a baby’s sole nutrition will come in liquid form. The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and other health agencies have concerns about the nutritional value of homemade formulas. Parents and health advocates are also concerned about dangerous chemicals sometimes found in commercially available formulas. Parents and their pediatricians need to weigh the benefits of homemade formulas vs. commercial formulas when breast milk is not available.
Step 1
Consult with the baby’s pediatrician before feeding the baby homemade infant formula. Discuss specific ingredients that the pediatrician may recommend based on your baby’s health. The pediatrician may prescribe liquid vitamins and nutrients, including iron or B-complex vitamins which can be mixed into the formula.
Step 2
Make your own rice milk as the base for the homemade infant formula. Rinse the brown rice in a colander. Cook the rice in a heated, dry pan without liquid until it browns slightly. Pour in the salt and water. Simmer for two hours. Strain the solids out using the cheesecloth. Use the liquid as the base for the formula recipe.
Step 3
Add the coconut oil while the mixture is warm to ensure it liquefies. Other liquid ingredients should be added at this stage, including the wheat germ oil and the folic acid. Use the medicine dropper to measure out the portions.
Step 4
Dissolve half of the beta-carotene capsule in water and add to the mixture.
Step 5
Blend in the dry ingredients. Mix in the sea salt and the ginger. If the pediatrician recommended added nutritional yeast or nutritional powders, they should go in during this step.
Step 6
Fill individual serving size bottles with formula and use within a day. Reheat the homemade infant formula before serving.
Warm the rice milk. Warm the homemade formula in a bottle. Place the bottle into a bowl or large cup filled with warm water. Alternatives to rice milk include goat’s milk, soy milk, almond milk or oat milk.
Warnings
- Avoid natural infant formula recipes containing fish oil, almond milk or soy milk if allergies to those substances are present in your family.
- Adjust the ingredients if the formula is making baby vomit. Start with a different base (rice, soy, goat’s milk) or remove any nutritional yeast if you added some.
- Do not freeze homemade formula.
