I always wanted to make my own formula but my first 2 boys refused to take a bottle.  This time around, we forced the pacifier over and over, an endeavor that made the introduction of a bottle much, much easier. This combination of soother and bottle has made my fitness journey much more feasible, because it means I can have some time alone!

I found the base of this recipe on Capramilk’s website 3 years ago and was re-introduced to it by some friends recently, so I took it as a sign that both Arlo and I were ready for it.  My milk supply was decreasing and I had a feeling Arlo was starving half the time but couldn’t bring myself to give him formula.  Thank you Divine timing.  Capramilk is a powdered goat’s milk, a go-to base for those seeking alternatives to shelved baby formula.  For the rest of the recipe I worked with our Naturopath.  We used the carrots for the beta carotene, spinach for the folate, flax oil for the GLA, and nutritional yeast for the B vitamins.   Arlo is getting about half formula and half breast milk at the moment, which means  I can relax knowing that he’s not going to starve if I leave him for any length of time!

Homemade Infant Formula (for an 8oz bottle)

• 1 tbsp Capramilk goat’s milk powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp flax oil
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 200 mg DHA
• 1/8 tsp blackstrap molasses
• 100 iu vitamin D
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp carrot juice
• 1 tbsp spinach juice
• 1 scoop HMF Natogen by Genestra
• pinch of sea salt
• filtered water to get 8 oz of formula.

I usually multiply this recipe by 4 and mix everything but the coconut oil in a litre Mason jar, adding water until the jar is full.  Since the coconut oil is solid I put it in the individual bottles and pour the rest of the formulation in.  When I heat the bottles, the coconut oil melts and he drinks everything as long as I don’t give him too much at a time.  5 oz seems to be his maximum at 5 months old.  If I give him more, he throws everything up Poltergeist-style which is no good for anyone involved!

It is a bit labour intensive because I juice the spinach and carrots myself, but it also ensures that I make fresh juice for the family every 2 days.  Once the juicer is dirty I may as well make more juice!