Making your own formula from scratch

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Only people I've known to do this are very low income and can't afford formula. It's very unhealthy for babies.

Then they should easily qualify for wic, which covers formula. Or food stamps.

I'm guessing you've never applied for WIC or you'd know that WIC and easy don't belong in the same sentence. WIC also only covers a portion of the formula an infant needs.

Having said that, families that stretch their dollars by feeding their babies things other than formula are not choosing coconut milk.

Not true. They give an reasonable estimate amount that is adjusted by babies age. You can also request more and special fo ilas if you need it. Or, you can get food stamps or both and use baby's food stamps for more formula.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many babies a few generations ago were fed an evaporated milk based "formula" prepared at home. The old versions of Dr. Spock's famous book gave a recipe for it. I think his recipe may have used Karo corn syrup. Formula is so darned expensive; I suppose some people may try to economize by using similar methods.

Not saying I think this is a great idea, but also not judging people who do it.

Evaporated milk, corn syrup, and something else. My grandmother raised six kids on it in the 1940s-1950s. Couldn't nurse any of her kids, commercial formula either not available or too expensive.

Evaporated milk, corn syrup, and water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Only people I've known to do this are very low income and can't afford formula. It's very unhealthy for babies.

Then they should easily qualify for wic, which covers formula. Or food stamps.

I'm guessing you've never applied for WIC or you'd know that WIC and easy don't belong in the same sentence. WIC also only covers a portion of the formula an infant needs.

Having said that, families that stretch their dollars by feeding their babies things other than formula are not choosing coconut milk.

Not true. They give an reasonable estimate amount that is adjusted by babies age. You can also request more and special fo ilas if you need it. Or, you can get food stamps or both and use baby's food stamps for more formula.

Have you been on WIC? I have, and the amount of formula did not cover the amount a baby would eat. I was told to expect that by our WIC counselor. We did receive specialized prescription formulas when that was required. That also doesn't change the fact that WIC can be incredibly challenging schedule wise, especially if you're trying to keep a job while participating.

[Anonymous]

I should add that for a 3 to 12 month old, WIC covers 28 oz a day, which is 3 1/2 8 oz bottles. or 4 2/3 6 oz bottles. The recommendation for a 6 month old who isn't getting significant calories from other foods is a 6 - 8 oz bottle approximately every 4 hours, or about 6 bottles a day. Even if a baby sleeps through one feeding, and takes a relatively small amount at each feeding, they'll eat more than 28 oz.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I should add that for a 3 to 12 month old, WIC covers 28 oz a day, which is 3 1/2 8 oz bottles. or 4 2/3 6 oz bottles. The recommendation for a 6 month old who isn't getting significant calories from other foods is a 6 - 8 oz bottle approximately every 4 hours, or about 6 bottles a day. Even if a baby sleeps through one feeding, and takes a relatively small amount at each feeding, they'll eat more than 28 oz.

OP here - wow. I had no idea wic didn't cover all the formula you need . Is it meant to be only a supplement for needy families? Or do they really think all babies only drink 28 ounces a day?

In any case, I just met this woman - friend of friend. There was no identified fat in the formula she was extolling, but plenty of strange supplements. Baby seemed very small for age. I just thought it was weird... I have heard of the evaporated milk - karo syrup formula, but this seemed so off the wall that I wanted to run it through a dcum test...

[Anonymous]

The coconut milk and almond milk I buy says "don't use for formula" on the label.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I should add that for a 3 to 12 month old, WIC covers 28 oz a day, which is 3 1/2 8 oz bottles. or 4 2/3 6 oz bottles. The recommendation for a 6 month old who isn't getting significant calories from other foods is a 6 - 8 oz bottle approximately every 4 hours, or about 6 bottles a day. Even if a baby sleeps through one feeding, and takes a relatively small amount at each feeding, they'll eat more than 28 oz.

OP here - wow. I had no idea wic didn't cover all the formula you need . Is it meant to be only a supplement for needy families? Or do they really think all babies only drink 28 ounces a day?

In any case, I just met this woman - friend of friend. There was no identified fat in the formula she was extolling, but plenty of strange supplements. Baby seemed very small for age. I just thought it was weird... I have heard of the evaporated milk - karo syrup formula, but this seemed so off the wall that I wanted to run it through a dcum test...

Here is what WIC covers for infants:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Snapshot-WIC-InfantFoodPkgs.pdf

Notice also that fully breast-fed infants aged 6-11 months get 256 ounces of baby food fruit and vegetables and 77.5 ounces of baby food meat, while partially breast-fed infants and fully formula-fed infants get 125 ounces of baby food fruit and vegetables and 0 ounces of baby food meat. This may be supposed to be an incentive to women to breastfeed. I think it's shocking and appalling.

(Nonetheless, given the cost of coconut "milk" and almond "milk", I think it's unlikely that the friend of a friend is feeding her infant coconuts and almonds because WIC doesn't cover enough formula.)

[Anonymous]

Homemade formula is a terrible idea. Babies need a variety of nutrients already in breast milk or, through years of research and millions of dollars in development, are present in formula. Yes, babies used to be given homemade formulas... Rates of anemia and other deficiencies were quite high at that time, too. Not to mention issues with food safety. I have a PHD in nutrition science, and teach micronutrient metabolism, fwiw.

[Anonymous]

Many babies a few generations ago were fed an evaporated milk based "formula" prepared at home. The old versions of Dr. Spock's famous book gave a recipe for it. I think his recipe may have used Karo corn syrup. Formula is so darned expensive; I suppose some people may try to economize by using similar methods.

Not saying I think this is a great idea, but also not judging people who do it.


Evaporated milk, corn syrup, and something else. My grandmother raised six kids on it in the 1940s-1950s. Couldn't nurse any of her kids, commercial formula either not available or too expensive.

Evaporated milk, corn syrup, and water.

I was raised on this, and so were my siblings. I don't recommend anyone making their own formula. We all struggle with weight issues....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Many babies a few generations ago were fed an evaporated milk based "formula" prepared at home. The old versions of Dr. Spock's famous book gave a recipe for it. I think his recipe may have used Karo corn syrup. Formula is so darned expensive; I suppose some people may try to economize by using similar methods.

Not saying I think this is a great idea, but also not judging people who do it.


Evaporated milk, corn syrup, and something else. My grandmother raised six kids on it in the 1940s-1950s. Couldn't nurse any of her kids, commercial formula either not available or too expensive.

Evaporated milk, corn syrup, and water.

I was raised on this, and so were my siblings. I don't recommend anyone making their own formula. We all struggle with weight issues....

99.9% of this country struggles with weight issues. Hence the gazillions of diet fads and eating disorder clinics, exercise gadgets, weight loss supplements, etc. The too fat and the too skinnies in the the country could probably tell you breast milk, commercial formula, homemade formula, any combo of the the three, doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Many babies a few generations ago were fed an evaporated milk based "formula" prepared at home. The old versions of Dr. Spock's famous book gave a recipe for it. I think his recipe may have used Karo corn syrup. Formula is so darned expensive; I suppose some people may try to economize by using similar methods.

Not saying I think this is a great idea, but also not judging people who do it.


Evaporated milk, corn syrup, and something else. My grandmother raised six kids on it in the 1940s-1950s. Couldn't nurse any of her kids, commercial formula either not available or too expensive.

Evaporated milk, corn syrup, and water.

I was raised on this, and so were my siblings. I don't recommend anyone making their own formula. We all struggle with weight issues....

My mother-in-law was raised on it, and she's been a tiny, scrawny person her whole life.

Nonetheless, I agree with the recommendation against making your own formula.

[Anonymous]

The Similac formula I give to my baby has "corn syrup" as the first ingredient. I'm sure it's fine to make your own formula with some type of sugar and fatty milk products. I wouldn't want to take the time to do so, though. The coconut milk and almond milk thing doesn't sound too legit to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That seems like a lot of work. Is feeding nut based foods even ok at that age?

I can understand her concerns with commercial formula, but I wonder why no donor miik?

To each their own I guess

Its probably one of the most regulated products in the country. Concerns over regular food contaminants once you have a toddler are probably more worrisome! (Although again, rare)

[Anonymous]

My neighbor adopted her kids and did this, too. I thought she was nuts, mostly for the amount of time (!!!!!) it took her, but her kids all look very healthy and well-nourished years later. She also grinds her own flour, bakes her own bread, etc.

[Anonymous]

OMG, my neighbor did this and I thought she was one of the only crazy ones. I don't know the exact formula, but it involved her driving out of the city to some farm to buy raw goat's milk and then combining that with a bunch of other things including chicken liver. She was convinced that her son had un-diagnosable allergies or insensitivities. She also takes him to a chiropractor and a homeopath. He's 20 months.