Goat's Milk Formula?

[PollyC]

Hi!

I just started working again, and I really cannot pump enough for the baby, (almost 5 months old) even with fenugreek etc.  At least one of the bottles baby drinks while I'm away will have to be formula.

The trouble is, baby has had a bit of a reaction when I take in too much dairy, and I myself am sensitive to soy and don't feel great about soy formula.  Our pediatrician recommended goat's milk formula, but I can't find a source of it online that is within the US...it is all from the UK, seemingly.  Whole Foods doesn't have it. 

Anybody know about this or have a source for me?  Thanks in advance!

PC

ps, I know formula is not preferable so please don't write just to tell me to keep breastfeeding, or to warn me that formula is not good.  I am still breastfeeding most of the time, and also giving the baby expressed milk.  However, it just isn't possible for me to do that for every single ounce the baby needs.

thank you!

[Knitting Mama]

I have a low supply, and so I can sympathize, mama. I used donated breastmilk to make up the difference. Is that a possibility for you? I use a few different websites to source it, the most often being www.milkshare.com. Eats on Feets on Facebook is also a great source, and I have used the local tribes section here on MDC and the local section on www.diaperswappers.com as well.

[LittleBirdy]

I am in your exact boat mama, I know how you feel about not wanting to be judged!!

We started out supplementing with dairy formula which was not tolerated well.  We did ultimately switch to soy.  I was really worried about it because I am super sensitive to soy and also have concerns about soy in general.  DS tolerates it very well, and as for the soy concerns I am comforted by two things: 1) our formula is all organic and uses nonGMO soybeans (babies only organic soy is the brand) and 2)  I worked out how much 1 bottle of soy formula 5 days a week calculates to as a % of his total diet - it's like 20%.  That really made me feel a lot better.

You could also try a hypoallergenic formula but it's a) really expensive and b) full of things like corn syrup solids, etc.  But that may not be important to you, we all have our priorities, I chose soy over corn syrup but you could just as easily make the case the other way.

As for the goat's milk formula, from what I read you are right you can not get it here in the US.  I think I also read somewhere that it is being taken off the market in the UK too, not 100% sure on that though.

I thought about trying to get donor milk but it didn't seem fair to me since DS gets so much BM already... I would rather see a baby whose mama has low/no supply get the milk, like Aimee's daughter.  Just my opinion though.

[kl5]

I am in the exact same situation. I have a high lipase issue so my (4.5 month old) LO is really finicky with my milk over 24 hours old. I work 3 days a week so he gets first the milk I pumped the prior day (usually about 10 - 12 ounces) followed up with goat milk formula to meet the rest of his needs for the day. I put the milk I pump on Wednesday immediately in the freezer for the following Monday. So far it is working out OK.

I have been making the goat formula from the Dr. Sears website: http://askdrsears.com/html/3/t032400.asp

Meyenberg powdered goat milk (which is fortified with vitamin D and folic acid) plus organic brown rice syrup. I also add probiotics and sometimes molasses. If we get to the point where he is getting more than a few bottles a week, I may consider adding a multi-vitamin. But for now, he seems to tolerate it well and drinks it with no complaint. The Dr. Sears formula recipe is a compromise for sure, but I couldn't convince my brother who lives in London to ship us this, plus it would have been so expensive.

Would love to hear what others are doing, thanks for starting this thread OP.

[Knitting Mama]

kl5, have you tried scalding your milk to battle the lipase issue? That is what I have heard works best.

[kl5]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama 

kl5, have you tried scalding your milk to battle the lipase issue? That is what I have heard works best.

Yes I have, thanks for the link. For various reasons that has not worked out for us. I am content with our current regime, though I will consider trying again if we have any difficulties in the future.

Wanted to add the WAPF raw goat milk formula recipe for anyone who has access to raw goat's milk.
 

[NicolleLynne]

Hi Mama,

First off, hugs!!! Low supply issues can be so stressful. I spent most of my little one's first couple of months in tears after being told she wasn't gaining properly. I still remember going to the lactation consultant every other day and the dread I felt when she put DD on the scale. "Please let her have gained!" I used to pray. Fortunately, a combination of round-the-clock pumping, fenugreek and domperidone did the trick for me and I never had to supplement but when I was considering it, a friend pointed me to this helpful site:

https://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/319.html#vgmf

It has several recipes for homemade baby formula including a goat's milk version. It also compares the nutritional value of each recipe to breastmilk and explains how to mimic humanmilk as closely as possible.

I hope it helps and congratulations on giving your little one as much mama milk as you can!

[PollyC]

This is really great.  I haven't checked out the recipes yet but I will asap.  I don't mind making it myself since it is just a little bit that the baby will need (like, 4 ounces a day). 

Baby is gaining well, so the supply seems pretty ok except when it comes to pumping for work.  During work, it is so stressful and I am a teacher so taking a break isn't too easy.

I'm so glad nobody is criticizing me for using formula!  Thank you!  V excited to make some formula for my dear little one

PC

ps I will totally read recipes and maybe it will say, but can you make some ahead and store it for a couple of days?

[kl5]

Originally Posted by PollyC can you make some ahead and store it for a couple of days?

Absolutely. As long as it remains refrigerated, we will use it for two days.

[waiting2bemommy]

I made my own formula as a backup with ds. There is a link...I haven't read through the thread so maybe somebody has already posted it.

With dd she drank about 1-3 oz a day of straight goat's milk. I usually added 1 oz to a 3 oz bottle of bm, and then made a second bottle that was 2oz bm and 2 oz goats milk. It's no longer necessary because I don't WOH long enough to warrant that, but by 5-6 months a baby can drink a sippy or bottle of something other than breastmilk anyway, without causing any major nutritional damage. 

I would look into introducing more solids. Things like mashed potatoes, applesauce etc can be filling and healthy in a pinch and it is safe and ok to give those things once a baby is 6 months or so.

[cristeen]

In the US, formula must be based on cows milk, soy or corn syrup, period. The regulations do not allow for goat milk, which sucks for corn/dairy/soy sensitive families.

For a single bottle/day, id be okay w the Dr Sears formula, but for more than that, id go toward the WAPF formula. The Sears one is just woefully inadequate in several respects, IMO. My little guy doesnt tolerate cow or goat, so we've used the chicken stock formula. It is a bit of work to make, but if you only need a small amount each day, you can fudge some of the more labor intensive ingredients so you can make a smaller quicker batch. I dont recall how long a batch will last in the fridge, but a full batch is a full day's worth of formula.

[jeminijad]

I bought Nanny Care goat's milk formula when I went back to work w/DD and feared that I wouldn't pump enough. It was intended to be a 'just in case,' and I ended up using it around 8 months of age. It is made in New Zealand, and the company willing to ship it to me was in the UK, but the cost wasn't as bad as I had expected. Roughly comparable to how much buying a hypoallergenic formula would be.

If anyone is interested, PM me and I can pass along where I got it.

[Knitting Mama]

It cannot be shipped to the US, unfortunately. I contacted the company to ask back when I was afraid of running out of donor milk.

[Buzzer Beater]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama 

It cannot be shipped to the US, unfortunately. I contacted the company to ask back when I was afraid of running out of donor milk.

Aimee, wouldn't there be ways around this, like with dom? It's not legal to ship to the US by I have it anyway. I just make sure to order enough ahead of time that if my shipment gets turned around in customs I can order again without running out.

[Knitting Mama]

Hmmm, there probably is a way. Some third party seller, maybe. I just know that the company won't ship it.

[Megan73]

Zero judgement here - I had to supplement myself. But before giving formula, I'd try a few things. First, are you sure you need to given that baby is gaining well? Kellymom.com has some great resources about how much milk baby needs while away from mom and bottle feeding the breastfed baby to prevent overfeeding - a really common problem!

Second, I'd try other galactagogues (such as domperidone) and some pumping tricks - check out the great book The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk.

[SeattleRain]

You say that YOU have a reaction to soy, but have you tried it with your LO? What kind of reaction did your LO have from milk? Seeing that your baby is only 5 months old, I don't know that I would try and find goats milk formula because you're going to be using it for quite a while more (till 12months) and I wouldn't want to rely on something that is so hard to come by. If it were me, I would probably retry a dairy formula just to rule it out. Dairy formulas are preferred to all other kinds of formula so its worth trying them first. If you don't want to do that, I'd really try a soy formula. There are some great, high quality soy formulas out there. Baby's Only is one of them, Earth's Best is another thats somewhat easier to come by.

OTOH, you may only need this supplement for a few months or so if you introduce solids at 6 months. Many babies drop their milk intake a little bit and you might be able to satisfy some of his feeding needs while you're gone with some high protein purees (meat, egg yolk, avocado, etc.). If you need something for liquids though, you're going to have to find some kind of milk substitute I guess.

[tylerbrie1]

We have been using a modified version of the Meyenberg formula recipe found at http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t032401.asp with good outcome.  No more eczema and a happier baby.

12 oz Meyenberg evaporated goats milk

24 oz filtered water

1 ml Poly Visol with iron

1 ml Nordic Naturals Baby's DHA

1 scoop Solaray BabyLife probiotics

1 tsp organic coconut oil

2 tsp virgin olive oil

2 TBS Rice syrup

3 TBS Lactose sugar

If your baby is lactose intolerant, you can use 5 TBS Rice syrup per the original recipe.

My thoughts on the controversy about goats milk for infants...

Pediatricians should certainly be involved in any decision to change formulas; however, your doctor does not have the "live-with" insight to your baby that you have.  If you have tried other formulas under their supervision and your baby continues to have eczema or significant digestive issues, trying this will be no different that trying the other formulas.  If the response is positive like it was for us, the nutritional content of this recipe is is comparable to breast milk and formula. Be sure to use goats milk which is fortified with folic acid.  Folic acid is critical for the development of red blood cells.

Some parents and doctors may tell you that your baby will outgrow their allergy and that mild to moderate chronic runny noses, eczema, and/or digestive issues will resolve as the baby's ability to digest and handle the proteins improves.  However, I am concerned about repeatedly introducing a known allergen into their systems.  This sets up an immune response that stresses their system even if the symptoms are considered "mild".  Remember, these same pediatricians will tell you to only introduce one new food at a time and if they react, don't try again for several weeks.

Keep in mind, every baby is different, and goats milk formula may not be tolerated any better than the others you have tried.  It worked for us.

If your baby is just fussy but doesn't have outward symptoms of allergy like rash or congestion or digestive problems, I still think it's worth a try. 

I broke this recipe down by nutritional content (fat/carb/protein per oz) and compared it to breast milk and formula; if you are interested in a copy, I don't mind sharing.

I'm not a doctor.  I am a nurse, a mom, and a grandma.

[hpabotoy]

I was wondering if you could actually post the comparison to breastmilk for me and if you could tell me in more detail how you prepare and store the milk.

[goodrichfamily6]

Thank you for this thread.  I am interested in this recipe for my six month old. She has been breastfed but I  am having problems with low iron.  Yes... I have been doing all of the things, liver, redmeat, mollasses and so on.  Would you email the breakdown for me?  I am not going to use the lactose sugar at this time.  I hate that the commercial formulas have soy in all of them!  If you haven't read the dangers, please just google it.  WAPF has a great article on dangers of soy...  My 10 year old was on soy and she is going into early puberty. Thank You.