Has anyone used the Nourishing Traditions homemade baby formula?

[Dianne-TX]

I'm looking at this and deciding on whether or not to try it. My 6wkold is on Nutramigen with acid reflux issues and it's been a long road thus far. I've been told that the gelatin in the recipe will help with the digestion of the milk proteins (and also thickens it, too, which will help with the reflux issue. We presently use rice cereal to thicken her bottles.) and that using raw milk shouldn't cause allergy problems. DD was very gassy and projectile spitting the milk based and lactose free formulas and even Alimentum, so I'm leary to try the homemade formula because it is milk based and adds lactose as well. However, it is the optimal formula to use if you are going to formula feed. I just don't want to disrupt her because she is doing much better. Thoughts? Experiences with the homemade formula?

[Mergath]

I haven't used it, but I have the book. I would definitely run it by a very knowledgable doctor or nutritionist before I even considered it. Also, I'd have to be darn sure that my raw milk source was absolutely safe. Even then, it would make me nervous.

[Soror]

I have dear friends that have a grassfed dairy and they fed it some to their granddaughter as her mom didn't pump much and worked fulltime.

 

My polite thoughts. They are full of horse crap that gelatin has some magical properties and raw milk isn't allergenic. If your child cannot tolerate anything but Nutramagin I wouldn't try their raw milk formula. I would perhaps try the meat based one but NT is entirely blind to the fact that milk protein intolerances exist. You always hear that you just have to have the right kind of milk. Nevermind the fact that not all cultures that Price studied drank milk. My friend's granddaughter was perpetually constipated as soon as they started it, but of course it had nothing to do with the milk mind you.

[Acadie]

Sorry, no experience with homemade formula, but lots of experience with reflux babies. It's really hard to have a little one suffer so much. :group hug:

 

Dairy or another allergy/intolerance might be a reflux issue. But consider sulfites as well. Cornstarch, corn syrup, gelatin all have sulfite residues from processing, not listed on any label. Sulfites were my girls' worst reflux trigger.

 

How much better are things going on the Nutramigen? If it's a significant improvement, I'd probably stick with that and do other things to ease the reflux, especially positioning baby upright 20-30 min after each feeding, elevating the head of the bed, even look into sleeping on tummy with the head of the bed elevated (run it by your ped or GI doc, but refluxers can be one of the few medical exceptions on the Back to Sleep SIDS reduction campaign--it really helped both my dds). You can also look into meds. We tried several that didn't work here, but some kids are helped enormously by the right meds. When I had reflux babies, there were some amazing reflux yahoo groups.

 

You could also try the Parents of Food Allergic Kids forums for more advice on formula/homemade. If sulfites seem to be an issue, you may need to find a recipe that doesn't include gelatin. I think you may need to do some trial-and-error to see what works with your babe. Some (like mine) do better on whole foods, not processed formula or enriched cereals. Others do much better when specific allergens (dairy? soy?) are removed from the diet. Theory aside, go with what works for your sweetie.

 

And yes to previous posts--be sure you trust your raw milk source. We drink raw milk from a farm that has milking machines that send the milk through tubes to a cooling tank. I know lots of people who have gotten milk from this farm for years, and I'm comfortable with the sanitary and cooling conditions of the farm. But I wouldn't drink just any raw milk, even though we are raw milk enthusiasts!

 

Amy

Edited August 27, 2012 by Acadie

[ktgrok]

Well, the lactose wouldn't worry me, as lactose intolerance at that age is incredibly incredibly rare. But milk protein allergy or intolerance isn't rare at all....

[AdventureMoms]

I wouldn't consider it for a baby who is on Nutramigin due to allergies, no. There are too many things in that formula to possibly be allergic to... The lactose is not likely to be a big problem, but the milk proteins could be if the baby has a milk allergy. Raw milk has the same proteins, and gelatin will not help with much but thickening. Gelatin would thicken the nutramigin too, I'd think. But with an allergic baby, I'd be discussing any changes in diet with an allergist, a nutritionist, or a pediatrician.

[LaxMom]

I have dear friends that have a grassfed dairy and they fed it some to their granddaughter as her mom didn't pump much and worked fulltime.

 

My polite thoughts. They are full of horse crap that gelatin has some magical properties and raw milk isn't allergenic. If your child cannot tolerate anything but Nutramagin I wouldn't try their raw milk formula. I would perhaps try the meat based one but NT is entirely blind to the fact that milk protein intolerances exist. You always hear that you just have to have the right kind of milk. Nevermind the fact that not all cultures that Price studied drank milk. My friend's granddaughter was perpetually constipated as soon as they started it, but of course it had nothing to do with the milk mind you.

 

First, a disclaimer: we drink raw milk. I firmly believe in eating food in its most natural state.

 

Second, I totally agree with the above.

 

It is unlikely that what she's experiencing is a lactose intolerance. Breast milk has lots of lactose, and baby mammals are built to digest it. She more likely has an intolerance to cow proteins - because baby mammals are not built to digest the milk of other species, though human babies seem to generally tolerate it.

 

I would not change her from something she is tolerating, and I would certainly not change her to homemade formula, unless I had exhausted all other choices. I survived on formula made from powdered skim milk and Karo syrup, but I have all sorts of lovely autoimmune issues as an adult that probably started there. I don't think adding things that her body rejects in other forms is the best idea for whole life health.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[justasque]

I hesitate to mention this, and if it's not the right choice or not a viable option for you or baby that's fine, but is human milk a possibility? Either yours, through relactation, or someone else's through a milk bank? It is "raw milk" without the worries about it not being pasteurized.

[sbgrace]

I"m a mom of a now 8 year old who was a severe refluxer. It's hard I know. :grouphug:

 

She's doing well on the Nutramigen? She probably needs it. I would not switch. It is not true that raw milk isn't allergenic nor than gelatin will break it down. It's misinformation. If she was reacting to dairy she'd react to the formula. I would be extremely careful re: raw milk with an infant anyway.

[Bluegoat]

As much as I think NT is a breath of fresh air in some ways, some of it is fantasy. I would hesitate to use her formula suggestion even if I was confident about my milk source.

[Dianne-TX]

I haven't used it, but I have the book. I would definitely run it by a very knowledgable doctor or nutritionist before I even considered it. Also, I'd have to be darn sure that my raw milk source was absolutely safe. Even then, it would make me nervous.

 

Most definitely agree! We've tried raw milk in the past from a reputable farm and have many other sources in our area, too. Probably not going to do the formula after all, but this wasn't an area of concern for us, thankfully. Always be cautious, though, you are right.

[Dianne-TX]

I have dear friends that have a grassfed dairy and they fed it some to their granddaughter as her mom didn't pump much and worked fulltime.

 

My polite thoughts. They are full of horse crap that gelatin has some magical properties and raw milk isn't allergenic. If your child cannot tolerate anything but Nutramagin I wouldn't try their raw milk formula. I would perhaps try the meat based one but NT is entirely blind to the fact that milk protein intolerances exist. You always hear that you just have to have the right kind of milk. Nevermind the fact that not all cultures that Price studied drank milk. My friend's granddaughter was perpetually constipated as soon as they started it, but of course it had nothing to do with the milk mind you.

 

I agree that there are those who hold to natural living/eating that are in many ways blinded that there could be problems with some of their choices. I like to research and ask around about many things before I decide for my family.

[Dianne-TX]

Sorry, no experience with homemade formula, but lots of experience with reflux babies. It's really hard to have a little one suffer so much. :group hug:

 

Dairy or another allergy/intolerance might be a reflux issue. But consider sulfites as well. Cornstarch, corn syrup, gelatin all have sulfite residues from processing, not listed on any label. Sulfites were my girls' worst reflux trigger.

 

How much better are things going on the Nutramigen? If it's a significant improvement, I'd probably stick with that and do other things to ease the reflux, especially positioning baby upright 20-30 min after each feeding, elevating the head of the bed, even look into sleeping on tummy with the head of the bed elevated (run it by your ped or GI doc, but refluxers can be one of the few medical exceptions on the Back to Sleep SIDS reduction campaign--it really helped both my dds). You can also look into meds. We tried several that didn't work here, but some kids are helped enormously by the right meds. When I had reflux babies, there were some amazing reflux yahoo groups.

 

You could also try the Parents of Food Allergic Kids forums for more advice on formula/homemade. If sulfites seem to be an issue, you may need to find a recipe that doesn't include gelatin. I think you may need to do some trial-and-error to see what works with your babe. Some (like mine) do better on whole foods, not processed formula or enriched cereals. Others do much better when specific allergens (dairy? soy?) are removed from the diet. Theory aside, go with what works for your sweetie.

 

And yes to previous posts--be sure you trust your raw milk source. We drink raw milk from a farm that has milking machines that send the milk through tubes to a cooling tank. I know lots of people who have gotten milk from this farm for years, and I'm comfortable with the sanitary and cooling conditions of the farm. But I wouldn't drink just any raw milk, even though we are raw milk enthusiasts!

 

Amy

 

Thank you for your understanding. Yes, it's been difficult. Things improved with the Nutramigen and when we put her on Zantac. She was in pain. I can handle spit up in a baby, but not the pain along with it. We've been thickening her bottles with rice cereal, but I think that is bothering her. I'm sure it's a lot to digest for her little body. I'm thinking of looking/asking for an alternative. I've heard that you can buy thickeners. Just recently someone told me about gelatin and to use that. I thought about that when I read your post. We go for a checkup on Wed. since starting Zantac, so I'll talk to the dr. about alternatives. For now, I think we're going to give her a break on cereal and just do formula and see how she does. When she spits up, it's just like a normal baby spitting up, no crying and pain along with it, thankfully. She doesn't spit up every time either.

 

I've thought about tummy sleeping. I put DS2 on his tummy just because he was much more comfortable and rested that way. He didn't have reflux issues. But, for some reason, I'm hesitant to do it with her. Pedi already said she can't advise me to do it when I told her I heard that reflux babies did well sleeping on their tummies. What else would she say? AAP dictates what she can say and not say. :tongue_smilie:

 

Did your kiddos get better with age and maturity? DD doesn't seem severe, so I'm hoping she gets better soon.

[Dianne-TX]

I wouldn't consider it for a baby who is on Nutramigin due to allergies, no. There are too many things in that formula to possibly be allergic to... The lactose is not likely to be a big problem, but the milk proteins could be if the baby has a milk allergy. Raw milk has the same proteins, and gelatin will not help with much but thickening. Gelatin would thicken the nutramigin too, I'd think. But with an allergic baby, I'd be discussing any changes in diet with an allergist, a nutritionist, or a pediatrician.

 

Definitely discussing alternatives/options with dr. as well.

[redsquirrel]

I am part of a raw milk collective. I have been drinking it every day for 5 years (give or take the occasional vacation)

 

No way in hell would I give raw milk to an infant. No.

 

FWIW, my BIL is highly lactose intolerant and he can't tolerate raw milk one bit. Plus, raw milk is a risk. A small risk, but a risk. I know my farmer, I trust my farmer. I wouldn't let a pregnant woman drink my raw milk, or someone with a compromised immune system, and certainly not a 6 week old.

 

I would try relactating before I did that. Much safer.

[Dianne-TX]

First, a disclaimer: we drink raw milk. I firmly believe in eating food in its most natural state.

 

Second, I totally agree with the above.

 

It is unlikely that what she's experiencing is a lactose intolerance. Breast milk has lots of lactose, and baby mammals are built to digest it. She more likely has an intolerance to cow proteins - because baby mammals are not built to digest the milk of other species, though human babies seem to generally tolerate it.

 

I would not change her from something she is tolerating, and I would certainly not change her to homemade formula, unless I had exhausted all other choices. I survived on formula made from powdered skim milk and Karo syrup, but I have all sorts of lovely autoimmune issues as an adult that probably started there. I don't think adding things that her body rejects in other forms is the best idea for whole life health.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Agree whole heartedly! My reluctance for trying it was because she is tolerating what we are doing right now and I don't want to mess that up. However, I know store bought formula is not optimum.

 

My mother told me I was an allergy baby. The dr. finally told her to stop any formula and just give me water and vitamins and the solid foods I was on and just get me to one year old. Ho-hum. My poor mother. Having a baby going through this is difficult and I apparently was difficult, too, and I'm experiencing what she went through with me. I don't want to rush my baby to get older, but I do. 3,4 or 6 months can't get here soon enough. She is better, though, so I am thankful for that.

[Dianne-TX]

I hesitate to mention this, and if it's not the right choice or not a viable option for you or baby that's fine, but is human milk a possibility? Either yours, through relactation, or someone else's through a milk bank? It is "raw milk" without the worries about it not being pasteurized.

 

Good ideas, but no and don't feel like writing a book about why. I do know and agree that BM is best and wonderful.

[Dianne-TX]

I"m a mom of a now 8 year old who was a severe refluxer. It's hard I know. :grouphug:

 

She's doing well on the Nutramigen? She probably needs it. I would not switch. It is not true that raw milk isn't allergenic nor than gelatin will break it down. It's misinformation. If she was reacting to dairy she'd react to the formula. I would be extremely careful re: raw milk with an infant anyway.

 

Thank you. I had a feeling that wasn't completely true. When we tried raw milk, my DD9 was sensitive to it digestively. My whole family is sensitive to it digestively, but she more so. My mother was using raw kefir from a local farm and she has many, many allergies. She thought she was fine, but after a few months on it, she started reacting to it. I was already disagreeing when I was told it shouldn't cause an allergic reaction. I had never heard about gelatin, so I'm glad I asked.

 

I think we're staying put with Nutramigen. I was already reluctant to change something that was working. Now, I just need to find another thickener. She seems to be more fussy and gassy after her cereal bottles. (We do cereal in every other one because she was even worse when we were doing in every bottle.)

[Dobela]

There are thickeners available thru your doctor. I also had to use them with my daughter. One is called Thick It, but I hated it. THe other was Simply Thick, and was a gel that was added to the formula. Much better. It has been awhile, so I don't remember ingredients and you may want to check those. You can buy it without a prescription, but it is kind of expensive that way.

 

I would also consider asking for a swallow study. While gas from allergies is very possible, you could have some other issues happening. Projectile vomiting, gas, reflux like symptoms can all be linked to swallowing issues as well. My dd was treated for all sorts of things, including reflux, when she was actually suffering from silent aspiration.

 

:grouphug::grouphug:It is so difficult when your baby is struggling :grouphug: