Conference moira::parenting_v3

    Hmmm, I would strongly suggest asking your pedi if this recipe would
    provide all the required nutrients.  Have you ever looked at the back
    of a formula can?  There are zillions of vitamins and minerals listed. 
    Also, I read somewhere that the contents of baby formula are regulated
    by the FDA, so they're all pretty much nutritionally equivalent.
    

    
    I don't know about goat's milk and barley, but honey is a no-no
    for kids under 1 - I forgot why, something to do with allergies.
    Someone I know made her formula with evaporated milk and corn
    syrup. She had to give her babies vitamin drops everyday.
    
    
    
    Eva.

	Honey is a no-no because of the botulism spores(?) in it.  They don't 
bother us, but babies' systems aren't stronng enough to handle them.

	I too would strongly urge you to talk to your pedi before trying this.

Tracey 

    
    I don't see why there would be a problem with home-made baby
    formula per se.  I also have heard that honey is a no-no and
    would only used a recipe that had been "approved" by my pedi.
    I believe that Dr. Spock has a recipe for home-made formula.
    
    Carol

    
    I remember asking our Pedi "many times" when we could stop supporting
    the INFLATED profits of these formula companies and he said formula was
    important because of:
    
    .  the nutrients
    .  the consistency (for their digestive system)
    .  the fats and proteins (for their brain, muscle and overall health
       development) 
    
    ... and mumbled some other reasons, which didn't matter after hearing
    the first three (listed above).  He said "typically" babies are not
    weaned off of formula until 12 months of age, however, more and more
    Pedi's are loosening up around 9 months of age.  He still prefered 
    12 months, but told us we could start mixing a little milk with the
    formula at 9 months (and not a day sooner!), expecting to make the full
    transition to WHOLE MILK around 10-11 months  (JA did it in one month
    ... round about the time we took the last can of formula out of the
    "by the case" box -- 10 months of age).
    
    Our Pedi's viewpoint ... and our decision.  Every parent, Pedi and kid
    is different!
    
    Dottie
    

    My mother gave me the recipe she used for my homemade formula some 33+
    years ago.  I remember it containing light KARO syrup - not honey. 
    Unfortunately, I can't remember the exact breakdown of the recipe, but
    I do understand why I have a sweet tooth 8-).
    
    -sandy
    

    re .6
    
    Karo syrup and sugar have gotten a lot more bad press than they
    deserve.  My daughter was born with low blood sugar, so low that
    brain damage was looming.  They immediately filled her stomach with
    glucose water.  Then she had an I.V. for 2 days of glucose solution.
    Our pedi said there are 2 things the brain needs to function, oxygen
    and sugar.  He prescribed Karo Syrup and water in between feedings
    for about 3 months. Sugar is very important to an infants diet.
    
    BTW, I also make "homemade formula" - the kind that requires no mixing.
    If you've ever tasted breastmilk, it is sweet. (and not because I
    consume so much choclate)
    
    Rochelle

    The prepared formulas have had the cow's milk protien extensively
    modified to more resemble the protien in human breast milk. I'm
    not a chemist so I don't know exactly how it's done, but it means
    that any formula based on cow's milk -- and evaporated milk is
    ordinary cow's milk with some of the water removed -- is harder to
    digest than the processed formula.
    
    --bonnie

The original note referred to a home made formula using goat's milk, not
cow's milk.  I have heard that goat's milk is *much* more suited for
human infants than cow's milk is.

I'd wager that, unless one has a herd of dairy goats handy, that homemade
formula made from goats milk would cost more than commercial formula.

			Steve

    Thanks, Neil, I missed that.  Goes to show one shouldn't try to
    read too many notes while waiting for DEFINE DICTIONARY to finsih.
    
    --bonnie

>    Someone I know made her formula with evaporated milk and corn
>    syrup. She had to give her babies vitamin drops everyday.

Our pedi told us that corn syrup can have the same botulism as honey, and 
is just as dangerous for a child under 1.

Steve

    I'm looking for general information on when you switched your
    formula fed infant to cow's milk.   Let me preface this by saying,
    until I consult my pediatrician I have no intentions of switching.
    However, all pediatricians are different and if you ask ten peds,
    you'll probably get 10 different answers.  
    
    I'm just curious when other babies made the switch. I remember 
    changing to cow's milk for my seven year old when she was a little
    over six months and just wondering if in the past seven years, the 
    general consensus has changed.
    
    Thanks - Tricia
    

	Although all Pedis are different I think you'll find the vast 
majority of them  reccommend switching at 9-12 months.  Our pedi had us 
take Katie off formula at 9 months.

	(And then you get into the whole milk, low-fat milk, skim milk 
controversy....)

Tracey

    For our first they said not until 12 mos and to switch to whole milk. 
    We switched at 11 mos which was when he tossed his bottle for the last
    time.
    
    For our 2nd they said 10-12 mos.  We switched at 10, but he was never a
    big drinker anyway.
    
    Noticed no problems with either of them.  Whole milk till they're 2 was
    what we were told.

    How do I gradually switch over ?  Mix whole milk with baby formula or
    give her just a little milk everyday but not mix with formula?  How 
    much should I give?
    
    
    thanks,
    wendy

    Wendy,
    
    Our pedi said to just stop giving formula.  We didn't mix
    formula with whole milk.
    
    Steven never noticed the difference (such an easygoing baby)
    
    Linda

I've used both techniques -- the mixing worked well with David, who didn't
like the taste of cow's milk.  Steven and Kat both went "cold turkey" as 
.17 did.  

--bonnie

    It is interesting, all three of the kids I adopted as infants were
    on regular (whole) milk when we adopted them. Peter at 4 months,
    Judi at 7 months and Jessica at 8 months. I never even questioned
    it, and the pediatrician never suggested they should be on formula.
    (tho perhaps being on whole milk that young contributed to Peter's
    colic problem). Anyway I don't know of any physical/nutritional
    harm it caused them...they are all quite tall, healthy and seemingly
    normal teenagers ( ;-} )..tho it may have contributed to their
    having allergy problems.
    
    Bonnie

    Here's another question on transitioning from formula to milk.
    
    My daughter (6.5 months) is apparantly not fond of formula.  Or she
    just doesn't like fluid.  (She doesn't drink water or juice yet.)  She
    gets most of her formula mixed with cereal.  She only drinks it in
    quantity (say 7 ounces) when she's very hungry.  I give her the bottle
    to drink while I'm making her meal, to get her to drink as much as
    possible.  (BTW, she weighs 12 pounds and is gaining normally.)
    
    The doctor recommends holding off on the milk until 9 months if
    possible, but cutting over sooner if her formula intake stays low.
    
    So - any reactions to changing to milk soon?  Any advice?  Should I
    maybe try yogurt thinned with a bit of water instead?  (She sorta
    tolerates yogurt.)
    
    Laura

    
    re: .20
    
    Is it possible that she doesn't like the bottle?  At 6.5 months, it
    may be possible for her to drink from a sippy cup or with one of
    those sippy straws that are used in bottles, what do you think?
    Have you given her milk yet and know she likes it?  Otherwise, I'm
    not sure what switching her would buy you; she might not drink it
    either!  
    
    Interesting problem,
    Carol
    
    BTW, is there some reason why she hasn't had water and/or juice
    yet?  

    RE:  .21
    
    Thanks for answering.  I tried water a few times from a cup but she
    gagged on it.  When I gave a bottle with water she didn't drink it. 
    Here in New England its still cool, so she doesn't need extra fluid
    yet.  I don't want to start juice until summer.  It doesn't add much
    nutritionally.  In summer she may benefit from the added fructose and
    water in juice.  She'll be crawling then and burning calories more.
    
    She likes the bottle fine.  When she's hungry, she grabs it with both
    hands and jams it into her mouth.
    
    She had a good amount of formula yesterday (prior to getting food).  
    We're taking it one day at a time.
    
    Laura

    
    Oh, I can see your point about the water/juice especially since
    she's not a real "drinker" and weighs just 12 lbs (my son was 19lbs
    at 6 months!), probably best to have all her fluid intake be 
    high-calorie, high-nutrition, high-fat.
    
    re: taking it one day at a time....excellent attitude when it comes
    to kids!!
    
    Carol

    I see that the original question of this note got changed but I am here
    to set it straight again since I am the original noter. Here is the
    baby formula recipe which I received from my chiropractor. I originally
    thought that it had honey in it but it should have said Karo syrup. I
    am going to ask the pedi about it today. Please let me know if you have
    other recipes and/or what your opinions are about this recipe. Thanks!
    
    15 oz. barley water
    10 oz. goats milk
    3 oz. Karo syrup
    
    The syrup should be varied - depending on the baby - some like it weak
    - some take it stronger.
    
    On boiling the barley water, put about 1/2 cup of pearl barley in a
    piece of muslin, tie loosley to allow for expansion, and boil slowly in
    about 4 pints of water (emphasize SLOWLY). Barley water will turn pink.
    This gives about the right consistency of barley water for making
    formula, as above. 
    
    You don't feed the baby the actual barley, only the water mixed as
    above. If you don't know what to do with the barley, eat it yourself.
    With sugar and cream it tastes pretty good (that is not my opinion as I
    haven't tried this yet).
    
    Anne