Nutritious, Traditional Food: Homemade Baby Formula Part 1

Originally posted August 2013

I want to do a series on traditionally prepared, nutritious foods.  We have started this journey, as many of you know, in an effort to heal our son’s reflux and gut issues.  Below is a little background on what happened with my now 7 year old (though leaving out a lot of details, not to mention the cost comparison of medicines and formulas vs homemade). 

Obviously, I am in no way a medical professional and am NOT giving you medical or health care advice.  I am offering you information and what you do with it is up to you.  

Mister had terrible reflux, was on Nutramigen baby formula (it is an elemental formula in which the dairy is broken down as much as possible) for dairy protein allergy, and overall his gut was a mess.  I nursed and pumped as long a I could (while doing a dairy free diet myself, for his sake) but Mister refused to nurse after 6 months; I continued to pump but after a month lost my supply.

If you have read anything about traditional foods, or traditional nutrition, you have read that the “gut” is the most vital part of the body- it produces enzymes that affect every single aspect of your body functioning properly, along with so much more we have learned in the last 10 years.

From using hormones to absorbing vitamins and minerals, the condition of your gut determines your overall health.  Period.  (see the bottom of this article for links and resources regarding gut health)

So, here are a list of the ingredients in a can of Nutramigen:

That is a picture taken straight from a can of baby formula in my pantry.  I have no idea why I still have this can.  Maybe it reminds me of how far we have come in just 4 short months.

Can you pronounce any of those words easily?  Do you know what many of those ingredients are?

They aren’t natural.  They are not God made and nature grown.

Ingredients on a package are in order of amount found in that product.  Corn syrup solids are the majority of what is makes up most general baby formulas.

Corn syrups solids are a genetically modified organism (GMO), made from corn and are basically SUGAR.  A crappy, non-nutritional, HIGHLY processed chemical food product.

I can’t even call it a food, because it isn’t.

Corn syrup solids interfere with a hormone which tells your body “hey, you’re full!  Stop eating!”  Therefore you eat more (that’s pretty convenient for food corporations…).

Corn syrup or some form of it is found in almost anything in a package or box.  It is much healthier to find a real food recipe version of your favorite boxed foods and cook them at home.

Check out this link from Dr. Mark Hyman on 5 Reasons Why High Fructose Corn Syrup Will Kill You.

None of those ingredients aid in the health of the gut, body, or absorption of nutrients.  Do babies everywhere survive on that can?  Yes, they do. Do they possibly have unforeseen health complications later in life?  Yes.

Many of those ingredients have been linked to health problems, especially the highly processed High Fructose Corn Syrup, and vegetable oils in that can.  *ick*  I seriously can’t imagine making meals out of that stuff.

So, I did research.  I read.  I bought Nourishing Traditions Cookbook.  FYI- that is a link to the cookbook on Amazon.  

I love it so much I took it to Kinkos and had the covers laminated, and the binding spiral bound so I can lay it flat and it makes it easier to flip through 700 pages.

In the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, there are recipes for baby formula (it is also found on Weston A Price website).  One uses raw milk or goats milk, which with a dairy protein allergy Max cannot have. *for baby #4 in 2016, I did make the goat milk formula for our baby and it worked well. We will do it again for Baby #5 if necessary

The other uses liver and bone broth.  *ding ding ding*

So, I went back to searching for organic grassfed beef bones for stock and liver, and all the ingredients I needed for the formula.  After I found them all, we decided to dive in and do it!

I began weaning him onto the meat-based formula the week we left for a trip in June.  I made up a few batches, froze them, and took them with us.  By the time we got home he was on the homemade formula full time, in addition to his solids.

No more nutrient void commercial formula.

A few chiropractor visits later, and Max is no longer on medication.  His gut is healed- thanks to that bone broth and it’s mineral producing gelatin, no doubt.  The chiropractor also did work on his gut, you can read about that here.  (Google the importance on bone broth in your diet). **This was all pre-the big bone broth craze of paleo and keto fads. But doesn’t change the fact that it is affective.

Gosh, it really brings me to tears writing this out.

His belly is healed.  He occasionally spits up, but usually only when I get his bottle too warm, or he gulps it down.

Oddly, after I started Max on the homemade formula, he became a new baby in many ways.  He started napping better, was generally happier, and his development shot off.

He no longer has reflux, and there aren’t acid reflux stains on his bed sheets anymore.  Even on his medicines there were smelly, acidic stains on his sheets after a nap, or first thing in the morning, from refulx.

Traditional, WHOLE foods healed my son’s gut.

Not a medicine that masks symptoms.

Hard work and healthy food.

So, what is this homemade, meat-based baby formula recipe, you may be asking?
From Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, page 603 here it is:

3 3/4 cups homemade beef or chicken broth (recipe from page 122 or 124)
2 ounces organic liver
5 Tablespoon lactose
1 teaspoon infant probiotic
1/4 cup homemade liquid whey
1 Tablespoon organic coconut oil
1 teaspoon codliver oil (I use Green Pastures)
1 teaspoon UNrefined sunflower oil
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon acerola powder

Now, assume all those ingredients are from only the best sources and are organic.  Because anything you can get from Walmart probably isn’t the best quality ingredient. **In 2019, you can actually find a lot of organic foods and ingredients in Walmart and Kroger- yay!

I found mine at: http://www.radiantlifecatalog.com/ and I get my coconut oil from http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/

I use Weston A Price Foundation as a HUGE source of information and health related articles, along with Nourishing Traditions– it is so much more than a cookbook!  It is over 700 pages of wisdom, science, and traditional health information.

The point of this recipe is that all ingredients are natural, whole, raw sources of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients a baby needs-they can be easily absorbed and the body knows what to do with them.  They are not processed or found in a man made vitamin capsule.  (you can overdose on synthetic vitamins, but it is much harder to do so with natural sources because your body knows how to use them and rid of excess.)

I also want to include the breakdown of the nutritional analysis done by Sally Fallon and Weston A Price Foundation of breastmilk and these homemade formulas.  Obviously breast milk is BEST, provided the mother eats a nutritious diet, but some of us aren’t able to nurse or continue nursing.

This is a good alternative for my family:

Based on 36 ounces.
Breast Milk
Cow’s Milk
Formula
Goat Milk
Formula
Liver-Based
Formula
Calories
766
856
890
682
Protein
11.3g
18g
18g
15g
Carbohydrates
76g
79g
77g
69g
Total Fat
48g
52g
54g
36g
Saturated Fat
22g
28g
30g
16g
Mono Fat
18g
16g
16g
12g
Poly Fat
5.5g
5.6g
5.7g
5.6g
Omega-3 FA
.58g
1.3g
1.2g
1.0g
Omega-6 FA
4.4g
4.2g
4.4g
4.5g
Cholesterol
153mg
137mg
166mg
227mg
Vitamin A*
946IU
5000IU
5000IU
20,000IU
Thiamin-B1
.15mg
1.05mg
1.1mg
.19mg
Riboflavin-B2
.4mg
1.2mg
1.2mg
1.9mg
Niacin-B3
1.9mg
2.5mg
4.4mg
14.2mg
Vitamin B6
.12mg
.51mg
.60mg
.65mg
Vitamin B12
.5mcg
1.9mcg
2.8mcg
39mcg
Folate
57mcg
236mcg
284mcg
159mcg
Vitamin C
55mg
57mg
59mg
62mg
Vitamin D
480IU
450IU
525IU
460IU
Vitamin E***
9.9mg
6.2mg
4.7mg
4.9mg
Calcium
355mg
532mg
548mg
NA**
Copper
.57mg
.38mg
.58mg
1.9mg
Iron
.33mg
1.4mg
2.2mg
5.4mg
Magnesium
37.4mg
91.3mg
96.1mg
34.5mg
Manganese
.29mg
.034mg
.12mg
.24mg
Phosphorus
151mg
616mg
729mg
344mg
Potassium
560mg
949mg
1228mg
750mg
Selenium
18.8mcg
15.4mcg
18.7mcg
31.1mcg
Sodium
186mg
308mg
320mg
NA**
Zinc
1.9mg
2.8mg
2.7mg
2.5mg
* Vitamin A levels in human milk will depend on the diet of the mother. Nursing mothers eating vitamin A-rich foods such as cod liver oil will have much higher levels of vitamin A in their milk. Commercial formulas contain about 2400 IU vitamin A per 800 calories.
** Calcium and sodium values for homemade broth are not available.
*** Vitamin E values are derived from commercial vegetable oils. The vitamin E levels for homemade formulaswill be higher if good quality, expeller-expressed oils are used.

At first I was embarrassed and scared to tell people I made Mister’s formula. As in most things, when you go against the grain or do something differently that mainstream society, people think you’re a little wacky. In 2019, it can be easier for people to see the benefits of real, nutritious food for all stages of life, than it was even in 2013.

I am proud to say we worked hard, and we healed Max’s gut (and therefore damage caused by the commercial formulas and medicines we had tried).  He is healthy, growing, and gaining weight better than he ever did the first half of his first  year.

We are approaching his first birthday, and I am so thankful.

 READ PART 2 HERE

Articles on gut health:

 

Nutritious, Traditional Food How To: {Weston A. Price} Homemade Baby Formula Part 2

Originally posted October 2013
A few months back I left you with some information about the homemade, meat based baby formula we make at our home.
(Well, were making. Mister is almost 14 months old now, and we have weaned onto a coconut milk tonic. But I have read where many families used the homemade broth up to 2 years).

So, what is this homemade, meat-based baby formula recipe, you may be asking?

From Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon, page 603 here it is:

***Please see my previous post HERE for LOTS of details on this recipe, and where to find the ingredients.***


Here is my method for making this formula.

  • I first made my bone broth, either chicken in the crock pot, or beef bone broth in a huge stock pot.
  • Then collect all my ingredients and get out my measuring spoons for each.

 

  • Start the broth on a simmer for cooking the liver. Here is my simmering broth:
  • I slice the beef liver into strips and then cut it into about 1″ pieces so it cooks quickly.
  • Next, I add the organic, grassfed beef liver to the broth. I Simmer for a few minutes, or until it is no longer pink.
I know, it’s raw liver. That is pure, nutritious gold right there, y’all!
  • After it is cooked, I spoon out the liver and placed into the food processor. Then pour some of the liquid into the food processor with the liver. Puree it until it is liquefied (this will take some time- you’re liquefying a meat, so be patient! You need as much of the meat as you can get in the formula). *Be careful to let it cool some or you will have exploding beef liver juice flying all over your kitchen. Ask me how I know … Depending on how old your food processor is, you may need to upgrade to the Best Food Processor to ensure that you end up with a smooth paste. Outdated processors are great for chunky recipes and breadcrumbs, but with this recipe, you need a processor that will give you an even consistency.
  • Strain the liquefied liver through a mesh strainer into a bowl with the rest of the broth. **Liver has an entire strip of some kind gristle running through it. You need to strain this out, which is why I run mine through a strainer. The gristle DOES NOT liquefy. I have read other tutorials that fail to mention that … and then I wondered why it wouldn’t go through the nipple of Mister’s bottle. You must strain out the gristle. Okay. Got it? Strain the gristle….
My liver infused broth in a bowl, with some of my ingredients
  • Then I add in the amount of each ingredient the recipe calls for, and whisk it very well. I add the powdered ingredients first, so they can dissolve while it is warm. Then pour it into jars, using a wide mouth funnel for ease of filling the jars.
**Tips**
  • One batch makes about 36 ounces, which at 8 months was enough for one day for my son. I made this in triple and quadruple batches, so I didn’t have to make it every day. My understanding is it will last 5 days in the fridge just fine. Ours certainly did. Do what you think is best.
  • Shake it well before pouring each time. The fats (olive oil, coconut oil, and cod liver oil) in the formula will separate when chilled in the fridge, so shake, shake, shake. But be sure the lid is on nice and tight, or you will have a huge mess of beef liver baby formula all over your kitchen. Ask me how I know..

There you have it, how we make the homemade baby formula from Weston A Price and Nourishing Traditions.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Replenishing Homemade Skin Cream Recipe {quick & easy}

In trying to avoid overuse of steroids and other interventions that can cause lasting effects (and be less effective the more we use them),  I have a go-to skin cream we make at home for general wounds.

Eczema Before
It is a salve with coconut oil, bentonite clay, comfrey oil and essentials oils-frankincense, lavender, tea tree. 5+years ago a lady in a natural group helped me make this recipe based off her husband’s recommendation, who was an herbalist. During a case of noro virus, my then 18mo son poopied in his sleep overnight, and I didn’t know it. The next morning his bottom was literally blistered and the skin was peeling. It was horrible!

After applying this cream that morning, the skin started healing and regenerating the same day. Within 2 days he was 85% better; there was new skin covering his entire bottom, no scabbing, no scarring, and even better? When applied in a thick layer it protected his bottom when he had to wear a diaper. (Mostly he laid on me for 3 days, sans diaper, but when he needed to sleep in his bed, which he preferred, or wanted to sit in the floor, he needed a diaper.)

This cream is amazing!

So when I saw my 8yo daughter’s hands this past week, covered in eczema, I knew what we needed to use.

Usually eczema can be traced to the gut-leaky gut to be exact- due to poor gut balance/health. However, in this case I believe it is atopic-too much hand washing, cold, dry air, and not enough moisturizing.

We are going to use homeopathy constitutions based on her particular eczema, and this cream, in hopes it will heal from the inside out, and stay gone for good. Steroid creams and prescriptions don’t work on the root cause of eczema, they sometimes quiet the symptoms without addressing the root cause of the illness/ailment to begin with.

Here is what you need to mix up for the cream:

  1. 1 cup organic coconut oil
  2. .5 cup bentonite clay
  3. 2tsp of comfrey oil
  4. 10-15 drops each: frankincense oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil (I use Young Living)
  5. Whip it up in an electric mixer for a thicker, creamier consistency. But mixing with a spatula will do, too. Store in an airtight container. That’s it!

We use this for cuts, scrapes, diaper rash, and other minor skin uh-ohs. I usually keep it in the toddler’s dresser basket, since she needs it the most! haha

I also love Young Living’s Animal Scents cream. We use this for everything, too. When we travel I throw this in my bag, and keep my homemade stuff at home. I do not sell oils from my personal stash at retail cost(plus tax and shipping), but you can sign up to receive your oils at a 24% discount, including discounted shipping, with no monthly obligation. (I do place monthly orders for our family, because I like to save my points for bigger purchases at the end of the year, but you do NOT have to do a monthly order to get the discount.)

 

I you have dry, cracked skin this winter, try this homemade skin cream! (and come back to let me know how it worked for you.)

Traditional Food How To: Bone Broth {in the slow cooker}

I get lots of questions about how I make my bone broth.

I started out using a recipe from a book, but have adapted my own way of doing it since then.

Bone broth is FULL of nutrients that help heal the body and gut, & improve digestion.  Do a quick Google search for the benefits of bone broth, and you will see what I mean-gelatin, proteins, and nutrients dense, it is a favorite in our home.

Our family used it as the base of a homemade baby formula {and part 2 here} for our son with a dairy allergy, and a very messed up gut.  Every bit of me (and my husband) believes that bone broth helped heal our infant son’s gut, get him off medications, and get him healthy again, as an alternative to commercial formulas.  {I am not a doctor and what I write here is strictly my opinion, not medical fact}

We now give bone broth with a pinch of real salt during illnesses, cold season, and share with the dogs, chickens, and cats.

So if you want to replace the store bought “broths” and sodium in a square bullion cubes for a real, nutrient dense food, that is easy to make, keep reading!

  1. First, you have to get the bones by preparing a chicken, preferably from an organic grassfed chicken.  So, I make (an amazing) whole chicken in the crock pot or using my 9 Qt Le Crueset in the oven.
  2. Just cut up some carrots and onion, maybe some garlic, and any other veggies you like.
  3. I rub my chicken down with organic olive oil, Himalayan pink salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic.  But season yours however you like.
  4. Put your chicken in the crock pot (I start mine frozen so I cook it all day on low, but if yours is thawed 4-6 hours on low will probably cook it through nicely) BREAST SIDE DOWN, so it doesn’t dry out.
  5. Place your carrots and other vegetables in around the chicken.
  6. Add about 2 cups of water, and let it cook on low for 4-6 hours, or longer if frozen.
  7. About an hour before it is done, I flip it breast side up and season the breast really well.
  8. Pull the meat off the chicken bones and serve as you choose. (by itself, in soup, on pizza, in chicken salad, on a sandwich … the possibilities are endless.  And you can really make that meat stretch for some frugal meals!)

That is how you acquire your bones (and flavorful chicken for the week)!

{The great thing is, you can cook a chicken every week (say on Saturday, or Sunday), have chicken for recipes during the week (or freezer meals!), and make a new batch of bone broth every week for the freezer!}

Here is how you make (chicken) bone broth

You will need:

  • crockpot
  • water
  • aple cider vinegar
  • a fine mesh strainer (metal is better than plastic here, it is finer)
  • jars/plastic bags
  • funnel (not necessary but definitely helps the pouring process)

Your chicken has cooked and your house now smells good enough to attract passersby.  You have removed all the meat from your chicken, and are left with the bones, skin, etc.

  1. Place the bones back in the crock pot.
  2. Add a 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar.  This will draw the minerals out of the bones.
  3. Cover the bones with water, leaving 1 inch at the top.
  4. Turn the crockpot on low, and let simmer all night.  If you are feeling really froggy, in the morning add more water and let it go another 18- 24 hours.  I usually let mine go about 2 days in the crockpot.  This will cook those bones good!
  5. When the bones are done, use a big spoon to pull out the bigger, obvious bones.  Compost/trash them, or smash and feed to dogs/animals on the farm.
  6. Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a big bowl
  7. Pour your strained broth into plastic bags or glass jars for freezing.
Before the broth is strained
remove the bones, fat, cartilage, etc from crock pot
**Tips**
  • Use a pastured chicken if you have a local source; we raise our own each year.
  • When putting your bones in the pot to cook, you can add in celery, carrots, onion … any vegetables you like (just like you did for the chicken meat).  They will only add flavor and nutrients!
  • When freezing in glass jars, be sure you are using wide mouth jars, and you stop at the fill line.  I never screw my lids on all the way until it is all the way frozen, because I lost an ENTIRE huge pot of {organic, grassfed} beef bone broth to my jars busting.  Talk about devastation.  So use the right jars and I’d suggest not sealing them air tight right away, because that liquid is going to expand up as it freezes and will need room to do so.
  • Make sure you freeze your broth in amounts you will use in a recipe.  Rarely will you use an entire gallon zip lock full of bone broth, unless you’re making a soup.  I freeze mine in pint and pint-and-a-half jars.  The pint-and-a-half jars are the COOLEST jars ever. and so versatile.
  • I also add chicken feet from our pastured chickens. Chicken feet are full of gelatin, which is a nutrient dense food when found naturally from organic sources.  This will absolutely improve any broth and make it gel so well! Bone broth done correctly should gel.
  • I suggest reading about the benefits of chicken feet in broth, because they far outweigh the weirdness of seeing chicken feet in your crockpot.  =)
I use my bone broth in any recipe that calls for broth, and add it when cooking brown rice and black beans.  Talk about FLAVOR (and nutrients!).
You can make delicious, from scratch soups like this.
Your family will thank you.
And drink every last drop from their bowls.
So there you have it- bone broth in the crockpot.  When you or someone in the family is feeling sick this winter, thaw a jar and have them drink it, or make them a soup with it.
It is truly a real, healing food.
Next time I will post how I make my bone broth from organic, grassfed beef.
Have you ever tried making bone broth?  If you try this method, let me know how it goes in the comments!

8.5 month Baby Summary Update {ww37 and babywise schedule}

Well, here we are; somehow Ila is 8.5 months old!  To think she is closer to 1 year old than a newborn baby … =(  It is going by so quickly.

8.5month Baby Summary {QuietInTheChaos.com}

But God meant for healthy things to grow, and she is surely growing!  She is a little over 20lbs and 28.5″ long; not as big as her siblings at this age, but that is okay.

Ila has 5 teeth and is working on one or two more.  She gave up nursing around the beginning of April, and though I was devastated and continued trying to get her to nurse, she was completely done by the third week of April.  Trying to nurse had become a battle that stressed us both out.  I really thougth she was going to nurse for the long haul; she was my best nurser out of my three babies.  But just like the others, once she realized the milk in the bottle came out faster, with less work involved for her, (even though it was the smallest size Tommie Tippee nipple), she was done with mama.  =(

She still has a head full of hair, and that is the first thing people notice about her.  The second thing they mention is how happy she is.  And she is happy.  The happiest baby ever; I know I say that on all of her summaries, but really.  She doesn’t get upset over much, she has never spit up a day in her life (which I attribute to not getting dairy protein through nursing or her formula), and the only time she has a hard time with sleep or not feeling well is during wonder weeks; she is even pretty happy while teething, with only one or two rough days.  I know this won’t last forever, at some point she will become a tiny tantrum on two feet, but for now, it is bliss!

Eating At 8 Months

Ila is eating every 4 hours … sorta?  =/  She is eating solids LIKE CRAZY.  If we are eating, she wants a bite of it.  Which means that she has been eating: burger meat, steak, meat loaf, rotisserie chicken, fried chicken, spaghetti, cooked carrots, cooked green beans, sautéed zucchini and onion, grapes, apple sauce, pears, banana, eggs … and really the list goes on (though no processed foods).  Basically if it is soft enough for her to chew, and homemade with real ingredients, she gets it.  I did give her some BBQ from a local restaurant the other night, and she liked that too.  =)

So at 3 of her 4 feedings she eats solids, then takes her bottle.  She refuses her bottle before she eats real food, and she won’t take it right after she eats … so a little after she has eaten she is ready for her bottle.  Oh- and if she hasn’t had a poopy diaper she won’t take a bottle, so basically her life revolves around when she poops!  haha  But I am working on not letting her eat as much food before her bottle, since that should still be her primary form of nourishment right now.

Schedule

Ila has moved seamlessly to a 2 nap schedule.  I knew it was time to drop the cat nap because her naps were being interrupted, but she was still tired after waking and about 20 minutes later she would go back to sleep.  Also, the third nap just seemed to be messing with her night sleep and first morning nap.  So … we dropped to a 2-3-4 schedule (loosely) and it has been working great.  Really it is more like a 2-2.5-4 hour schedule.  She hasn’t quite worked up to 3 hours at that second nap yet, but it won’t be long.  I imagine after this wonder week (ww37) she will be ready.

So at 8.5 months, her schedule looks like this:

  • 7am wake, bottle, solids
  • 9 down
  • 10:30 usually wakes, rest until 11
  • 11 up, lunch, bottle
  • 1 down for nap #2
  • 2:30-3 wake, solids, bottle
  • 5:30 dinner, bath
  • 6:30 bottle, bed
  • Asleep by 7pm

Development


Ila is doing new things every day!  Since my lsat summary, she has started sitting up, scooting on her belly, rolling all over the place to get to things she wants, clapping, and signing.  She likes to roll around on the floor and is really trying to crawl; she is thiiiiiis close to crawling!  But honestly, with the move, and rent house, etc.  I am not a huge fan of her crawling too soon anyway!

She has started signing for milk and more.  I think she started signing for milk about a month ago, but I wasn’t 100% certain.  Then she began signing for more, and it was pretty obvious what she was wanting!  haha  The baby is covered with fat rolls and loves to eat, what can I say?

The other day at the rent house Ila was in the floor with Scout (the singing talking dog).  It was singing a song and she started DANCING.  It was possibly the cutest thing ever.  So now, she just bounces and dances when it plays music.

Ila is working on grasping small pieces of food, and while she can usually pick them up, she has a hard time getting them into her mouth.  She has also discovered throwing things .. including her water cup!  NOT FUN.  Ugh.  But our little Mister is so sweet and gets it for her every. single. time she “drops” it.  haha  He is helping create a monster.  =)

Big brother and sister adore her.  I mean … just smother her to death adore her.  Including Mister- she is his “sweet baby girl Ila.”  I love that he is (usually) so gentle and good with her.  And big sister is mama’s BIG helper.  She is also in love with Ila and is always teaching her new things (works on signing with her) and cheering her on!  Did I mention Charlie loves her, too?

8.5 month Baby Summary Update {ww37 and babywise schedule}

As far as the WW is going … there is some fussing at sleep time and all around weirdness going on, but in the nest 3 weeks that should end.  *whew*

That is all of Ila’s 8month update I think … I *love* this stage! (minus the wonder week!)

What is your favorite “baby stage?”

19 weeks Baby Summary {babywise}

Baby Summary 19 Weeks {QuietInTheChaos.com}

Well, tomorrow marks the beginning of Ila’s 20th week of life; we just finished week 19.  Oh my goodness!  She has two more weeks before she actually turns 5 months old, so I am using that as a way to console myself that she is already this old.  It is just going by so quickly.

Ila is simply a joy.  My oldest was a happy girl, but was colicky- gas, a little reflux, etc.  Mister was a bear of a baby (and still is)- very fussy, screaming with reflux, sensitive, didn’t nap well because of it, etc.  (they both have dairy sensitivities/allergies)

I think I sorta thought that babies = crying, gas, etc.

Boy was I wrong!  Next to “happy” in the dictionary should be a picture of Ila James!  (Provided I am dairy free, and she is too, so that is probably most of it.  She is able to eat and sleep well, and it just makes a HUGE difference.)  She is the baby that meets your eyes and just starts smiling for no particular reason except that you’re there!

She has gone through her wonder week 19- it was a doozy, and she got her first tooth during it!  It broke through a few days ago.  YAY!  As of now, her schedule looks like this:

  • 7am wake/nurse/bottle
  • 8:15am down for nap (soon to be 8:30 I think, some days she stays awake a while before falling asleep)  and she has decided this first nap is a great time to have a poopy diaper!
  • 11:00 wake, nurse, oatmeal with breast milk and applesauce, bottle
  • 12:15pm down (soon to be 12:30 I think), asleep by 1:00
  • 3:00pm up, nurse, bottle-soon to add solids here
  • 4:30pm down, asleep within a few minutes usually, sometimes asleep at 5pm
  • 7:00pm up, nurse, bottle
  • 7:40pm in bed, asleep
  • Sleeps until DWT of 7am

At 23 weeks there is another wonder week, and I imagine during or after that phase she will start trying to drop the third nap.  So at that time we will probably move dinner up to 6:15 or so, and bedtime up to 7pm.  Depending on her needs it may be even earlier than that.  (It always has been for my other two.)

19 week baby summary {QuietInTheChaos}

Development

During her waketimes, Ila is talking like crazy!  She discovered her voice this past week and she loves to talk.  Usually she does it if she is by herself in the living room, or pack n play. I have to sneak up on her to get it on video.  Usually once someone is there she gets quiet again.

She is trying to roll form her back to her belly, so that is fun.  She is almost there and can get twisted over on her side, but needs help to get all the way over.  And she has discovered her thumb … I am not thrilled about this; we already have one thumb sucker (Mister) to break eventually, so I am hoping this is just a phase since she found her hands and is able to get them to her mouth.  But I don’t want a pacifier either, since she sleeps fine without both I am just pretending like she isn’t doing it, and hoping she stops.  😉  (maybe she is just rubbing in the teeth?  There is another coming in.)

She is not reaching for things, like purposely. She wakes her arms a bit but has no interest in stuff around her or in front of her yet.

She hasn’t lost her hair yet, so maybe she won’t?  Lexie and Max both lost some; Ila just has a thin spot on the back where she sleeps.  I have to spry in conditioner and comb out the tangles a few times a week (there is just so much hair!).

Eating

So far, Ila is still a nursing champion.  She loves to nurse; she has started talking while she nurses.  Sometimes she just stops and looks up at me and babbles while milk pours out of her mouth.  It is pretty funny; then she will just smile and go back to nursing.  After practicing for a few weeks, she is finally taking food from a spoon.  I know she is young, and she doesn’t really need it.  However … this baby is nursing 15-20 minutes, then taking an 8 ounce bottle.  EIGHT OUNCES!  Every 4 hours … of a $45 per can formula.  Which equals $150 a month!  She has gone from going through one can in 10 days, to finishing a can in 6-7 days.  She is HUNGRY!  Plus, good fats are good for her.  I am going to give it another week of practicing with homemade oatmeal and breast milk, then start giving her soft boiled egg yolks.  She has had avacado and liked it.  Introducing her to good fats at 5 months isn’t going to hurt her or cause problems.  We will hold off on veggies, meats, and fruits for a while.  Solids aren’t needed right now, but because she is so hungry, I think healthy brain-power fats are fine.

 Sleep

Ila is still double swaddled to sleep for naps and bed time. Doubling swaddling is a great method for babies that can get out of the swaddle during sleep, but aren’t ready for their hands to be free yet.  I don’t think unswaddling her is far off, but I have tried SO MANY TIMES to transition her with one arm out, and it just disastrous.  So for now, she is still double swaddled and goes to sleep perfectly this way.  Once she starts rolling over this will for sure have to stop.

As for me, postpartum not much has changed.  I am getting sleep, so I’m a happy mama! I am working on healing my diastasis recti, which means no traditional exercises like crunches, or other things that are in most all of my workouts (T25, the 21 day fix workouts, BBL, or Turbo Fire).  I am using Fit2B.com to heal my DR and strengthen my transverse muscle FIRST, while I walk/run on the treadmill.

My mom and some others have asked how I knew I had the DR; I discovered I had DR a few ways- my back was constantly hurting.  Provided, I have been overweight for 2 years (since after I had Max), but I knew that wasn’t causing the pain.  Every time I worked out with any of my workout dvds I couldn’t get out of bed the next day, let alone walk, even after doing the modified moves. I also just couldn’t feel my abs anymore; after Ila there wasn’t even anything to flex.  When I came across DR, and tested for it, it was the most disgusting thing I have ever felt.  Basically, when you have a DR, your abs are split and you can put your fingers down between your abs.  How many fingers fit determines just how bad yours is.  Mine is 3-4 wide. *ewww*  I remember after Lexie my abs were split, but I don’t remember ever trying to “heal” them, I just sorta went on with life.  But this time I knew I had to do something. So, I signed up for Fit2B and I LOVE IT.  I am finally starting to feel my abs again, and although this isn’t going to burn 600 calories in 40 minutes, it is healing my body so I CAN eventually burn 600 calories in 40 minutes doing my favorite heavier exercises.  Exercises like crunches, planks, and basically every. single. move. in all my workout DVDs cause DR to worsen, not heal.  So for now, those are on the back burner.

But that is okay!  I am working on waking early in the mornings to get my workouts in (this is hit or miss, sometimes I have to fit them in during the day or before bed), but I feel good and eat good, so there you go.

And that is pretty much it!  Ila’s 19th week of life.  =)

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil {Giveaway!}

I mention in many of my blog posts how much we love coconut oil.  However, not all coconut oil is created equal {by any means}.  Of course, using coconut oil is much better than refined oils; but we have found the highest quality of real-food coconut oil comes from Tropical Traditions.

They have a gold label coconut oil, which is the highest quality, and has a coconut flavor.  For cooking foods that I do NOT want coconut flavor, I use their expeller pressed coconut oil.  Expeller pressed oil will not have the coconut flavor.

My children take coconut oil by the spoon full.  We add it to smoothies, cook our eggs in it, and I replace it for butter in any recipe.  With Max’s dairy allergy, I know we can rely on coconut oil for his health and safety.  I trust Tropical Traditions, and the process by which they make coconut oil. {FYI: there is no such thing as “extra virgin” coconut oil.  When you see that on a jar of coconut oil, they are just trying to grab your attention, because everyone associates the best olive oil with “extra virgin” olive oil.}


We use so much Tropical Traditions coconut oil, I am saving to buy it in the gallon!  They run awesome sales  on all their products, which is when I jump on my purchase, so be sure to sign up for their sales alerts!


Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!


Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil - 32 oz.
 
 
Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?
 
 
 
Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.
 

**The first mandatory entry for this giveaway is to subscribe to Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter- trust me, even if you weren’t entering to win this giveaway, you would want to be subscribed to their newsletter!

It is full of wonderful information, and keeps you up to date on all their amazing sales (free shipping promotions, buy one get one free, etc).


Here is a video with many ways to use coconut oil.

 ***If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.  I did this on another blogger’s website, and received the book.  It is a nice, thick, very informative book about virgin coconut oil.  I have really enjoyed reading it.

 
Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
*Winner of the giveaway has 24 hours, from the time I email them, to reply before I move along to another winner.
 

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Dairy Allergy Alternative for Weaning Baby: Coconut Milk Tonic

If you have a baby with dairy protein allergy and ready to wean from breastmilk or formula, you are probably looking for a healthy alternative to cow’s milk. 


We were in the same situation about two months ago; I tried reintroducing cow’s milk and the result was

Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Sally Fallon.

I am in no way a medical professional, and you should talk with your doctor before trying something new.  This is what has worked for our family.


I wasn’t happy with the amount of fats and nutrients in almond milk, rice milk, etc for a young baby.  


However, coconut milk is full of good fats and nutrition for babies (and adults).  So we use this recipe.  It is equal to cow’s milk in fat and calcium (per Eat Fat, Lose Fat):


1 can of whole fat Organic Coconut Milk

2 1/4 cups of water (preferably filtered with no chlorine, etc)
2 tablespoons of (organic) Grade B Maple Syrup or a pinch of stevia
1 tsp of vanilla extact
1 tsp of KAL Dolomite (calcium)

I have to label Max’s milk so JTom doesn’t grab it instead of our raw milk  =)

I heat all ingredients in a pot until the dolomite powder is dissolved, and then pour it into a glass jar and keep in the fridge.  I make this in double batches, and store it in a half gallon mason jar. Shake the jar well before pouring into bottle to warm up, the thick cream will separate from the rest of the milk when chilled.

**Where to get ingredients**
We purchase either Natural Value coconut milk in BPA free cans, or Native Forest organic coconut milk- depending on which is cheaper- through Amazon Prime.  So we can do subscribe and save and also get free 2/3 day shipping, which is very convenient.  However, I really watch the prices of the milk, because like right now, the organic milk is cheaper than the Natural Value brand.


** What to look for in natural, real ingredients**
Please do not use coconut milk in cartons- they contain very dangerous additives (although the carton may say the milk is organic, the actual ingredients are in fact NOT).  

“NO PRESERVATIVES”- no stabilizers, emulsifiers, whiteners, guar gum, and BPA free cans!
Natural Value brand of Coconut Milk
Ingredients: Coconut extract, water

   

Ingredients: Organic Maple Syrup- that’s IT!

Now, the dolomite powder can be stored in the pantry, but always always keep pure, organic, grade B maple syrup in the fridge or it will go bad! (because, you know.  It’s a real food with no additives)  And yes, it is pricey, but we just use it sparingly at our house.

Max LOVES this milk, and I feel good about giving it to him.  Again, I suggest doing your own research, and taking the recipe, and nutrition information (in the book Eat Fat, Lose Fat) and talk it over with your doctor because I am not a health care professional.  


But this is a pure, real food milk recipe for baby, and I feel is much safer than a chemical laden formula alternative for our baby with dairy allergies.

Max is gaining weight and developing great on this formula!

This post contains affiliate links.

Baby Summary: Babywise Baby 1 year

Happy First Birthday!

Well, sweet little Mister is a year old!

*tear*

He is just so dang sweet.

And he loves me, and wants me for comfort, etc.

But he is obsessed with
his daddy.  I may have mentioned in another post, but Max doesn’t say “dada.”

He GROWLS it.  It is hilarious!  And so sweet.  So then J.Tom growls back at him “Maaax,” then Mister responds … and they have this whole man code thing going on.

Pretty cute.

He also LOVES his cars and trucks that he can push around.  He pushes them all around the house, and likes to load things up in the dump truck bed.

Right now, his favorite “hand” toy is his Kevin the Crane Train, my dad got him for his birthday.  He loves that thing and carries it around most of the day.

If he doesn’t have the crane train, he has his lovie.  Oh my.  It goes everywhere!  It’s pretty cute. And if he isn’t holding it right that minute, it better be close by, or he walks around aimlessly until he finds it.  Then resumes his previous activity.

reading his birthday card, with lovie close by  =)

He still loves Scarlet, very much.  They “bond” through the screen door.  haha  “dag dag dag”- which is dog dog dog.  And sometimes it comes out “da da da,” and we only know he isn’t talking about his daddy, because he isn’t growling it (and he is looking at Scarlet…).  haha

What else? …

His favorite foods are peanut butter, banana (NANA!!!), any fruit really, chilli with rice, eggs, oatmeal, and anything we are eating that he can have.

He’s just so pretty!

He is now on the coconut milk tonic from Eat Fat, Lose Fat.  It has the equivalent calories to cow’s milk, and he loves it.  He still takes it from a bottle.  He took it from a sippy once, and then refused it for an entire day after that… I am not really concerned about the bottle, because he only takes it a few times a day, and we will break it eventually.

He LOVES his kombucha out of his sippy though.  Give him some “bucha bucha” in his sippy and he walks around like he owns the place.  So I am sure he will accept the milk in it soon.  No rush here though.

We are still a no go on the cow’s milk- it makes his throw up all day, and scream when laying down.  And that was only a spoon of dairy.  Hopefully he will outgrow this by 2?

Goodnight Moon is his favorite book… we read that at bedtime along with a few other favorites.  He is doing the motions to twinkle twinkle little star.

OH!  This was so cool- we were in church last Sunday, and he pointed at the star in his book, and said “sta!”  I was so proud!  =)  He has only done it once since then.  He can point to it if you ask, he just sorta refuses to say it.  Polar opposite of his big sister…

Mister is obsessed with my watch, which we call a clock, overhead lights, and dumping things.

If he can put something inside something else- he is a happy little camper!  The other day he just took his whole puzzle over to the trash can and dumped it in!  That was fun cleaning up ..
When Lexie and I are playing with something in the floor, he immediately starts tearing it apart and putting it into its respective container/tote/box (blocks, animals, balls, etc).  haha

 

“truck truck”

 

Mister and lovie it at the state fair

I know, the boy is never in clothes.  Well, he has been lately because of the cooler temps.  But have I told you what a sucker I am for sweet baby fat rolls in cloth diapers?!  *Guilty*

My mama says he looks like a little hippy boy ….  I’m good with that!  =)

Big bear in the playground tunnel (this was an impromptu walk to the playground, hence no clothes..)

 

Happy Bear

 

SO, last month I took this picture of Max in my lap.  And I immediately thought of this picture of my brother.  My brother, Jeremy is on the left, Max is on the right.

 

Lookin like my Uncle Jeremy

 

Kinda amazing.

But then, there are days he looks like my baby pictures:

Anyway, that was just for fun.  I think Jeremy would be proud that Mister looks like him.

So … he enjoys just hanging out in one of his block boxes …
the box … the lovie.

 

He weighs in at 23.8 pounds (we FINALLY got a scale in the house) and I am not sure on height.  Thi is good considering the rough start he had with formula and milk, reflux,and poor weight gain for the first 6-8 months of this life.  But he is on track now!

Sleep is still two naps, and 12-13hours at night.  We tried moving the first nap back, like I mentioned in my last update.  But that totally backfired with shorter naps and earlier morning wake times.  So we are still at a 2 hour wake time before first nap, 3 hours before second nap, and 4 hours before bed (usually 6:30-7pm).  It is working, knock on wood.

We are coming into wonder week 56, but he always starts them early by a week or two, so I think that is what this last disruption has actually been.  I figure by the end of it he will either naturally push that nap back, or completely drop a nap on his own.  Max has always consolidated his sleep on his own- I attribute that to him never having been in daycare where they determine his sleep, and thus disrupt it.

We have been able to naturally work with his sleep needs and it fits in great with our family routines, so it works for us!  Clothes are 18 months, I figure we will be completely in 18-24 and 24 after Christmas.

Bubby LOVES his sissy Lexie

He was in a 4 shoe this summer, and he is wearing a 4.5 wide stride rite walker now.  This boy has the flattest, fattest little feet ever.  haha  They’re so cute!  Lexie had really wide feet but super high arches.  Mister’s little feet are so flat.

And I guess that’s it.  Still putting everything in his mouth.  Everything.  Enjoys playing “what can I dunk in the toilet today?!”  Poor Lexie does a really good job at keeping her toilet lid down in her bathroom, but sometimes …. and I think Max just had a radar that tells him the lid is up.  haha

OK, I think that is about it for our 12 month summary.  He is just a super sweet little mister!

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