Nutrition For Babies And Children

THAT’S in our BABY FOOD? (Gerber Cereal Bars)

Sep 212012

There’s something that really really bothers me.

I sometimes wander the baby-food aisle in the grocery stores, reading the ingredients on the packaging. I started doing this when Audrey was old enough for solid food, curious as to the options.

What I’ve seen has shocked me. I knew that the nutrition in packaged food is horrible but something inside me wanted to believe that packaged food for babies would be be of a higher caliber.

I’d like to think that the baby food industry has nutrition foremost in their mind when designing food products for our precious children, but this is not the case. Unfortunately, I’m afraid most of us trust these “professionals” to have the best interests of our children at heart.

Throughout the next few weeks I’m going to go through several of these baby-food products. I’m going to list out the ingredients. The ingredients that concern me the most will be in bold, and I will give a short description that summarizes my concern. We need to get this information out there!

Note: nutrition for babies and children is something I’m extremely passionate about. My intensity is directed at the baby food manufacturers and anyone else who knows better. My intention is to inform parents, not to berate them for something they may have fed their child. Most of my friends have used Gerber Gratuates products. If you know me personally and you’re reading this, it certainly isn’t directed at you.

Having said that, today our culprit is…

Gerber Graduates for Toddlers: Strawberry Banana Cereal Bar.

Ingredients (as listed on the back of the cereal bar):

CRUST

Enriched bleached flour [wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid] – We all know that refined flour is bad for us, so why on earth is it the number one ingredient in a baby food item?
Whole grain oats – oats are a healthy food item in the context of a nutrient dense diet containing lots of saturated fat. This cereal bar contains no healthy fat or naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamins. In this context, oats are more harmful than helpful and have been linked to a high rate of tooth decay.
Sugar – Sugar? The third ingredient in a baby food??? Need I say more?
High oleic sunflower oil – Cold-pressed sunflower oil is healthy and beneficial. However, it should never be used in cooking or baking because it oxidizes. Sunflower oil in baked goods (like cereal bars) is rancid and contributes greatly to the development of heart disease.
High fructose corn syrup – Not just more sugar, but a very sinister kind. High fructose corn syrup raises triglycerides and puts a toxic load on the liver. It leads to the development of diabetes.
Whole wheat flour
Tricalcium phosphate
Corn syrup – more sugar
Dextrose – more sugar
Nonfat dry milk – even conventional medicine has finally recognized the fact that growing children need full-fat milk. Why on earth are they still putting non-fat milk in baby food?
Soy lecithin – Unfermented soy is a strong hormone disruptor and has been linked to cancer.
Salt
potassium bicarbonate
natural flavor - there is no regulation on the term “natural flavor,” and it is often used to hide MSG and other chemicals.
zinc sulfate
alpha tocopherol acetate [vitamin E]
niacinamide
electrolytic iron
thiamin mononitrate
pyridoxine hydrochloried
riboflavin
vitamin B12

FILLING:

High fructose corn syrup – more sugar
Dried apples
Sugar – and even more sugar
Dextrose - and even more sugar
Dried bananas
Glycerin – an alcohol based sweetener
Modified cornstarch - this is another name for MSG (monosodium glutamate), a potent excitotoxin which has been linked to seizures in babies
Dried strawberries
Cellulose gel – our bodies are not designed to digest cellulose, and it is even more harmful to babies, whose digestive systems are immature.
Salt
Citric acid
Natural flavor
Elderberry extract color
Xanthan gum
Cellulose gum
Soy lecithin – more soy
Strawberry juice concentrate

Notes:

Most of the items not in bold are “natural” fillers or synthetic “vitamins” and “minerals” Most synthetic vitamins are ineffective at best and toxic at worst. Here’s the thing: you don’t have to add a laundry list of fake vitamins to real food. We need to be feeding our children real, nutrient-dense food, full of vitamins and minerals that are naturally occurring, in the proper ratios, and bioavailable. Synthetic vitamins are none of the above.
Sugar is listed seven times (along with an alcohol-based sweetener which adds up to eight sweeteners). Seriously? In a baby food? And we wonder why our kids get sick so often?
The only ingredients remotely healthful in this cereal bar are the dried fruits. And people are feeding these bars to their toddlers at breakfast. Fruit doesn’t contain enough nutrients for breakfast – not by a long shot. Kids need eggs, milk, properly prepared grains, ect, for breakfast.

The first two years of life are absolutely critical in terms of nutrition; they literally determine the course of health for the rest of a person’s life. Children need to be eating nutrient dense foods and instead they are eating this junk. Let’s get the word out about what they are putting in our baby food!

Photo used under Creative Commons from shopping.com

Finally an Answer: Tongue Ties, Lip Ties, and Breastfeeding Difficulties

Nutrition for Babies and Children, Our Journey 21 Responses »

Jan 172012

Introducing you to the star of this post:

My Discovery

So. Last week, I ran across two blog posts, written by Heather over at The Mommypotamus:

Why Our Mothers Shouldn’t Have Listened to Theirs

How to Spot Tongue/Lip Ties and Get FREE Expert Advice

In a two-part session, Heather explains about tongue-tie and lip-tie, shares the story of her son’s tongue and lip-tie, and offers help with diagnosing these conditions.

When I read her blog posts I don’t know what I expected but it certainly wasn’t life changing information.

As she explained the struggles she experienced breastfeeding a tongue and lip-tied infant, I gasped in shock. For the first time ever, I had found someone with the exact same list of symptoms that I experience with my daughter Audrey. Here they are, paraphrased of course:

A baby who is always nursing but never full
Frequent night wakings
Weak latch
Slow weight gain
Fussiness while nursing and over-all difficult feedings

My Experience

If you have read my previous posts: Breastfeeding, Six Months and Counting, and So About This Target Nurse-In, you probably know that my experience with breast-feeding has not been a walk in the park.

My baby nurses constantly, but somehow at the same time doesn’t seem to eat much.
She’s always hungry; I can barely put her down during the day.
She wakes up every hour at night hungry.
Every nursing session is a struggle: she arches her back, pulls off and/or slips off every few seconds, won’t eat unless I’m bouncing her, swinging her, skipping across the room.
Nursing in public has proved next to impossible because I have to be practically topless and hold her on with one hand or she slips off.
And to top it off, she’s so skinny.

The reason I am listing out these symptoms again is so other moms who are looking for answers can compare.

Believe me when I say I have looked everywhere for answers.

Why all of the Advice I was Given was Wrong

As a matter of interest, here is the advice I received most commonly, along with my responses.

1. She has reflux

I knew she did not have reflux because she rarely spits up, she is not gassy, and she shows no signs of stomach troubles.

2. She is collicy

She’s not collicy! Plain and simple truth: she is a very happy baby. I mean come on! She’s smiling 75% of the time! Seriously though, it wasn’t like I didn’t know why she was crying. I knew why she was crying: I knew she was hungry.

3. She’s going through a growth spurt

Ok..but for 5…6…7…8 months straight?

4. “She can’t be hungry that often. Chances are she’s just nursing because she knows she can. Her feedings should be more spaced by now and you should really get her on a schedule.”

First of all, try telling a mom that her baby isn’t hungry. She is my baby, and I knew she was hungry. I knew something was wrong and that she was not getting enough to eat. My first priority was to make sure my baby was as well-nourished as possible, not to get myself a break.

When she was about two months old, I did try for a few days to put her on a feeding schedule, simply because I thought consistency might be beneficial. It didn’t work. I struggled to get her to eat for more than 2-10 minutes at a time. I couldn’t make her wait for the clock knowing she was not getting filled up.

5. Give her rice cereal before bed. That will space her nighttime feedings out and you will both get more sleep.”

Ok, that’s putting it nicely. Usually it sounds more like this:

“She’s getting her rice cereal right? She needs that nutrition. What you’re not giving it to her?”

Rice cereal was not an option for me. Most brands are highly processed and that’s reason enough for me not to feed it to my baby. Besides, babies cannot properly digest grains until a year and a half to two years of age.

Rice cereal spaces the feedings because it is so hard for a baby to digest. Basically, it slows everything down. Practically, it is empty calories because along with improper digestion comes improper nutrient absorption. Because I sensed that my baby was not getting enough to eat, I did not want to feed her empty calories just to fill her up. I was concerned that what she did eat was as nutrient-dense as possible.

Also, I did not want to loose the night-time feedings. She has always nursed so much better at night when she is half-asleep, far better than she does during the daytime. I felt like at night I was playing catch-up and my gut told me that the night-time feedings were huge in getting her the nutrition she needed.

Finally, An Answer

After reading Heather’s blog posts, I began to wonder if my baby might have a lip tie or a tongue tie.

I went in the bedroom, layed my baby on the bed, and pulled up her top lip.

I saw an obvious lip tie.

I looked at her tongue and observed the range of motion.

I wasn’t sure but it looked suspiciously like a posterior tongue-tie.

And today both things were confirmed by a doctor. We are making arrangements to have both ties fixed.

For eight months I’ve struggled to feed her and did not know what the problem was. As you can imagine I have very mixed feelings about this. Guilt for not knowing sooner. Disappointment and sadness that my baby has been so hungry and is so skinny. Thankfulness that I didn’t give up nursing, or give her rice cereal, or force her onto a schedule, or decide to let her cry-it-out so I could sleep. Pride that I have nourished my baby in spite of the odds.

Pictures of Audrey’s Tongue and Lip Tie

For any moms who may be experiencing similar difficulties, here is a picture so that you can compare.

Notice how the frenulum of the lip attatches at the bottom of the gum. This is class IV lip tie; not all of them attach quite this far down.

Also note that as she cries, she can only lift up the edges of her tongue. She cannot reach her tongue to the top of her mouth. This is a sign of a posterior tongue tie.

Now to make me feel better, here is a picture of her smiling!

Note the dip in the middle of the tongue. This occurs every time she reaches her tongue toward her gums, upwards, or sideways. From the top, it forms a slight heart shape. This is a sign of posterior tongue tie.

For more pictures, and for an easy-step by step at-home diagnosis, see Heather’s blog posts!

So About This Target Nurse-In

Nutrition for Babies and Children 4 Responses »

Dec 282011

Warning: If the subject of breastfeeding or breastfeeding terminology bothers you, do not read!

The Target nurse-in has been hotly debated these past couple of days. Today I’ve been reading through the comments on various posts and articles to get an idea of the different opinions that are out there. It’s no surprise that people are on all sides of the fence. Here are a few that generally represent the differing viewpoints:

“I just don’t get it, no-one seems to care if a woman shows her breasts in a low cut shirt or halter top, but some people get upset over woman breastfeeding? What’s the difference? I don’t have kids but if I see another woman breastfeeding, it doesn’t bother me.”

“Decently covered nursing in public is ok in my book. Yes it is natural and shouldn’t be frowned upon but there is no reason to nurse with a full breast exposed because regardless of how natural it is people can still see your nude breast and that is unnecessary.”

“If ALL these mothers are concerned with is feeding their children, what is wrong with seeking a little privacy to do so? A fitting room or other area is perfectly acceptable.”

Before I had a baby, I was of the mindset that breastfeeding should be done in private or under a blanket. “How indecent to expose yourself” I thought. After all, we need to be modest. It seemed so simple!

Then I had a baby. Oh.

My baby will not nurse unless things are just so. She will not nurse unless I am on my feet, bouncing vigorously or dancing around the room. She will not nurse unless my full breast is exposed because otherwise she looses her latch. She will not nurse under a cover, even a light one. She did not take a bottle (of breastmilk) until recently, and even now she doesn’t take it well enough to get a full meal. On top of all that, she gets hungry every hour most days.

To sum it up: I can’t leave the house to so much as grocery shop without my baby getting hungry. Not nursing in public is not an option. Covers, bottles, and sitting anywhere, including in a car, are not an option. So unless there is a clean, quiet room with a closed door to nurse my baby in, I’m out of options.

Now please don’t misunderstand me! I try very hard to be sensitive to those around me, particularly men. I always try to be as modest and “decent” as possible. When I’m in other people’s homes, I nurse my baby in a bedroom with the door closed. When at a store, I use a dressing room if one is available. When at church, I go into the nursing mother’s room, where I stand in a corner and practically do squats, completely uncovered, desperately praying to God that my baby quiets down and nurses while all the other women sit quietly, covered up, and listen to the sermon!

But sometimes there is nowhere to go. Sometimes there is no bedroom, dressing room, or nursing mother’s room. Something that you don’t realize until you have a nursing baby is: our culture is not built for nursing babies.

One Sunday this past summer, our church held a service in the park. My baby got hungry in the middle of the service and started crying. The people behind us were obviously irritated at the noise, I could not get her to take a bottle, there were people everywhere and no-where to hide so I left and went home.

More often than not, I find myself at a store with nothing but a nasty public bathroom. Or I’m outside walking somewhere because my husband is at work with the car. When my baby needs to eat, she needs to eat. So yes. I have nursed uncovered in public and walking down the road.

Before I had a baby, I did not understand the power of a mother’s protective instinct. When my baby is screaming with hunger, all I can think about is feeding her. There is nothing that will stop me from tending to her cries. I can’t and won’t carry my screaming baby two miles down the road to wait until I get home. I try to tuck a blanket around her to hide as much as possible from view, but that’s about the best I can do sometimes.

For those who have calm nursers, I can totally understand how it would be easy to say “there is no reason to nurse with a full breast exposed.” But try to imagine what it would be like to nurse my baby in public.

Besides, I find it highly ironic that in a culture where it is acceptable for women to wear bikinis that expose almost the full breast, it is considered indecent to breastfeed a baby uncovered. In fact, it should be the other way around. It should be indecent to prance around in a bikini, trying to get men to look at your body in a sexual way. It should be acceptable and normal to nurse a child. This is a classic example of good being called evil and evil being called good.

Breastfeeding is not easy. It’s one of the more mentally and physically exhausting things I’ve done. And in a culture where breastfeeding is looked at as sexual and/or indecent it can feel overwhelming to keep at it. Add to the mix that industrial waste is packaged in colorful cans and touted as a healthy alternative to breastmilk and it’s no wonder why so many women switch to formula.

The bottom line is that breastfeeding women need encouragement and need it badly. Your average breastfeeding mom is just trying to feed her baby, often in what can feel like a hostile environment.

So as for the Target nurse-in, I support it 100%!

I do realize that some women have had very positive breastfeeding experiences and that is wonderful! This is just one woman’s experience and opinion.

Why I Feed my Baby Egg Yolks

Nutrition for Babies and Children, Our Journey 7 Responses »

Dec 152011

See that smile?

It’s at the very top of my list of favorite things in the whole world!

My baby smiles for lots of reasons, but one of the surest ways to put a smile on her cute little face is to walk toward her with a bowl of warm, soft-boiled egg-yolks.

She just can’t eat them fast enough!

Why do I feed her egg yolks? Where did I get the idea? How do I cook the eggs? These are questions I have been asked, so I would like to answer them here.

Why I Feed my Baby Egg Yolks

Egg yolks contain cholesterol, which is essential to nervous system development.
Pastured egg yolks are a good source of vitamin D and bio-available vitamin A, two of the most lacking vitamins in our diets. Among many things, these vitamins build a strong immune system and are heavily involved in bone structure development.
Egg yolks also contain vitamin E and K, although in smaller quantities.
Egg yolks contain choline, a nutrient similar to the B vitamins. Choline is essential to nervous system development. Egg yolks also do contain B6 and B12, but are particularly high in Folate.
Pastured egg yolks contain DHA, an omega-3 long-chain fatty acid, similar to what is found in breast-milk.
Egg yolks are a good source of iron and zinc. Because breast-milk is low in iron, there is much debate over whether breast-fed babies should supplement with iron. Some claim that too much iron detrimentally effects the immune system. Some state the fact that iron absorption competes with zinc absorption. Regardless of who is right, one thing is clear. Iron obtained from a whole food source such as egg yolks (especially because eggs also contain zinc), is a better option than iron-fortified processed infant cereals.

This is a brief summary; all of the nutrients listed above perform countless vital tasks which affect many organs of the body. To read more about the health benefits of egg yolks click here.

Where I First Got the Idea to Feed my Baby Egg Yolks

The Weston A. Price foundation (WAPF) recommends egg yolk as a first food. The WAPF is a non-profit organization dedicated to nutritional education. Their recommendations are based on the research of Dr. Weston A. Price. Dr. Price traveled the world in the 1920s and studied the diets and health of “indigenous” or “primitive” people; He also wrote a book compiling his findings. His book can be read for free on the internet here.

I put a lot of stock into what the WAPF recommends. They are a rare source of truly ancient wisdom, the type of wisdom which has been lost to us over the past century.

How do I Cook the Egg Yolks?

I soft-boil them, although they could be scrambled, hard-boiled, poached, or I suppose even fried. I carefully separate the yolk from the white, as the white contains proteins that are hard for young babies to digest.

The reason I soft-boil the egg yolks is to preserve as many of the enzymes, vitamins, and other living things as possible. (You’ll find this is a common theme with me.) The CDC would probably have a fit if they knew I was feeding my baby soft-boiled eggs, as they do not recommend it. But I guess I don’t much care, considering the fact that I like to eat my egg yolks raw!

Don’t worry though, I am not careless. The eggs we eat come from a local Hutterite colony. The hens are organic, treated humanely, and allowed to run free and eat grass and bugs. In the winter, they are fed alfalfa hay, never corn or soy. The eggs are fresh and the taste is out of this world!

Just ask Audrey. She’ll tell you all about it!

Reversing Abnormal Gut Flora in Breast-feeding Infants

GAPS, Nutrition for Babies and Children 5 Responses »

Nov 232011

Does your infant experience any of the following: cradle cap, colic, reflux, fussiness, difficulty feeding, eczema, allergies, food sensitivities, or frequent illnesses/ear infections? Any or all of these can be signs of abnormal gut flora, which is a very common (almost universal) occurrence today.

Abnormal gut flora, otherwise known as “leaky gut syndrome,” can be healed at any age by following the GAPS diet and protocol. (See my other article for a brief explanation of abnormal gut flora and GAPS.) However, there is no better and simpler time to heal “leaky gut syndrome” than while an infant is still breast-feeding.

Breast-milk contains IgA which soothes and seals the gut wall. It also contains other immune factors and pro-biotics which help to colonize the baby’s gut flora. If an breast-feeding infant is showing signs related to abnormal gut flora, a few simple steps can assist the breast-milk in its healing work.

1. Avoid foods that are difficult to digest

For Moms

What we eat ends up in our breast-milk, including undigested food particles. Because most of us do have leaky gut syndrome, hard-to-digest foods will leak through and get in our breast-milk. Avoiding these foods will sometimes ease symptoms of “gaps” in babies. Problematic foods may differ from person to person. Common problematic foods include gluten, grains, dairy, and soy. Furthermore, some moms find it helpful to go on the full GAPS diet while breastfeeding. Not only will this course of action work to heal their own digestive tract, it will also allow baby’s digestive tract time to develop properly.

For Infants

Consider delaying the introduction of starchy foods such as potatoes, beans, legumes, nuts, and starchy vegetables (like squash) until around 18 months of age. More importantly, consider delaying introduction of grains until 18 months, and gluten-containing grains until two years.

It is common practice to give very young babies rice cereal as a first food. I do not mean to show disrespect to any mother who has done so. I am only stating facts. Babies do not have the digestive enzyme “amylase” in large enough quantities to properly digest grains until roughly 18 months of age, and even then they may not be ready to handle gluten.

I know this may sound very strange in our culture today. It may help to realize that our practice of feeding grains to young babies is not the norm. Traditionally, in cultures around the world, babies have been fed primarily meat, organ meats, egg yolks, and fat for the first one to two years of life. These things are easy to digest.

Also consider that molars are the teeth responsible for proper chewing of grains (in their natural forms). Adequate levels of digestive enzymes usually correspond with eruption of molars: at around 18 months of age.

Mary G. Enig, PhD and renowned lipid biochemistry expert says (along with Sally Fallon Morell):

“An unfortunate practice in industrial societies is the feeding of cereal grains to infants. Babies produce only small amounts of amylase, needed for the digestion of grains, and are not fully equipped to handle cereals, especially wheat, before the age of one year. (Some experts prohibit all grains before the age of two.) Baby’s small intestine mostly produces one enzyme for carbohydrates—lactase, for the digestion of lactose. (Raw milk also contains lactase.) Many doctors have warned that feeding cereal grains too early can lead to grain allergies later on. Baby’s earliest solid foods should be animal foods as his digestive system, although immature, is better equipped to supply enzymes for digestion of fats and proteins rather than carbohydrates.” (Source)

2. Heal and seal the intestinal wall

This point is simple: consider feeding your baby home-made bone broth. Slow cooked bone broth contains natural gelatin which heals and seals the gut wall.

Here is a quote from the GAPS website:

“Meat and fish stocks provide building blocks for the rapidly growing cells of the gut lining and they have a soothing effect on any areas of inflammation in the gut. That is why they aid digestion and have been known for centuries as healing folk remedies for the digestive tract. ” (Source)

3. Repopulate the beneficial bacteria

For Moms

A breast-feeding mother can enrich her milk with beneficial bacteria by taking a therapeutic grade pro-biotic and/or eating fermented foods.

Probiotics: Not all probiotics are created equal. A general recommendation is to look for a pro-biotic that contains at least 10 billion “colony forming units” (CFUs).

Fermented foods: Foods such as yogurt, kefir, sour cream, and sour kraut contain beneficial bacteria strains. Keep in mind that these foods, when purchased in the store, often do not contain many, if any bacterial cultures. Those that do can be expensive! Fermented foods can be made at home easily, with a starter culture OR whey from home-made yogurt. Here are some recipes from my fellow bloggers. I have not tried any of these yet, but hope to do so very soon!

Old Fashioned Ginger Ale

Home-made Sour Kraut

Fermented Salsa

Lots of other good ideas!

For Infants

Fermented foods can be fed to a baby as soon as he/she begins to eat solids. Breast-feeding infants can also be given a pro-biotic to strengthen beneficial bacteria strains. Look for a baby probiotic, or just use an adult probiotic and follow dosage recommendations for infants.

Important Note: The beneficial bacteria contained in fermented foods/probiotics will kill off overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut. If too much bad bacteria is killed at once, the body’s detoxification may be overloaded, leading to “die-off symptoms” such as fatigue, headache, skin outbreaks, nausea, ect. it is a good idea to start out with very small amounts of fermented foods/probiotics and slowly work up to larger amounts in order to avoid die-off. This is especially important in the case of infants and breast-feeding mothers. Because babies’ bodies are smaller, die-off has a greater effect on them.

Can an Older Baby be Taught to Nurse?

Home Remedies/ Natural Medicine, Nutrition for Babies and Children No Responses »

Nov 012011

I have always heard that older babies cannot be taught to breast-feed. Once a baby forgets how to latch, “they” say, it’s too late. That’s what I’ve always heard anyway. Or maybe I’m just out of the loop!

A couple nights ago, I was browsing through a blog I recently discovered. I ran across two articles, both written by mothers who taught their five-month old babies to breast-feed. These stories are detailed accounts of fierce love and inexhaustible determination.

I am so inspired by these stories and I want to share them here, on my blog, in the hopes that some desperate mother might be helped by them. I did not know this was possible! Through blood, sweat, and tears, these two women kept up their milk supply for months while their baby could/would not nurse; Against all odds, they were able to establish a breastfeeding relationship.

Here are the women’s blog addresses, followed by the links to their articles.

Mamaandbabylove.blogspot.com

This woman’s daughter could not nurse due to severe-tongue tie. After having the tongue-tie fixed, the mother taught her baby to nurse at five months of age. Her daughter still takes a bottle for extra nourishment because she nurses mostly for comfort, but the breastfeeding relationship was established. Here is an article describing the journey:

What to do if Your Baby Won’t Nurse

In this article, the mother describes:

Techniques that she used to teach her baby to latch and nurse.
How to bottle feed an infant in a way that is similar to breastfeeding so as to avoid nipple confusion.
Devices that she used to teach her infant to latch and nurse.
Jaw exercises that increase chances of a baby nursing.

Dou-la-la.blogspot.com

This woman’s daughter could not nurse due to posterior tongue-tie and other structural challenges. Her daughter did not nurse until five months of age. This woman was able to teach her baby to breast-feed exclusively! Here is an article describing her journey:

Our Nursing Saga

In this article she describes:

The pumping schedule she used to keep up her supply, and how she ended up with three times as much milk as her baby needed!
The incredible emotional devastation she felt at not being able to feed her baby, and how she found the strength to keep believing that someday her baby would nurse.
How she finally experienced success using a device called the Lact-Aid.

For any woman experiencing issues with a child not able/willing to nurse, this Lact-Aid may be worth looking into. It allows the baby to practice latching and nursing while receiving a supplemental feeding. This way the baby never completely stops nursing. Issues related to nipple confusion and baby forgetting how to latch are avoided.

I am no expert on this subject, but the two women listed above have been through these difficulties first-hand. I hope their stories can bring hope to other women in similar situations!

Alternatives to Commercial Infant Formula

Nutrition for Babies and Children 1 Response »

Oct 142011

There is no doubt that breast milk is the perfect food for infants. It is full of fat, vitamins, probiotics, enzymes, immune support, and so many other good things that are still in the process of being discovered. Its composition is ever changing based on baby’s needs; Supply increases and decreases in response to baby’s appetite. In short it is impossible to replicate!

But what about the women who can’t breastfeed? What about women who have adopted, or nursing mothers who have dried up prematurely? Is commercial formula the only alternative?

I am a mother, and I understand a mother’s love. Because of this, I remain convinced that if most women knew what is in these formulas they would never give them a second thought. Every brand I have investigated is a concoction of oxidized fat-free or low-fat milk, rancid vegetable oils added back in for fat, other modified proteins, MSG, some type of sugar or sweetener (often refined), and a long list of synthetic compounds that pass off as vitamins and nutrients. For a more in-depth look at some of these ingredients, see my other post. And no, the soy and organic formulas are no better. (That is a post for another day!)

As much as I despise commercial formula, I also feel strongly for women who want to breast-feed but cannot. I know some good mothers who have been forced to feed their infant formula and have felt horrible about it, and others who have trusted their doctors and believed that it is best for their child.

What I would like to do is to offer the alternatives to formula that I am aware of, along with their pros and cons as I perceive them.

So let’s start with the most well-known option: milk banks.

Milk Banks

Milk banks are organizations that accept breast milk donations. They then sell the milk to feed infants whose own mothers are unable to breastfeed.

Cons

I do not like the fact that women donate their milk to these banks, and that the banks turn around and sell the donated milk for several dollars an ounce. That price seems ridiculously high and unaffordable to me, easily reaching prices of over $100 a day. Given the choice between cheap formula (especially when the doctor is recommending formula as if it is a health food) and donor milk at this price, realistically what choice would most people have?
The milk is pasteurized. This destroys the enzymes, probiotics and other living things in the milk. These things are valuable nutritional building blocks that set an infant up for a life of health.
There is no way to know who the milk is coming from. Considering the typical diet in this country, there is a large possibility that the milk could be full of trans fats and other harmful chemicals that do end up in breast milk.

Pros

Even considering the risks, it is my personal opinion that human breast milk is always better than commercial formula

Homemade Formula

I have seen several recipes for home-made formula. I don’t claim to know which one is better, or if any of them come close to replicating human breast milk. I will, however, share a recipe from what I believe is a trustworthy source.

This recipe was developed by the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF). To read their perspective on why this particular formula resembles breast-milk, click here. As shared on their website, here is the recipe:

2 cups whole raw cow’s milk, preferably from pasture-fed cows
1/4 cup homemade liquid whey
4 tablespoons lactose
1/4 teaspoon bifidobacterium infantis
2 or more tablespoons good quality cream (preferably not ultrapasteurized), more if you are using milk from Holstein cows
1/2 teaspoon unflavored high-vitamin or high-vitamin fermented cod liver oil or 1 teaspoon regular cod liver oil
1/4 teaspoon high-vitamin butter oil (optional)
1 teaspoon expeller-expressed sunflower oil
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons Frontier brand nutritional yeast flakes
2 teaspoons gelatin
1-7/8 cups filtered water
1/4 teaspoon acerola powder

Cons

I’m sure you don’t need me to point out that this recipe contains some expensive ingredients. The WAPF claims that this formula rounds out to be about 50 cents cheaper than a commercial organic formula, so anyone who can afford organic formula could probably afford to make this homemade formula. It is more pricey than regular formula, but then again, you get what you pay for.
Raw milk and cream are not always readily available, due to the fact that they are illegal to sell in many states. Usually however, they can be obtained.
The WAPF believes that breast milk is best when it comes from a well-nourished mother. They take a very strong position (well-backed by research) that if the mother is not well-nourished, the child will be deficient in important vitamins and minerals. They claim that this home-made formula is better for the baby than breast-milk lacking in nutrients. But it seems to me that in most cases where a mother could afford the ingredients to this recipe, she could also afford to buy whole, real foods for herself and just continue to breastfeed. For the women who would actually need an alternative due to poor nutrition, this homemade formula would be unrealistic.

Pros

This homemade formula is a much better choice than commercial formulas. It is made with real whole foods instead of processed, dead ones.
Those who have used this formula claim to have extremely healthy, robust children with a high resistance to sickness.
Homemade formula is a more affordable option than a milk bank: raw cows’ milk at 6 dollars a gallon (this varies based on area) vs milk from a milk bank at $4-5 an ounce.

Private Milk Sharing

Private milk sharing is when one mother shares or donates her milk with another. In some cases a friend or acquaintance simply shares their milk. For those without this option (most of us!) there is an organization called Milk Share that exists to match women with donors in their area.

Cons

Milk sharing is generally not accepted in our society. Some woman may not be comfortable with this idea. It may help to remember that we live in a highly sexualized and germaphobic society, both things that I believe have contributed to this aversion to milk-sharing. In fact, hiring of wet nurses has been the norm throughout history. Before the invention of commercial formula, there was no other option!
Because the milk is not pasteurized or regulated in any way, it falls to the parents to ensure that the milk is coming from a healthy, trustworthy source.

Pros

The milk is not pasteurized.
The milk is free.
The quality of the milk can be investigated and controlled.
I cannot say enough good things about this option. It is affordable, it is natural, and it can be accomplished very safely.

I did not know about private milk sharing in this country until very recently! I am so glad that it is an available option!

However, milk banks, homemade formulas, and milk sharing are all better alternatives than commercial formulas. Have any of you had experiences with either of these alternatives? Or do you know of other options? I would love to hear them!

Next week will be another post for breast-feeding moms: what doctors are not telling us about nutrition and breast-milk!

What Moms Need to Know About Formula

Ingredient Label Nazi!, Nutrition for Babies and Children 8 Responses »

Oct 052011

So after the birth of my daughter I was excited to open the “breastfeeding gift” the nurse at the hospital had given me. I was rather disappointed to find a can of formula. Enfamil Premium Newborn to be exact. How exactly this is supposed to help me breastfeed I don’t know! But what I do know is how absolutely horrified I was when I read the ingredients list on the can.

How many of you mothers have heard the statement “breastmilk is best, but if you can’t or don’t want to breastfeed, formula is a healthful alternative. It contains everything your baby needs to grow and thrive.” I would assume you have heard this from a health professional. Because trust me, I’ve heard it a few times. In labor and delivery classes in nursing school to be exact. Where I was taught to parrot out this phrase in order to pass my clinical exams. My class was never shown the ingredients in a can of formula. We were just expected to say what whoever makes these decisions wanted us to say.

My sympathy is with the mothers who trust their health professionals like they should be able to do. I mean in no way to heap guilt on the heads of mothers who may have fed their child formula. But I am going to be very blunt because too many people are clueless about what is in our modern processed foods, and that these same poisons are in our infant formula. What we don’t know is killing us and our children. That is a fact.

So here goes. The first ingredient in Enfamil Premium Newborn:

Non-fat Milk

First of all who ever heard of giving a baby non-fat milk? Babies need fat! And lots of it! That’s why breastmilk is full of saturated fatty acids. In fact, we all need fat. Many of the diseases of modern civilization have been shown to be due to a lack of saturated fats in our diets from grass-fed animals. It is the refined poly-unsaturated fats that are causing heart disease and cancer, along with a host of other ailments. But of course this research has been largely ignored, and it is no surprise that due to conventional health wisdom non-fat milk will turn up in infant formula. Saturated fats, along with the fat-soluble vitamins that are found in them, are absolutely essential for development of the brain, nervous system, immune system, and bone and tooth structure.

But this is not the only problem with non-fat milk. Non-fat milk, just like any low-fat or fat-free dairy product, is a modified protein. Whenever a whole protein is modified, whether it is found in cow’s milk or a soybean, it has a high potential to contain MSG. MSG is an extremely dangerous neurotoxin. On top of this, the process of turning milk into milk powder produces oxidized cholesterol. Oxidized cholesterol in the blood-stream is the beginning point for heart disease.

Lactose

Lactose, or milk sugar, in and of itself is not harmful; in fact breast milk is rich in lactose. But lactose as an added ingredient is not ideal, as it has been removed from the whole food from which it was a part (milk). It is meant to be consumed with the milk protein, enzymes, vitamins and co-factors that milk contains. Also, as part of the extraction process, lactose is heated to high temperatures, successfully changing it from a living food into a dead food. It is a far cry from the raw, living, lactose found in breast milk as part of a whole food.

Also, this ingredient and the previous were taken from factory-farmed cows and are full of growth hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides. Along with all the highly refined processed junk that the cows were fed. It is completely lacking in the vitamins that milk is supposed to be full of. These vitamins come from the chlorophyll in the grass that cows are supposed to eat.

Vegetable oil (Palm Olein, coconut, soy, high oleic sunflower oils)

Vegetable oils are extracted from seeds that contain oil in very minute quantities. These oils were never meant to be extracted from the seeds. They are subjected to a harsh chemical extraction process, leaving harmful chemical residues in the oils. They are poly-unsaturated oils that are unstable due to their multiple double bonded carbons (for anyone who knows chemistry!) They oxidize extremely easily, creating free radicals in the body. They were meant to be eaten as part of the whole seed, which contains the antioxidants necessary to keep these unstable oils from causing damage in the body. But because they are being eaten in isolation and not along with antioxidants found in the seeds they were extracted from, the antioxidants in the consumer’s body must be used to neutralize these toxins. Unfortunately we were not designed to be barraged with the amount of oxidized junk that we are eating, much less is a new-born baby equipped to deal with this. Plain and simple, it is a set-up for cancer later in life.

So as not to cause confusion, let me clarify that two of the oils listed above, palm and coconut oils are natural and beneficial oils. However Palm Olein is only part of the palm oil and has been extracted by fractionation. Fractionation produces a refined oil. And coconut oil, unless specifically listed as virgin or extra-virgin, has been chemically extracted and is very likely highly refined. Many of these refined vegetable oils are so rancid that they must be deodorized before being sent to the shelf.

Whey protein concentrate

Once again, here is a modified protein. This one is known to be full of MSG.

Galactooligosaccharides

Oligosaccharides encourage the growth of beneficial intestinal bacterial in infants, and over 100 different oligosaccharides have been found in breastmilk. In an attempt to mimic this unique benefit of breastmilk, synthetic oligosaccharides, like the one listed above, have been added to formula. The problem with this is obvious: they are synthetic. And like all other synthetic products, years down the road they will be found to cause side effects and contribute to a multitude of health problems.

Polydextrose

This is a synthetic food additive. I don’t think I need to go into the details of why we shouldn’t be eating, let alone feeding our infants anything that has been synthesized in a lab. This is just plain common sense.

And next comes a long list of synthetic “vitamins” and “amino acids.” Without going into too much detail, let me state that in order to be effective, a vitamin must be consumed as part of the whole food in which it is found. For instance, vitamin C is found in an orange. Many other enzymes and co-factors which are a part of vitamin C and are necessary for its function are also found in an orange. These things are missing from the formula, thus the synthetic vitamin C molecule (ascorbic acid) is rendered absolutely useless. It is the same for all synthetic vitamins.

And that is the extent of the ingredients list for Enfamil Premium Newborn. There is not one ingredient listed that is a natural, whole food. Not one of these ingredients is nutritious. In fact, every single ingredient is man-made or man-modified. Most of the main ingredients are extremely harmful to the body, and none of the added “vitamins” are real or effective. This is typical modern, processed, refined, dead food. Not only is it inferior to breastmilk, it is not fit for human consumption. Yet many unsuspecting mothers are feeding these ingredients to their infants thinking that it contains all that an infant needs to grow and thrive.

This non-food formula is indicative of a much wider problem with our modern food in general. It is a good representative of the non-food that most of us eat and feed our children on a regular basis. It is the starting point for all of the horrible diseases that have cropped up over the last century.

How often do you hear a plea from an organization or individual who is desperate to find a cure for cancer, heart disease, type II diabetes, or any number of degenerative neurological diseases? The worst for me is when someone asks “would you like to donate $3 to the children’s hospital to fund the research on cancer?” This makes me want to scream. To scream in anguish for the unnecessary suffering of our children. And to scream in frustration because the solution is right in front of us. Our children do not need to suffer and they don’t need to die of horrible diseases. At the beginning of the 19th century when commercial processing of food and factory farming was just beginning, all of the previously mentioned diseases were rare. This fake, processed, refined non-food is the root of every single one of these diseases. But here we are feeding it to our infants at the advice of our health professionals. We are treating our children as guinea pigs and setting them up for horrible diseases and early deaths.

The solution is simple. We need to feed our children real food. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains properly prepared, animal products from grass-fed animals. Whole, raw, living food. And this starts with infants. Formula is not real food. Breastmilk is. We, as mothers, have the power to do this. We have the power to defeat these horrible diseases and change the health of our children for the better.

UPDATE

What about mothers who would love to breastfeed but cannot because their milk has dried up? This is a concern that is very real to me. I am a mother and I cannot imagine the devastation I would feel if I could no longer breastfeed. Stay tuned because I am going to do a post on this subject soon!