baby question

[BDraw]

Hi! There is a good chance we will be bring a little one into our house. He is less than one year right now. We have adopted his three siblings (3,7,10). Anyway. . . my question . . . what are my options for milk. I know he was not breastfed.

I know I could do almond milk as my other ones get that, but golly I'll be squeezing those almonds forever! And we do not have access to young coconuts.

Any ideas of acceptable formula?

With all this worrying on my part, it may be months yet before we get him. We were ask if we wanted him 6 months ago -- I guess Mom hasn't screwed up enough yet to take him -- poor baby. I know what she has done to the other three, my hopes and prayers are that somehow he stays protected while he is under her care. We will forever be undoing the damage she caused his siblings.

Thanks for any ideas.

[tracyinfo]

Many blessings to you BDraw. Adoption is tough. Two of my three are adopted, and sometimes we go through hell. Then at other times, all is fine and dandy!

Even though you want to buy formula, I would not recommend formula. I would try to commit to making almond or sunflower seed or pumpkin seed milk twice a day. IN the beginning, I wouldn't even sweeten it, unless he wouldn't drink anything. Then I would add a banana for sweetener.

It has been so long for me to have infants, that I am not sure anymore on the timing of lots of solid food, but it seems to me that at one year, they should be able to eat a bit of solids. So their diet is not all liquid.

Best of luck in whatever you decide.

Blessings.

[rawpriestess]

You might try sesame seed milk, made with sesame seeds or tahini, it can be bitter, but it is loaded with calcium, you can add some sweetener if you like.

If you like the taste, she probably will too.

Also, you can just give her fruit, she'll probably love it.

[beauty4ashes]

Those children are so blessed, not only because of the thought you put into preparing their food, and they are coming into a "raw" home but also the love they are recieving from you to undo the abuse. You and Tracy are on a difficult path and I commend you both! What a horrible predicament to be in, knowing that your childrens baby sibling is in the care of an abusive parent. Knowing she has to neglect or abuse this child in order to get him/her to a safe loving home. My heart goes out to you Brenda.
On the formula question. I would agree with all the good sugestions you've gotten, and if you get tired of squeezing all those almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc., maybe try some rice milk that is made for you already. Unfortunately the rice milk is not raw, so you may just chunk my suggestion. But, the vanilla as a base to get living sprouts in my childrens little bodies. I love the way it tastes. I use buckwheat and sunflower sprouts mixed together because I bought a huge bag of seeds already mixed. Grow them for about 7 or 8 days and toss them in the vitamix with a little vanilla rice milk. Or vanilla rice milk with any kind of fruit. We love cantolope smoothies, or honeyew smoothies. Or mango,strawberries,blueberries and grapes. Anything you like, pear shakes are good too.
Now if anyone has some good information of why I should stop doing the rice milk I am teachable! I know it's not raw but sometimes you just do the best that you can.

[Minibean]

Just to offer a different POV...proper nutrition is so critical at that age, a formula may actually be better than a homemade "milk" since formula is made to (as closely as possible) resemble human milk. Especially since this baby has never been breastfed and you don't even know what he has been getting in the way of formula (some are better than others). A source of DHA is especially important at that age, as is Vitamin D and B12 - none of which a homemade milk would offer. I know formula is not raw, so hopefully I won't get in trouble for posting this... JMHO

Also, depending on how old he is when you get him, I wonder if getting breast milk from a milk bank would be an option? Could breast milk be introduced at that age even though he has not had it before? I don't know, I don't have kids...maybe someone else can comment on that. And of course, you wouldn't know the nutritional status of the donor, would you?...just a thought, I have no idea if this would be feasable or even a good idea.

As far as rice milk goes, it is very sweet and does not have much in the way of nutrition (except the fortified ones). Don't the vanilla ones have sugar added?

Again I am not sure if I will get in trouble for mentioning this on a raw board, but Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book Disease-Proof Your Child (I'm reading it now) has a good (but brief) section on feeding young babies and what to do if you can't breastfeed. (The diet he promotes is not raw, but mostly veg and pretty high raw - the info could easily be applied to a raw diet.)

Whichever route you decide to go, good luck.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

It's my understanding that raw goats milk is the closest to human milk.

You might be able to find some place close to you from this site:

http://www.realmilk.com/where1.html

Or maybe you might know a farmer near you that will sell you fresh raw milk. The goats milk you get in the health food stores have been pasturized, so you don't want that.

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[truthseeker]

Ok.....PLEASE don't shoot me anyone :o

But here's a link to a site that is used by some rawbies...not necessarily vegan, store bought certainly isn't unless you buy gmo soy (which before you give any child soy please read about it: http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/infant.html ), but if you knew what went into those formulas from the stores you would surely be looking for a TRULY nutritional recipe for homemade formula :

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html

There are even pictures on the site of babies that have been feed these homemade formulas and you can see how their physical structures are intact just as the research suggests it should be when proper nutrition is given.

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/babies.html

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/tricks.html

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/breastfeed.html

Even if not vegan, it's still IMO good to look at what it is..vitamins, minerals etc...that people are benefiting from and try to find it in plant form. Your sister sounds like a conventional dieter so maybe these pieces of info will at least appeal to her a bit.

Again...PLEASE don't shoot :)

[BDraw]

Thanks for all the information -- hard to believe I forgot I posted the question -- life can get too busy!

I will definately check out all possibliites -- but, you know, it may be another 6 months before we get him. It is so sad that kids have to put up with neglegant parents until they screw up bad enough to cause harm before they are taken. I mean she has already lost her first 5 kids -- somehow I don't think she has a clue!

. . . okay be nice!!! It is sometimes hard, you just want to ring the parents neck when you hear the damage they have done to thier own kids! I could go on forever! But I will spare you and really be nice!

Thanks again!

[Jamie]

BDraw~

Don't think I saw this mentioned, but what about paying someone to pump their breastmilk for you?? Sounds weird but I have a great friend who did it for a family that adopted...And I would be willing to do it for someone if they really needed it. I think that is a great thing for a woman to be able to do for child...

Just a suggestion.

Blessings,
Jamie

[Autumn]

BDraw,
I'm sorry I don't have any advice regarding the breastmilk/formula, but I just wanted to wish you the very best and hope that this little angel comes to live with you and her siblings very soon.

<<It is so sad that kids have to put up with neglegant parents until they screw up bad enough to cause harm before they are taken. I mean she has already lost her first 5 kids -- somehow I don't think she has a clue!
. . . okay be nice!!! It is sometimes hard, you just want to ring the parents neck when you hear the damage they have done to thier own kids!>>

For two years I proofread psychological reports for a foster care agency and DHR. Ala. is big into "family preservation". It constantly amazed me the amount of times, and the intensity of the biological parents' screw-ups before all parental rights were terminated. It made me sick very often. *sigh*

Bless you for taking all these children and providing a wonderful, loving and nurturing home for them.