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First: My Why (you can scroll to step 1 if you don’t want to read the blogg-y part.)

When my breastfeeding journey came to an end, we had to turn to formula. Despite all the hard work I put into producing enough milk to feed my baby, my body just wasn’t able to. Though I had a lot of emotions around it, we had to turn to formula. I am grateful to the first people who tried to use animal milk, those who learned how to dehydrate it, for making it more accessible to the general public, and to all the hands and animals whose energy goes into feeding my baby.

I was, however, disgusted to find out that so many of the formulas I could purchase in the US listed corn syrup within the first few ingredients (usually the first!) GROSS! I thought, How the heck are babies growing up healthy and eating CORN SYRUP 24/7 for months on end? No wonder we have such high rates of obesity and diabetes. 

I had to find a better option. While doing my research, I bought the best formulas I could locally. Many of them still sucked. We tried soy, thinking that her constant spitting up was related to a lactose intolerance. My mother-in-law also informed us that my husband needed soy as a baby. Within 48 hours, my baby’s complexion changed, and she smelled sick to me. I immediately stopped it, and she quickly improved over the next few days. But I still hadn’t found a readily accessible formula that didn’t have corn syrup. 

Side note: Trust your gut, parents. It may sound funny that my daughter didn’t “smell healthy” to me, but we are animals, too! We can use all of our senses to navigate the world around us.

To get me out of the house, my mom suggested a Target trip for baby clothes (an hour’s drive for us). I popped into the formula section to see their options. From the main aisle, it already looked like it had more than my local stores. I discovered Kendamil there. Guess what? The first ingredient is WHOLE MILK. Finally! Reading further, there’s no corn syrup, soy, or other junk in US formulas.

Directly from the Kendamil website: ‘In 2022, the US faced an unprecedented and disastrous shortage of infant formula, leaving families anxious about accessing safe and reliable options for their babies. To address this crisis, the FDA had to explore importing infant formula from other countries. Rigorous reviews were conducted to ensure that only brands meeting the FDA’s stringent nutritional and safety standards were allowed to officially enter the US market. Kendamil, a brand with a longstanding relationship with the FDA, was among the approved formulas. Prior to this official availability, numerous social media groups, forums, and unregulated websites offered EU-made formulas through questionable means, raising concerns about product handling and storage conditions.”

I was sold. We tried the whole cow’s milk first. Ember tolerated it but ended up having horrible gas. I didn’t want her to become uncomfortable from gas pains, so I chose to try the goat’s milk next. Extra gassiness gone, and far less spit up! I was, however, feeling a little overwhelmed that it didn’t feel as easy to prepare as the US formula. You know, just dump any old room temperature water into a bottle and measure out the formula, mix, and done.

The European formula instructions were to boil water, then let it cool to no less than 158 F, then mix and let it cool to drinking temperature. Who has time for that when your baby is hungry NOW? In an odd turn of events, I found myself on Reddit for the first time in my 30 years of life. I luckily (or by universal design) came across a post about formula. Under which a couple of European moms had given their tips. They simply prepare a batch of formula and keep it in the refrigerator, warming bottles as needed. YES!

So, before I get into any more, I will give you the daily European formula preparation I do for a quart jar of milk.

Safety Disclaimer: This process and storage is NOT recommended by Kendamil or any health organization. This is the process a real-life mom uses and has without issues for the last 6 months (at the time of writing.)

Step 1: Warm the water

Okay, my understanding is that in Europe, there is a higher use of public water for preparing formula. Their public health plan of action is to instruct parents to boil the water to eliminate any water-born pathogens. 

“A pathogen means an agent that causes disease to a host, and waterborne pathogens are the causative agents (usually living organisms) for diseases that are being transmitted through water.” – NIH

In the United States, this can still be a concern. If you are using tap or well water, I agree you should always sanitize your water before mixing it with formula. The CDC recommends a water temperature of 130-140 F to kill most waterborne pathogens. However, “Powdered infant formula is not sterile and can sometimes have germs (such as Cronobacter). Very hot water (around 158°F/70°C) is needed to kill these germs.”

CDC 2

If you trust your bottled water source, you may be able to skip this step or skip it when you’re on the go. I do not recommend making it a regular habit due to the increased risk of pathogen contact with your precious baby.

Anyway, to warm up my water, I utilize this Gooseneck Kettle. I already had it at home because I’m a tea drinker and like to set the temperature based on the herbs I’m brewing. There are a lot of other types of kettles you can use.

I’m using well water that I have run through a Zero Water Filter 10 cup pitcher. I keep a pitcher in the refrigerator.

– Fill the Kettle to the max water fill line

– Set the temperature to 165 F (this gives me some wiggle room due to the glass jar cooling the water as I pour)

– Takes about 5 minutes from refrigerator temp of about 35 F to 165 F. I measure formula While the water is warming.

Step 2: Measuring the formula

I am using Kendamil Goat Formula for Infants 0-12 months. (Available at Target in the United States.) There are several varieties of Kendamil (both cow and goat, and both have organic options.) Please do not use this measurement for all of them without ensuring that it’s accurate first!

• Using a kitchen scale and a clean and dedicated wide mouth 8 ounce jar: measure 120 grams of formula (or 24 scoops)

Notes:

• I have, on several occasions, individually measured 24 scoops. I took the average and each scoop averages 5 grams. So, however many ounces I am making, I can measure 5 grams per ounce of water for the Kendamil Goal Infant formula ONLY. I have not done this with the other varieties. You will have to do it yourself. I’m measuring by weight because they SELL IT BY WEIGHT, too. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me. My baby continues to grow at an appropriate rate and has appropriate baby chubbs.
• I keep two dedicated formula jars pre-measured in a basket on top of our refrigerator. That way, if my husband is at home while I am working, he can easily make a batch of milk. I did have to teach him how to use the kettle, but it’s just a button and knob. This man helps build industrial piping, so I knew he could handle it. Ladies & gentlemen, please assess your partner accordingly (just kidding!)

Step 3: Time to mix!

This is super simple. Especially if you’re like me and use a sharpie to help!

• Get your clean and dedicated quart jar. (I recommend wide mouth and TWO of them. That way you always have a clean spare. I rotate them daily.)
• A clean fluid measuring cup. You can measure by ounces or by milliliters (bonus points if you’ve serilized it. But remember, your water is hot!)
• In the glass measuring cup, measure out 24 ounces OR 720 milliliters (1 ounces = 30 ml. If you are doing any other volume, measure accordingly.)
• Pour the measure water in the quart jar. (Then use the sharpie to mark the volume. Then you can just pour up to the line directly from the kettle!)
• Add the 24 scoops OR 120 grams of measured Kenadmil Goat Infant Formula to the hot water in the jar
• Stir with a long spoon OR add the lid and shake (shaking will cause pressure to build up and the jar will need “burped” to release that pressure. I do recommend the stirring personally to avoid burning yourself on accident. I like to use this wide-mouth jar pouring lid.
• Let cool 1-2 hours before putting in the refrigerator. The time varied based on the temperature of the room. (cooler= less time. warmer= more time)
• Use the milk within 24 hours. (Full disclosure, I have accidentally gone to 30 hours before with no issues. There is just an increased risk of bacterial growth the longer the unused milk is kept.)

Step 4: Feeding baby prepared milk

My baby is hungry and the milk I prepared is in the refrigerator. Now what? Good news! There’s a few things you can do now.

1. Use a bottle warmer (we do this!) We have a Parent’s Choice bottle warmer that was a gift from some friends. It has served us well. We use the Philips AVENT bottles. (Here’s the link for different nipple sizes, too.) Use whatever one you have or that works with your bottles. Our little girl usually only drinks 4 ounces at a time (every 2 hours, in case you were comparing.) We pour out 4 ounces into an bottle from the jar and 
2. Use hot water from the tap. My mom’s water gets scalding hot, so she just fills a little bowl enough to cover the volume of milk in the bottle, and sets the 4 ounces bottle in the water for about 4 minutes.
3. There is actually not much reason other than preference for babies to have warm milk. Breast milk is body temperature, so it is preferred. However, if it’s a hot day, your baby may enjoy a cool drink. Go ahead and try giving the cold milk!

On-the-Go Feeding tips

One of the biggest issues I had with formula is that I felt tied to my kitchen. It took me months to be comfortable leaving the house. It takes a little bit of planning. Here are some tips that I’ve done.

1. Take your cold milk jar and bottle warmer with you. If you’re going to a friend of family members house, they likely have a refrigerator and an outlet you can use. Take 1-2 bottles and maybe some dish soap. You do not have to sterilize your bottle every time if you wash it with some soapy warm/hot water. However, most bottle warmers also have a sterilize function!
2. Diaper bags usually have a bottle pocket that has insulation lining. Get thin lunchbox ice packs and fill however many bottles you need while you’re out. Fill a thermos with hot water (tip, use the Gooseneck Kettle set to the max temp of 212 F) and use that hot water to both warm your milk as needed and to rinse you bottles. Buy a dollar store size soap or portable soap holder from the travel section and fill your own. Just a drop will be find. Shake it up and rinse the soap out with more water.
3. Create a make-as-needed pack like I did when I first started leaving the house before knowing how to make a full batch ahead of time. I’ll list the supplies here.

• Lunch Box
• Philips AVENT 8 ounce bottle (or other preferred bottle)
• 1 small bottle of soap
• portable formula carrier (the scoop is slightly too big. Throw in a spare Kendamil scoop!)
• 32 ounce Thermos (hot water in this one so it lasts. Again, will use for making milk and for bottle washing.)
• Small soup thermos (I put ice in this one to quickly cool the bottle to drinking temperature. You want to leave the milk hot for about 5 minutes to ensure you’e killing any food born bacteria that may be in the formula. Remember, formula isn’t sterile!)
• BONUS: Portable wash basin sink

I used this one the summer she was born to go to the local Mountain Craft Days festival with my mom for a few hours and a festival with my husband later. It was nice to not have to worry about keeping milk cold. You could add a touch more formula (maybe half an ounce/scoop) if you’e worried about the ice diluting the milk. I figued a few every so slightly diluted milk feedings wouldn’t be harmful, and they weren’t.

Okay, now that all that information is available, I want to get into why we use goat’s milk and some other pertinent data that’s worth knowing.

Goat’s Milk

Giving up breast feeding the day I only pumped 3 ounces in 24 hours was crushing to me. I did EVERYTHING I could find to support my body to produce an adequate amount to feed my baby. It just wasn’t happening for me. I’ll write moe about including the steps I took in a separate blog.

After becoming disgusted with the option available, I found Kendamill and goat milk. Yes, there are some people that feed their babies/kids fresh goats milk. There are many reasons that is not recommended, most of them are related to the increased risk of bacterial exposure that can make us sick.

That being said, I did learn that goat milk digests more similarly to human breast milk  in the stomach than cow milk does. I wondered why there was far more cow milk formula options.. Then thought, “Oh, well cow’s are much bigger and it probably takes more goats to make the same volume of milk that one can can!” So, if you’re wondering why the goat milk costs more, remember that!

I want to share why goats milk is beneficial directly from this page on the Kendamil website. They have a lot of blog posts regarding formula support, post partum and mother/baby support, baby care information, and formula information, including comparing popular brands. I highly encourage any parent or caregiver to do their research before making any health decisions, and I want you to know that I am willing to provide you with all the information I can.

Here’s the Kendamil page with mythbusting facts about goat milk.

Kendamil offers more information on things like colic, allergens, frequent stools, and reflux and how goat milk may help here.

Other and Supporting Information

• Powdered baby formula is not sterile (Mayor.) Both European AND United States brands. If you’re concerned about the risk of introducing harmful bacteria that may be naturally living in your formula, heat our water source. 
• Ready to Feed Formulas are sterile. You should pour out of the main container to keep it clean and follow the instructions on the bottle for storage.
• “But tap water is not sterile, meaning it might have germs in it. Even when the public water system is working correctly, a small number of germs that naturally occur in the environment can still be in the water.
• These germs can grow and multiply in the pipes inside a home or building if the conditions are right.” – CDC 1
• Water temperatures of 120-140 F kill most water born bacteria – CDC 1
• “Even though temperatures of 120-140 F kill most water bacteria, Powdered infant formula is not sterile and can sometimes have germs (such as Cronobacter). Very hot water (around 158°F/70°C) is needed to kill these germs.” – CDC 2

Iron Amount Concerns

When I first started feeding Kendamil to Ember, they were still going through the FDA process for becoming a certified brand to be sold in US stores. During that time, there were some parents that brought up concerns that there was a shift in the amount of iron the formula was fortified with. The change was made because of United States FDA guidelines backed by information from the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

I tried to find concise US resources to share with you, but they’re wordy and difficult for the average reader to understand. Then I jumped back over to the Kendamil website and they clearly and concisely share this:

“For infant formula USA regulations require baby formulas to contain at least 1mg of iron per 100kcal, whereas European guidelines require at least 0.3mg per 100kcal. This is because all USA formulas are required to be nutritionally complete for babies ages 0 to 12 months, whereas British (and European) formulas have varying nutrient levels based on the stage for which the formula is designed.”

If you are a parent using any other type of formula, like Bobba, Hipp, etc, there may be a different iron content. However, if they are FDA approved and complaints, they will have to meet this minimal guideline for iron fortification. Kendamil is currently the only European made formula that has taken the steps to become FDA approved and they’ve done so to provide Americans with a better formula option (and maybe a little for profit.) Please do not fault Kendamil for having to comply with US standards.

Resources:

Kendamil- us.kendamil.com

Mayor S. FAO/WHO meeting warns of contamination of powdered infant formula. BMJ. 2004 Feb 21;328(7437):426. doi: 10.1136/bmj.328.7437.426-d. PMID: 14976093; PMCID: PMC344302.

CDC 1

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/preventing-waterborne-germs-at-home.html#:~:text=Set%20the%20Water%20Heater%20Temperature&text=A%20water%20temperature%20of%20130,or%20shower%20to%20avoid%20scalding.

CDC 2

https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/formula-feeding/infant-formula-preparation-and-storage.html

NIH –https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC344302/