Got Goat?

Cora had a first Doctor's appointment since we started on her new and improved formula.... 

 I'll back up a bit and give the brief Low Down on her.  She was fussy and miserable from the time she was born.  By four weeks I took her to her Dr. and started what was a stressful month or so of figuring out what was wrong with our little girl.  Turned out she had a milk protein allergy and acid reflux (Thank God, after what we were having to prepare her for) After cutting Dairy from my diet, then trying nutramigen, we ended up on Elecare.  Elecare is a prescription formula that we ordered from the pharmacy which insurance covered with a $25 copay.  Sweet!!!  She had been on Elecare a couple of months but was still very raspy while breathing so we were sent to Pulmonologist. He linked it back to the acid reflux linked to the allergy. Anyway, We changed insurance and they gave me the whopper that they would not cover the formula.  I had to figure something out considering I didn't/couldn't pay $600/month for formula.  I followed my motherly intuition (which I don't have often) and decided to make Cora's formula myself.  I did lots of research and found this formula recipe which I tweaked a bit myself, because I felt it was the most complete and was not too crazy (no, I'm not putting pureed raw liver in my baby's bottle, yuck) 

2cups Goat Milk

2cups enriched rice drink

1/2t probiotics

1t calcium magnesium

1t multivitamins

1t iron

2t flax seed oil

10 drop trace mineral

I prayed ALOT about the decision to makethis.  I was terribly nervous because it would be my sole responsibility to nourish her properly.   I had family and friends praying: that she would like the taste, respond well to it, I  would have the discipline to make it everyday, and that I would not be in denial if she wasn't doing well on it.  

God also gave me some very obvious "confirmations" that this was the right thing to do.  I asked my aunt who has a farm if she knew of any milking goats.  She said, "Actually, the ones in our barn (that I saw give birth) are milking right now until the end of the fair.  They will take home the milk and pasteurize it for you then bring it back and they don't want any money."  Really?!! Could it be anymore obvious...

This is one of the goats I saw born who was responsible for getting the milk flowing :)

So in conclusion, Cora went to the Dr. today she was very pleased with her growth, her breathing, and she didn't think I was a complete wacko ;)