My daughter (10 1/2 weeks) just started on Neocate after having blood in her stool with a milk based formula and Nutramigen... Doctor (Pedi GI) would also like her average weight gain per day to be a little higher. We started switching over on Thursday (3 oz to 1 oz). Then on Friday at 24 hours, we started mixing 2 oz to 2 oz, which she took. She definitely didn't love it, because we could tell that it was taking her longer to eat than normal. She woke up earlier this morning (9 hours since her last feed) and barely choked down an ounce. I'm sure she's still hungry, but she's not taking it. I was surprised, since its still 2 oz to 2 oz, which she did take yesterday. This afternoon, we are supposed to switch over to 3 oz of Neocate to 1 oz of Nutramigen, but if she's not even taking 2 oz to 2 oz, I don't think that will be successful at all. Has anyone else run into this and found a way to get their little ones to take the Neocate? I'm sure she's hungry. :( Thanks!
Thanks for the suggestions. She seems to be doing a little better with it, but she definitely doesn't like it and I hate giving it to her (It smells SO terrible!). I feel bad she has to drink it. I'm on medicine that I have to take, but passes through breastmilk, so that was never an option for us. I'm planning on checking with the pedi GI tomorrow to see if he has any additional suggestions.
Thank you!
With my first, I had to switch from exclusively breasted to Neocate and bottles. It was horrivble. Took 3 days for her to take a full bottle. Neocate is gross, hang in there!
I don't know if you're open to this or not, but if the formula continues not working, there are many moms who have successfully eliminated dairy from their diets and nursed their milk allergic babies. You can get your milk supply back with a little work and knowledge. A La Leche League leader could help you with this and you can research it at www.kellymom.com, too, if you decide it's something you want to try. Good luck!
That stuff is nasty. Babies have only a few sources of comfort and food is one of them. That stinks that eating is something she is not enjoying.
If your baby is not wanting to eat something that taste so bad why would it be given to help her eat? My son was on Nutramigen and that stuff was gross! Smelled like death and the stools where awful. I switched him to a Gentle (milk based) formula and worked well plus I wasn't paying the high cost of Nutramigen.
Also has she been tested for a milk allergy? Sometimes it's just the formula and not a milk base problem. Poor baby girl, hope you get something that works for her "(
C.
Hi. My son was on neocate for years. He had a terrible time with Nutramagen and imo that stuff smelled like death. I found the Neocate much easier to bear. Could you go straight to Neocate and skip the mix? Maybe its the Nutramagen she doesn't like. You didn't mention breastfeeding at all, so no judgment from me, but if you are able, consider an elimination diet for yourself. My son was allergic to dairy, soy, wheat, eggs and a handful of other things (crazy!). I actually cut all of it out for 6 months and just supplemented him with the Neocate. (Coffee finally broke me, the kid itched when I drank black coffee). Hey, and one saving grace for me was I lost 40 pounds to under my prepreg weight. Healthiest I've been in my life.
But hang in there. Despite all my work on my diet, he was *much* better when finally on only Neocate. I'm glad he got the antibodies for 6 months, but his whole health, digestion, skin, everything was a 1000 times better on the Neocate when he was no longer exposed to any allergens. Its all a balance!
Good luck, she'll make it through.
S.
I tastes awful! Taste it. I did and and it tasted like I think chaulk would taste! Yuck! My doc said to add 2 drops of vanilla extract to it. My baby still didn't love it but didn't gag! Check with your pedi and see if its ok to do that. Good luck!
My ds is on Elecare, so basically the same thing. We didn't do a gradual transition, and he was on increased calories (5 scoops to 8oz water), so it was a real shocker to the poor thing. He actually screamed and cried with the first few bottles.
On the bright side, he got over it within 24 hours, realizing it was better than nothing. 3 months later, he looks forward to that nasty smelling gunk!
Would your GI support you going to straight Neocate? I'm not really sure why they're doing the gradual transition, anyway. It's just going to take longer for all of the proteins to leave her system.
Of course, I suppose switching to Elecare is technically an option, but I promise there's no way it tastes any better, lol!
My son did the same thing...he refused to take it! Have u tryed it its gross!!! 8 took him to a nutritionist she said corn syrup! It worked like a charm. Graduly I reduced the amount of corm syrup and he took it without aNy thing. I have also heard alcohol free vinilla works.. good luck!
When we did the same thing, we took at least 3 days at each "level". Our DD was not a fan either, but it helped to go slower and in the long run she was happier. Good luck!
