How to get my 16 week old to transition to Nutramigen or Alimentum

[taygensmom]

So the first formulas are still milk based right, just broken down? Is the neocate milk based?

[Jimbob]

No neocate is not milk based.

Kelly

[Mydreamcametrue]

Just to add, most kids with a milk and soy allergy can handle Nutramigen or Alimentum just fine.  Personally I would do Nutramigen.  It does smell really bad and as you can see some babies have a hard time taking it.

Like Kelly said, some still cannot tolerate that little bit of milk, even though it is so broken down to not cause an allergic reaction.  If that is the case, Neocate and Elecare is the last option.  You cannot buy these formula's in the store.  You can go to the Website or Ebay and order them or you can get your local phramacy to place an order, but it is $50.00 for 1 small can that way.  To be honest, I found Neocate and Elecare not to smell nearly as bad as the Nutramigen. 

evygayle:  When is your GI appt?  Just to warn you, not sure if your GI doctor will be like mine, but when we took my 6 month old (he was 2 months at the time).  They bascially said "Look, you have switched formula's way to much and often, you need to stick to one formula for a full 2 weeks and see what happens".

Yeah easy for them to say when your baby is screaming and crying all day and night.  As parents we just want a solution.  But, I would really try to decide which formula you want to try and stick with it. 

If it was me I would 1 of 3 things:
1.) Breastfeed only (unless your supply is really low) and cut our ALL milk and soy ingredients (even hidden).  There are some great info. on here about which ingredients to avoid).

2.) Is it possible to pump your milk (not give it to him) and freeze, so you have it for the future and you can keep up your supply with pumping

and then

3.) Keep trying the hypo-allergnic formula or stick with the Good Start and see.  I have read tons of babies that just had gassy and fussiness and reflux did respond well to the Good Start.

My first son refused Nutramigen the first time we gave it to him and I gave up, but then did not have a choice but to keep trying and finally after a few attempts he did take to it.

Good Luck....  Keep us posted. Wendy

[evygayle]

Thanks Wendy...I hadn't logged on for a couple days and you answered my question already!!! I have been really trying to just nurse Ryan and supplement if I need to. His gas has been at an all high- it's so sad- he sounds like a little hollow chamber with bubbles inside and then screams when the gas finally comes out too....funny you mentioned the switching formulas b/c I was worried a lot about that too. I told the doc (regular peds) that I was on the GS and she said 'great' but then offered me Gentlease to try. Huh?? So I thought of trying it and I did for two small bottles and he screamed all night. So now I'm sticking with the GS for at least 2 more weeks (mostly BF).....He hasn't gained weight so I'm afraid to try the Nutramigen right yet until I know the GS is not working and leaving him extra gassy. If so, I'm going to stop the supplements of GS and cut out my milk/soy and try to pump, weaning Nutramigen in. Does that sound allright to you? I don't mind pumping but sometimes it is hard with the other two children when I'm always with the baby and pumping when I'm not holding or with him. It's a balancing act. I never knew eating could be such an issue (of course, until the toddler years!)

:)Evin

[Mydreamcametrue]

Gosh poor thing.  I really feel for you.  Tyler (my 6 month old) was just like that the first 3 months.  It was awful.  We actually spent 1 night in the hospital because of it.  He was in so much pain.

We ended up on Elecare, the amino acid based formula and within a month he was doing so much better.

Now, I don't know if it was just something he grew out of or 1 thing that the GI doctors realized with him was that he had a tight anus. 

It is called anal stenosis.  He was having a hard time getting even soft liquid poop out and all his gas was backing up and causing pain.

So, I had to do anal stretches 2 times a day to stretch his butt.   

Yeah, trust me no fun, but it does not cause them any pain, just relief.  You would not believe the gas he would let out.

All I did was get a rubber glove, put KY Jelly on my pinky finger, insert it just to the knuckel and move it side to side. 

Before that I would use a Q-tip and just insert it a tiny bit and he would blow out so much gas.

Not telling you to do this, but that was our problem.

Does he seem constipated any?

If the GS does not seem to help, I would cut out all dairy in my diet and really try hard to get him to take Alimentum or Nutramigen.

Sorry you have to go through this.  I know it is hard with other kids.