Adding calories to solids, can I use formula???

[~*Nicole*~]

So DS has some intollerances. Some we know about (dairy/soy) from when I BF and eliminated....others, we're not so sure yet. He is on neocate and was able to start solids but we've gone backward with something bothering him and causing tummy pain, loose/green/mucousy stools or firm hard solid tiny rock stools. I am ditching cereals and going back to the first foods we were successful with. So now it's neocate and pears. He isn't taking in much formula at the moment and I suspect teething to be the reason. He will gladly eat a whole container of pears or other solids were I offering. I am afraid he's going to lose weight, lose out nutritionally overall.

Would adding a scoop of his formula to his solid food be harmful?

[Jimbob]

I used to add neocate to solids but only when it was made up as a formula, I don't know if you can add the powder straight to the solids to be honest. Can you ask your HV or do you see a dietician at all? Your GP may be able to advise you on this also.

[Jimbob]

You could also contact nutricia I believe they are very helpful and I think they are able to answer questions like this.

Here is a link http://www.neocate.com/contact/

Kelly x

[~*Nicole*~]

If I add it as a liquid it will make the food too liquidy as I am using jarred pears. I could add the liquid if I was using cereal....perhaps I'll call his GI doctor. Good idea.

[Buntybear]

I have got a Nutramigen recipe booklet. I will dig it out later and see how it is used there.

[~*Nicole*~]

GI's office called back and said they saw nothing wrong with adding scoops of formula to his food. I am happy to have a strategy to use when he's off eating from teething and such and also when we inevitably have to go backward with foods.

[Buntybear]

Hi, Finally located the booklet today! Do you still need me to have a look or are you sorted now?

[Jimbob]

I am glad you are able to add the neocate powder directly to his solids. This way at least you will your ds is getting as much nutrition as possible when he is teething.

Kelly x

[~*Nicole*~]

Buntybear-If you could take a look I would appreciate it. We ended up with constipation and a fever (somehow related as there were no other symptoms of illness??? Fever subsided when a good poop finally emerged. Who knows. Now I don't know, though, if adding formula to solids without water added to the constipation?

He is surely not an easy to feed baby!

[Buntybear]

OK, it is actually a Cow and Gate booklet and they have used Pepti to calulate the nutritional analysis. They are proper recipes ie shepherds pie and so it is hard to say how much you should be adding to some puree. I would guess if he has tummy troubles it may be a bit much if it is 'raw'?

But yes, they do add powder to foods ie an omelette suitable from 6 months is 1 egg, 2 sccops formula, 1 tbsp water, soya cheese -mix together and cook.

HTH

[katyusha]

My DS was not gaining enough and has dairy/soy allergy. The health visitor advised adding olive oil to all his foods. Have to say asthma and eczema did not help him and things only improved when those two things got better. However we were diagnosed with all this much later at 11 months. tan of cause there is teething. If you are trying to bulk up the food, can you use baby rice? It is fairly basic, bland and non sweet and unlikely to cause allergies. I used to thicken  purees with it. As for hard poos I know that teething causes dribbling and loss of water that way. So one health visitor said this impacts on nappy rash (urine more concentrated) and stools. Who knows. Are things better now?

[~*Nicole*~]

Things are better. He was gassy last night and woke often but not too horrible as he did go back to sleep after passing some gas and having a bottle two of the times.

His stools are back to being "normal". We're trialing mango at the moment. The rice may or may not have contributed to the constipation as my mom was feeding it to him fairly often.

I had wondered about adding olive oil to his foods but wasn't sure if that would lead to runny stools??? I guess if I add chicken and/or rice cereal back in to his diet the olive oil could balance that out?

[katyusha]

Did he have allergy tests done? DS had his done today, waiting for results. Was told that eggs, fish and lots of other things could be causing my DS to have skin and snotty nose issues, so hard to say. Rice is fairly bland though, and chicken too, and they have plenty of nutrients. Worth a try.

[tigerlilly905]

You could always try homemade bone broth.  Cover chicken bones w.filtered water, bring to a boil and let simmer for approx 3 hrs. (preferably using organic chicken bones, leave in all of the fat that accumulates) Chicken broth in particular is very soothing for the digestive system and healing for the gut lining from a holistic perspective. It's also quite safe from a hypoallergenic perspective. Homemade chicken stock is actually the base used if you make homemade HAF.

I would also look into either coconut oil or fermented cod liver oil. Both are very high is healthy fats which would be easy to mix into foods. 

Coconut oil is extremely high in lauric acid (the same substance that gives BM it's healing properties). I would recommend Nutiva Coconut Oil.  Coconut oil is solid at room temp, but becomes a liquid if heated any higher, so it would be easy to put some liquid coconut oil in pears ect.

Fermented Cod Liver oil has been used for centuries for it's healing purposes. Along with it's healthy fats it also contains high levels of natural Vit D and Vit A. Green Pastures FCLO is one of the best on the market.

Go slow if introducing Coconut Oil or FCLO of course to watch for reaction, but they can be wonderfully nourishing and healing foods.

xo

[~*Nicole*~]

I was staring at the coconut oil in the grocery store the other day, contemplating purchasing it for DS  hehe

Thank you for all the tips, Rebecca!

katyusha-No allergy tests done. I thought about it, but he doesn't seem as though he has an actual allergy. No rashes, only a runny nose when teething or ill, no breathing issues, no swelling, etc. Seems to only have intestinal issues and reflux. I hope your results come back soon and as annoying as allergies are, at least then you'll have some answers and can try to use that information to clear up his skin and nose!