Anyone feeding Nutramigen or Alimentum? Or Elecare?

prayin4ablssn

Holy cow bells this stuff STINKS! Is it just me and my sensitive nose or what? Our GI specialist said in her experience, most babies prefer the taste of the Alimentum over Nutramigen. What have your experiences been? Why was your baby put on it? We are on it due to a suspected intolerance to cow milk and soy milk. If it doesn't seem to help with the horrid spitting up problems she said we will have to go to Elecare. Does your insurance cover Elecare? Do you use the non flavored or vanilla flavored? Now everything I smell reminds me of the Alimentum, including my lean cuisine dinner. Blegh. I can't even begin to imagine how horrible it must taste.

TriciaJoy

Robbie has been on all 3 at one point or another (all back when he was still eating by mouth.)
He would not eat the alimentum AT ALL. In the NICU he would spit it out. The nurses kept saying he was "too young to have a palate" but he would spit it out anyway. Even just mixed into breastmilk, he was NOT interested.

The nutramigen he would eat a little, but we tried that after he had already decided he wasn't eating anything, so it's hard to say if he wouldn't eat it because it was gross or because he wouldn't eat or both. 

The elecare (vanilla) he would eat, but it actually made his reflux about 100 times worse (he actually ended up in the hospital with dehydration from puking it) so that didn't last long. 

kkh2002

We switched from NeoSure to Nutramigen as soon as Sarah was discharged from the NICU.  I felt that the NeoSure (milk based) was contributing to her reflux, lack of interest in eating, eczema, gas and her general fussiness.  I have a milk protein allergy myself and it causes my own reflux and eczema to flair.  All of her issues have improved considerably with the Nutramigen. 

To me it doesn't smell any worse than the NeoSure, but after 30+ years of allergies and antihistamines, I really can't smell much at all.  Maybe in this case that's a good thing??  As for her eating, she doesn't give us any problem with it.

Rachel&Joe

DD is on Neocate which is similar to the Elecare (DD is on WIC since she is on Medicaid due to her low birth weight so they pay for her formula).  it does not smell nearly as gross as the alimentum (we tried it--since it still has some dairy protein in it, it still made her really sick) but i tasted it & it's DISGUSTING.  i feel bad giving it to her honestly but it's all she can drink.

preheatedoven

My DS is one Neocate after being on Nurtramigen and Alimentum for suspected milk and soy allergies. It definitely took some getting used to. For the first few days he would barely eat any of it and actually liked it better with the stinky vitamins in it.

Our insurance does cover the Neocate but only b/c we are also seeing a GI specialist. 

lemen99

Andrew didn't like Nutramigen or Alimentum! We didn't try Elecare!

Lizard1131

DD LOVED the unflavored Elecare.  She is milk protein intolerant.  it smelled and tasted like vomit to me, but hey she ate it!  Now she drinks rice milk.  Our ins did cover it, but it was mandated by the state we lived in at the time (CT).

shanrob

Francie is on Alimentum and really had no problems with it.  She was put on it around 3 months due to severe reflux and i think it's helped.  I can't honestly say it was a miracle because I didn't see a HUGE difference, but I do think it made things a bit better.  

Lavender444

Andrew is on Elecare or Neocate. Either smell like the Nutramigen did! I feel like they make him really gasy and constipted though. He is on it for possible protein allergies to my BM. Right now we are able to BF twice a day. I'm hoping to get back to just BM soon,

We've so far been lucky and have been given free formula from NICU and the Ped's office so I don't know if insurance covers it or not.

BabyRolston1

Natalie is receiving some Nutramigen in her breastmilk (and occasional bottles of just formula when my supply is low) to help beef her up... and because they think she has a cow's milk allergy and that's the only thing she can tolerate. We were told that Nutramigen tastes better than Alimentum, but I can't imagine how ANY of that stuff tastes good. She keeps it down, mostly, but I think that is because it's mixed in with the breastmilk, and not straight. I've given her a few bottles of just the Nutramigen and she's projectile spat it back at me. Not sure if it's just too rich for her or what. I hadnt' heard of Elecare... perhaps I'll ask about it at her next appointment!