Baby refusing Nutramigen - help!

Christine&Chris

I've been an EPer since birth, and DD has had nothing but BM, ever.  She has a milk protein sensitivity and pedi has us keeping Nutramigen as an emergency backup. Well...looks like that emergency is happening - all of a sudden I'm losing my supply big time and will need to start supplementing.  I have no freezer stash, having "lost" it all when we discovered her intolerance, and I can't pump enough for her feedings - she must take the formula, but she won't!!

DD is letting it pool in her mouth and spitting it out, arching away, and generally refusing the Nutramigen. I've read the taste can be hard to adjust to - anyone have any tips to get her to take it???

Bexxy10

It's already pretty sweet, but to switch my LO over we had to put a little dark kayro syrup in it and stir it up. That peeked her interest enough to eat it.

KnitForte

My DD has been on Nutramigen since week 3 and the taste doesn't seem to bother her because that's almost all that she's accustomed to. However we use the ready to feed and not the powder. I think that the RTF has a thicker consistency than powder version of the formula. 

MrsCarroll.6-10-07

I would urge you to see a lactation consultant to help bring your supply back and cut out all dairy. If you haven't completely dried  up you can still BF and just change your diet. Way cheaper than going to the nutramigen.

We were on it for a few months and that crap is expensive, smells horrendous, and the spit up stains like crazy. It was really hard to get DD1 to take it. We had to warm it up a lot, cut it with some BM, and move and shake her around while she drank it. It sucked and took weeks of transition.

myst33

We tried to get ds to drink it, but he would scream bloody murder. What we ended up doing was mixing it with what he was previously on (gentlease) and gradually increasing the ratio of nutramigen.  We did stop it though and switch to soy and that sees to help and he takes it more willingly. I also supplement and I cut out dairy which helped him immensely.  If I were you, I would try mixing it with bm. Good luck!

TysMom2011

When we started it I had to start half and half with BM and slowly increase the amount of Nutramigen...I think it took about 2 weeks until he would take it straight (but we only do 1 bottle/day).

Christine&Chris

Thanks for the suggestions! I do still pump - 8 times a day with compressions etc. - take fenugreek, drink a ton of water, eat oatmeal...all of it...my supply is simply decreasing. I don't want to make the switch entirely just yet - I only need to supplement with 4-6ish oz a day and the rest can be BM. I just can't get her to drink it :-(  I'm making it her first bottle of the day, hoping it'll be easier when she's really hungry. I wish we didn't need the Nutramigen, but she's very dairy/soy intolerant.

pinksparklezoxo

My GI told me to put a drop of vanilla in DS's formula.  I use imitation-- the real stuff has alcohol in it.  If you have a whole foods near you, you can get natural vanilla, no alcohol.  He will only take it with the vanilla (he is on Neocate, which apparently tastes even worse than Nutramigen).

MrsCarroll.6-10-07

Another thing my LCs said is that pumping doesn't always tell how much your supply is. Sometimes women just don't get a lot from the pump.

Brewers yeast is supposed to help increase supply too, you can try some lactation cookies into your day too.

Nutramigen just sucks in general so it is hard to get babies to take it when they're used to BM. WAY different taste (have you tried either?! I have...icky difference.) You could also try syringe feeding it while you BF in the mornings maybe...sneak it in along with the EBF?

jgy2323

We had the same issue.  LO is very dairy sensitive.  Very sensitve stomach all around actually.  I EBF while on maternity leave.  Now I am working and pumping but we needed a formula to supplement.  LO hated nutramigen!  I tried a few formulas and the only one I could find that she liked and wouldn't throw up was Soy.  She loves it and actually prefers it to BM.  I mix 1 oz into the BM now when there isn't enough from pumping so she doesn't develop a preference. Are you sure you LO can't have Soy?  You didn't mention in your original post.  You may want to try the Soy formula since you are having such a rough time with the nutramigen.