Could our LO dislike the taste of his formula (Alimentum)?

noahchristopher

Trying to figure out why our once "good eater" has turned picky and uniterested in his bottle.

We used to be able to get him to eat 32 oz in a 24hour period with no problem. One of those feeds was in the middle of the night.  He's been sleeping through for about a month now (11hrs)!  So we try to make up for it during the day, but he's not having it!  It's a major struggle to get him to finish bottles during the day.  The first morning one is pretty good, and the last two right before bed are good two, but the feed or feeds during the daytime are sooooo hard!

The Similac Alimentum smells and tastes awful!  We tried it before.  Could it be that he is developing a dislike for it?  We are going to the pedi tomorrow so we will talk to her about it, but just wondering if anyone has been in the same boat?

I've heard it's hard to get them off the Alimentum if they still may have the digestive issues with the milk protiens.

laurenharrison

We are on Alimentum and I totally think LO hates it. She will have days she eats great and then days she plays around with the bottle and wont finish her normal. The first morning one like you said she does great and then there after is not really interested. Its frustrating because this formula is so expensive and I never know how many oz to make and I dont want to waste any.

To me it smells like dog food and parm cheese its terrible. We go to a GI January 30th and Lo had been on this formula for 3 months now. At that appointment the GI said we might be able to switch to a regular formula to see if her dairy intolerance has diminished so well see! I feel your frustration for sure!!

ClickMama

We tried it for our LO and she couldn't tolerate it. It tasted awful and smelled terrible too. We landed on Neocate which tastes bad although it doesn't smell awful IMO. we have a few feedings during the day where it is hard to get her to finish it - I have assumed its because she is tired but maybe she is developing taste buds. 

SMJ1106

Alimentum is awful tasting! We tried to give it to DD a few times but she never took to a bottle and especially not a bottle with formula!  So she is still EBF.  BUT, our GI told us that you can flavor it with vanilla but I am not sure *how much* vanilla you would use. 

Also, my DD has gotten very disinterested in feedings and more distracted during them over the past few weeks.  She eats better at night and during the first feeding.  Your LO could just be distracted/not as interested since they are starting to be more interested in what is going on around them.

tiff012982

I wonder now that you say it if she doesn't like it anymore.  I wish I could change her formula.  I will have to ask at her 6 month appointment.  The formula does smell like dog food! She has been on it since 6 weeks so I don't think she knows the difference.  We started rice cereal because she is consuming nearly 35 oz a day now and I know that the formula is in elemental form and therefore very easy and fast to digest hence why she still eats every 3 maybe 3.5 hrs if we are lucky.  I am just thankful that 5 out of 7 nights during the week she goes 11-12 hrs at night without a feeding.

noahchristopher

We do add rice cereal to it.  About 4 teaspoons to a 5oz bottle.  It just gets it a little thicker like whole milk I guess.  I will ask about the vanilla.  That may be an option.

I keep thinking too it may be that he's so alert looking around at everything.  When he has his last feed before bed in the dark, he will suck it down.  Even though the main feeding bottle an hour earlier is really hard to get him to finish.  It's light out for that one.

Hopefully I'll get it figured out tomorrow, or it's just a phase.

Could it mean starting baby food yet?  At 17 weeks?

 

tiff012982

I wonder now that you say it if she doesn't like it anymore.  I wish I could change her formula.  I will have to ask at her 6 month appointment.  The formula does smell like dog food! She has been on it since 6 weeks so I don't think she knows the difference.  We started rice cereal because she is consuming nearly 35 oz a day now and I know that the formula is in elemental form and therefore very easy and fast to digest hence why she still eats every 3 maybe 3.5 hrs if we are lucky.  I am just thankful that 5 out of 7 nights during the week she goes 11-12 hrs at night without a feeding.

WillisReincarnated

Quite possible. Alimentum isn't very good. DS was on it until about 10 months. We had to start with the RTF to get him to eat it. We eventually transitioned over to powder. He changed to SS around 10 months without any problem then straight to WCM at a year.  Many LO's simply grow out of it.

It may also be that he isn't in a growth spurt and doesn't "need" to eat as much.  Eating amounts fluctuate a fair amount.  I wouldn't worry too much unless it becomes obvious he isn't eating enough during the day.