Started him on this after it's become pretty obvious he has some sort of allergy. He wouldn't even take a bottle of this after a few sips... I don't blame him. It stinks. However for this little guy to feel better we need to find one that will work. anyone have better luck with a different brand? And when switching them other, do you just totally or gradually?
Please don't flogg me for this response since I didn't use formula with my kiddo. But my dad and his wife watched my nephew a lot and would put a little karo syrup in the formula bottle to help "sweeten" it up. He drank it down.
Could that help get him over the hump until he is used to it? I know - sugar, but if the alternative is not eating . . .
a friend of mine her son wouldn't take the nutrimigen either... couldn't take reg or soy formula. The only thing that worked for her little one was goats milk. She went right to the farm to get it. Then her Dr gave her a perscription for the goats milk and WIC helped pay for it.
I guess just throwing that out there for you. Goats milk is different than cow's milk. Something with the goats milk worked when nothing else would not even formula. He is a straight A healthy teen now.
I also agree try the Karo syrup, it might help also ( I would try that before going to goats milk lol)
I would not change anything without talking to the doc first. They should be aware of a possible allergy and get that in the file. They can give you free samples too.
Here's a couple of things that may help. The OPC3 is berry flavored but a little on the tart side. The aloe juice is delicious. I get strawberry kiwi. Tastes like a freeze pop. My kids love it. It took me a bit to get them to take the OPC3. I made a big fuss saying it was strong juice and I would make muscles. I take it too so I took mine with them. It's just a super antioxidant that will help allergies and keep him healthy. The aloe will do the same. You would still need to switch his formula but this would help him feel better.
When my yougest developed an allergy and was put on Nutramigen, the dr. suggested adding a little bit of light Karo syrup if she wouldn't eat it. Fortunately, she took to the Nutramigen just fine without sweetening it.
When my son was an infant, I tried this formula too so I know all too well about the smell! Mine would take it, but I did switch him gradually by mixing w/ breast milk. Like half and half. I eventually tried him on Gerber Good Start Gentle(less expensive) and that worked for him. Used Similac Soy for when he had a bout with diarrhea. My son is almost 1 and we still have him on the Gerber Gentle formula. Sometimes you have to keep trying to see what works. A nurse friend of mine suggested the Nutrimigen and that is why i tried it. Mine was fussy as a baby and had a bout with constipation, but the Gerber worked for us.
Babies don't have fully developed taste buds, so your son is probably refusing it because it's different, not because it smells horrible (although it really does! My daughter used it for a few months and UGH, it was gross). Keep trying and he will start drinking it. If he needs Nutramigen, your only other choice is Alimentum and that smells pretty bad too.
Most people suggest that you gradually change unless there are allergy/intolerance symptoms and then you need to be off the dairy/soy formulas as quickly as possible.
We did Karo with our younger 2. Not a lot, don't go crazy. Just a bit. It helped and it helped them not be constipated by the formula.
We did Allimentum, instead of nutrimigen. Our son could not process proteins from either dairy or soy and was on it until he was about 5 months old and his intestines had matured somewhat.
If you aren't using the ready mixed, try it. It is more expensive, but if we tried to give our son the powdered he wouldn't drink it. It actually smelled way, way worse. Like burned tires. You could smell it coming off the bottle. The ready mixed didn't smell nearly as bad. I was able to call the company and tell them that he wouldn't drink their formula and they actually sent me a refund for the two very expensive cans that I bought.
