Does anyone have a suggestion for a better tasting formula? My baby gags and spits out what I've tried, powdered and liquid Similac and Enfamil. He is exclusively breastfed but I've been trying to wean him since he was 3 months. I've read all the posts here and have had numerous talks with my Dr and lactation consultants. He refuses all bottles and sippy cups even though we have tried one or the other at least once a day since he was three months. He'll suck on a pacifier but will not even begin to put a bottle or sippy in his mouth. I did finally quit my part time job because I hated that he starved the whole time I was gone. I am committed to continue breastfeeding until at least a year but here's the kicker, I have to have surgery next month and will not be able to feed him for several days. I have been successful spoon feeding breastmilk but I only have about 5 oz stored and I barely have enough supply for him as it is so I can't start saving. I've tried all the tricks too. I'm pretty certain that I'm not going to be able to give him as much as he needs after the surgery because of the recovery. This is not a surgery I can delay. So, back to my original question, any ideas on what I might be able to spoon feed him? If anyone has any other suggestions please help!
Thanks to everyone for all the thoughtful, supportive and helpful responses. It's been a long month of trying the different techniques, formulas and new foods suggested and I'm happy to say that my baby is finally taking a bottle and/or sippy cup. Persistence really paid. After posting my question, I went into high gear with him, offering a cup or bottle every 3 hours. He'll only take about 1 oz at a time but will do that about 3 times a day so I'm sure he'll be taking more in no time. I'm still breast feeding too but he seems happy with the bottle too. I've since learned that he has a dairy allergy or intolerance because when I attempted yogurt to round out his diet, he had horrible diarrhea and the day I tried soy formula was the day he finally started taking it. Thanks again everyone. It was really nice to focus on systematically trying each of your suggestions. Prior to that I could only focus on how frustrated and hopeless I was feeling. I can now go ahead with my surgery and take care of myself. I even moved it up a couple weeks!
Add a little apple jucie and a little rice cearal. take one niple and cut a little biger hole in it. I have 5 kids and it worked on all of them
Gerib64
My breastfed and supplemented son really like Nestle Good Start. If you have to supplement for a few days, it really smells better than Enfamil or Similac so maybe your son will prefer it. Or you could always mix half breastmilk and half formula to stretch what you have saved. Good luck to you!
What about a milk bank? Some women who overproduce pump and store their milk with a bank so that mom's who need to continue to breastfeed can do so. It might be a good option. M
I'm sorry. My son was the same way and I tried everything. Even the spoon feeding. By 7months I was already pregnant w/ my second and also had to stop breast feeding. My solution: go cold turkey! It was the hardest weekend but by Sunday morning he had the bottle in his mouth with formula and that was that.
To make him reject my breast I smoothered it with mustard. Every time I picked him up I placed more mustard on. eventually the smell got to him and he stopped trying to look for them. By Sunday morning, hunger won and he took the bottle w/o any problems. It's harder on us, than them. Good Luck!
I just posted something similar. One difference is that I have always pumped. If I gave my little one a bottle then I pumped right around that time or right when I got home t continue my milk supply. I am also weaning my daughter at 6 months. I just posted about formulas and my little one did not like enfamil but she does like goodstart. I started with the green can of good start and they had a sale at target on the orange one so we switched and she doesnt seem to care. Our doctor did say to give her gas mylicon because she has gtten a little gassy because of the change in food. Im not sure if it makes a difference but we have always used nipple one and Dr. Browns bottles. Since She has been 5 1/2 months she was exclusively breast fed either by pumping or by nursing then the last week we have been testing formulas. Nestle good start does not have a bad smell like enfamil. Good luck!!
The only formula my daughter would take was Nestle Good Start, ready made. Certainly not the most cost effective. And to ease her into it, I'd mix bottles of half formula, half breast milk...or varying percentages. She was breast fed for 9 months.
What about the Nestle product? I think it's called Good Start? Or if you want, check with your peditrician and see if you can start him on yogurt. Best of luck and hope you have a speedy recovery.
Hi D.,
Just wondering if you're feeding him food? Can you give him cheese/yogurt/broccoli? They're not a replacement for breastmilk/formula but will certainly provide calcium. I was amazed at what my 2nd child (now almost 10 months) could eat with only his bottom two teeth. He's one of those kids that has started weening himself so I've been trying to cover the gap between now and 12 months with calcium/vitamin rich foods.
Regarding your surgery. I went through a big surgery when our now 10 month old was 6 months. I was so out of it at the hospital I didn't really pump for 3 days. The few times I did try to pump (once not long after surgery and when I should have had an abundance of milk) literally nothing would pump - very abnormal for me - I could fill two five ounce bottles in 10 minutes normally. Point being, the surgery/drugs really slowed my whole body down. I wasn't given a heads up on that so I was pretty nervous I'd lost my supply. I was home in 3 days and just began pumping/nursing as normal and my milk picked back up within a week. You can have a lactation consultant visit you if you're staying at the hospital. They will provide you with a hospital pump as well if you need one.
Good luck on getting through this - you've got a lot on your plate - just keep telling yourself "this too will pass" I'ts my mantra when things get stressful!
Best,
N.
Good Start worked for my almost exclusively breastfed son. :)
Will he take a bottle of breastmilk? You mentioned you've tried giving him formula in a cup/bottle but have you tried bm? You might have to mix the bm with formula, start slow (like 1oz formula to 3oz bm) and gradually increase until he accepts the formula. If you started pumping now, you should be able to increase your supply enough to provide him with the milk he needs during/after the surgery. Try pumping in the mornings, when supply is usually the largest, and then anytime he only nurses on one side (pump the side he didn't nurse from), and while he's napping as well.
Some ebf babies won't take a bottle from mom, either, or even if mom is in the house. Try having your dh give him the bottle of ebm while you're out (even just outside the house)- and make sure you do it when the baby's NOT starving humgry- maybe an hour or so after he last nursed. If he's not starving but just a little hungry he's more apt to try something new, like mommy's milk from a different source.
What kind of a pacifier does he take? Have you tried a bottle with a nipple that's shaped like the pacifier? I would also stick with a slow flow nipple. Those seem to work best for breastfed babies. My dd really liked the Playtex Nurser bottles. They're the kind with the drop in liner. Good luck on your surgery and I wish you a speedy recovery.
Try Nestle Good Start. It's the only formula that my son will even take a mouthful of. Not one of my three little loves would take a bottle. My girls I weaned right to a sippy cup. I'm still nursing my son, but when I am away my hubby usually just gives him Good Start in a sippy cup. I would hold my girls just like I would give them a bottle, only it was the sippy cup. My first one was only nine months old when I weaned her from the breast, so it is possible. Try the playtex sippy cup with the hard spout, not the soft one. All three of mine prefer the hard spout for milk, don't ask me why, they just do. Good luck with your surgery and don't worry he will eat.
1st of all I wish you good luck and a speedy recovery to your surgery. If you have introduced spoon feeding, try adding baby rice cereal to breast milk.......or maybe a soy product? it worked w/ my 1st who is now 11. Currently my 2nd daughter of 7 months is on formula and just starting introduction to watered down apple juice. Persistence, persistence, I bet thats all you've heard??? I wish you and you baby all the best I'll check back w/you.
S.
