Ideas to Make Formula Taste Better?

We had the same problem with my son when he was about the same age. He simply he refused formula. We tried all them, until we tried Similac Organic. It was the only one he didn't refuse. My advice, try different ones, until you find one that he likes. Good luck!

PLEASE don't feel bad about not breastfeeding past 9 months--that is a long time! I know that some people go for a year or much longer, but truly they say that the benefits are there even if you only decide to do it for a month, three months etc. Sounds like you did great!
When we switched from breastfeeding to formula, we combined the tiny amount I was still able to get of the breastmilk and combined it with the formula. We went from an 80% breastmilk/20% formula mix and decreased the breastmilk 10%ish every few days. By the end of about a week and a half we were 100% formula. If you don't have enough to do 80%, just try adding as much as you can get to the formula and see if that does it?
Good luck!!!
Good luck!!
M.

Hi A., I could not breastfeed my sons due to not enough milk so the Dr also told me that Nestles Carnations Formula was the best you can get to breastmilk. I would buy a small can of it and see if your son will take it. If not I would mix it with about a 1/2 teaspoon of Karo Syrup (nestles doesnt need as much as it is sweet like breast milk) or you can add just alittle bit of vanilla to the bottle. But he might not need anything with the Nestles. Good Luck...

I had the same problem with finding a formula my son would take when my son weaned at around the same 9-10 month mark. I tried all those free samples I got first and he didn't like Similac or Enfamil. A friend told me she had heard Nestle Good Start seems to be a better taste as older weaners seem to transition to that better. I tried it and it worked, so we did Nestle Good Start for those last couple months of formula and used the sample cans of the others for mixing with infant cereal if anything.
Another idea would be to try the premixed ready to feed formula instead of the powder...though a little more expensive it's supposed to taste better when the baby is not used to that powder mix.
For another, something that really helped we found was using formula to mix cereal for a while before trying the bottle of formula. After she was on cereal for a while with the formula mixed in to make it, she took supplement bottles of formula just fine whereas she only had expressed supplement bottles before that and made a disgusted face at formula supplement bottles and struggled through them when that was tried previously...though she was only around 5-6 months old at the time.
Hope those ideas help! :)

Hi A.,
No judgements on stopping breastfeeding, but it sounds like you're stopping because you're milk production is low, not because you want to.

If you want to boost your milk, all you need to do is start taking 3 tablespoons of flax oil a day. Trader Joes sells it as does whole foods and most health food stores. Have it in a protein shake for breakfast. Nice extra benefit, it burns fat!

I went back on the pill within 4-6 months of having my two kids, but breast fed til they were both 2 years old. Never had supply problems because of the flax oil. It's an omega 3, so it will also help your babies brain development.I told a friend about the flax oil and she had to stop because her milk production was too much!

My kids are now 6 and 9 and I'm still taking 3 tablespoons a day, easy way to burn the fat. Go figure.

When you do decide to wean, I don't have any tricks for making formula taste better, but you might try putting band aides over your nipples. My kids had the hardest time giving up the breast that I finally resorted to that and it worked.

Good luck to you what ever you decide to do!

I'm sorry to hear that you are weaning. I don't think adding Karo syrup is a good idea. Have you explored other milk substitutes such as goat milk? Goat milk is easier for babies to digest. Has your doctor recommended cow milk yet? Many babies can drink cow milk after 12 months, so I'm not sure if he is ready or not yet.

Anyway, I just want to send you a hug. This must be very difficult for you to be going through.

If you still want to breastfeed, there is Micronor, the mini pill that should be safe for breastfeeding, and it does surprise me if you are on something different and breastfeeding and your Doc knew about it. Anyway, if the above is not the case, then to switch to formula at nine months seems both really hard and almost not necessary. I would go for a very round diet of veggies, meat and fruit and use whole milk. Please don't add Karo as many use this if their child is constipated, if you have a child that reacts strongly to it then you may end up with a child with dehydration and diarrhea to get turned around. I give my child a sippy cup now and since they are close to 10 months old milk should be okay. It may take work but you also don't want a child who will just take sweet stuff either.

Add a drop of vanilla to the bottle and shake well! It worked wonders and sweetened the formula just enough!

My mom used regular milk and a one to two teaspoons of Karo syrup with me and my siblings and I also used it with my now 26 year old(he did not like the forumla) and we had no problems with it or developed no problems because of it.

Before you're dried up Mix some of your milk with the formula to change him over slowly. It'll help him get use to the formula and he'll still taste you. Gradually up the amount of formula to the % breastmilk.

i dont have any tips because my girls were both formula fed because my milk never really came in! i just wanted to tell you that you are wonderful for bf for 9 months so dont feel guilt or let anyone make you feel guilty! that is crazy.
i am pretty sure i would avoid karo syrup. if you read the ingredient list it is not something i would want to give a 9 month old that often. could it be the bottle that he is getting it from? maybe he expects breast milk in that bottle and when it is formula he is surprised. maybe try the nuby sippy cups (they are very soft like a bottle) and he will associate them with formula. i would say just keep trying. and kudos to you for bf for that long!

Not a judgement, but I am confused from your post if you wanted to wean or if you have to because of the birth control. If it's the second there are plenty of hormonal birth control options that do not interfere with milk production. Just pointing that out in case your doctor did not discuss all the options with you.

As for the transition if you are able to pump anything or have anything stored perhaps mixing the two would make it taste better for him and make an easier transition. I have used several formulas and find that Good Start has a sweet smell compared to the others- maybe the taste would be better for him. Good luck.

Editing to add two things- the medication someone else recommended is called domperidone and it's highly effective at increasing milk production in many cases. It has to be purchased from a compounding pharmacy. Secondly, I don't think adding vanilla is a very good idea. For one thing if you have never tasted vanilla it tastes awful. I think real vanilla also contains some alcohol but I may be wrong about that.

You know there are many birth control pills that wouldn't lower your milk supply, right? They are called mini pills. You wouldn't even have to worry about this problem.

When I weaned my first daughter, I pumped some of my milk and then mixed it with the formula. I gradually lessened the amount of breast milk until she was drinking all formula without batting an eye. It only took a week or two. Not sure if the added sugars from other sources would be good for your little one. Check with your ped. first. Congrats on being able to nurse him for so long!

Hi A., It was hard when I changed to formula with Megan, I had to try alot of different kinds until I found the right one for her. I spent alot of time on the phone with the Dr. and he was very helpful. I had alot of guilt feelings at the start but once we got her on the right formula everything worked out really well.

If you feel like talking give me a call.

Good luck!

S.

Hi A.,
We had to introduce formula when my daughter was 9 months old because she is on the petite side and the doctor wanted her to get the extra vitamins out of the formula. He recommended Nestles Good Start. Nestle also has a formula for older babys like 6-12 months. He told me it was the closest to breast milk. If you still have some breast milk left it would be good to mix it with the formula.
We were exclusive nursing my daughter who is now 3 1/2 and my milk also went down at about the same time. My ob/gyn put me on medicine call dompardon(not sure of the spelling - kinda like the name of the champain) to help increase milk production and it worked. I was able to finish nursing my daughter through a year until we introduced regular milk. It may be worth talking to your doctor. It worked for me, but it may not work for everyone.

I went through this with my middle son and unfortuatly we could never get him to drink the formula no matter what we did to it- he would cry so hard he got hives! So at 10 months I ended up going straight to regular whole milk. I figured it was only two months till we started that anyway. He took it fine. You could always try pediasure, too or something if you feel he is missing nutrition.

I used to mix it with a splash of apple juice.

My Doctor said Vanilla Extract is ok to add to formula to make a little sweeter

Hi A., I give you kudos for breastfeeding so long. I took a cue from my mom when I could no longer breastfeed and mixed the formula with whole milk. I talked with friends about it and we all looked back on our lives. My mom had my brother on whole milk by 6 mos old and me on whole milk by 9 mos. Formula was just too expensive in the 70's for our family. We all turned out fine. I also did this with my daughter. She was 9 mos and I started mixing the formula with whole milk. I did not tell my DR due to his ultra conservative view, but she did just fine and is a healthy, happy, smart, child. Good Luck with your decision.

Soy formula worked for me. When my son was nine months, I also had virtually no breastmilk anymore despite trying everything. It was a horrible, guilt ridden couple of months trying to get him on a formula. Everyone said if he was hungry enough that he'd take it but not in our case. It was almost two months and we tried everything. Everyone I talked to recomended Nestle but it didn't work for us. We started him on dairy at nine months and added a fourth meal to be sure he got enough nutrients. He got horrible diarrhea from the yogurt so I was thinking he was lactose intolerant. When I tried soy milk, I remember he took it pretty much right away and loved it. He's now 18 months and seems to have outgrown the dairy issue but he still will not touch cows milk. Good luck. I hope your son catches on quick. I remember that time was pure torture for me but it passed he's now a big, healthy kid with a passion for his soymilk!

I had the same issue. The organic similac is sweet compared to the other brands, but its a little more expensive too. I used brestmilk bottles and started mixing in the formula... 2ozs of formula and 6oz of breast milk and slowly kept adding the formula. In about a week she was totally off of the breastmilk. Best of luck!

I have used Karo syrup in my daughters bottle since she was a couple of weeks old. In a 4 oz. bottle I probably add about a teaspoon. I just give it a squirt in the bottle. This was recommended by my pediatrician so there are no problems related to it. Hopefully, this will sweeten it up enough for him so he will want to take it. Good Luck.