vanilla extract in baby formula?

[ANiceSliceOfCake]

Has anyone ever tried it? Or is it a terrible idea?

Baby refuses to even swallow a drop of formula, he's 6 months next week and exclusively breastfed. I've tried everything else - I've got another thread going about that.

[Floowho]

I wouldn't. Formula has been developed to be as close to breast milk as possible, and anything added will muck up the nutrients.

[CityDweller]

Have you tried mixing formula with expressed breast milk? Start with mostly bm then slowly increase the amount of formula to get baby used to it

[Nan0second]

I would (and did - it was that disgusting nutramigen stuff) but only because baby is 6 months old and weaning anyway.
I wouldn't with a non weaning baby for the reasons given above

[scaredofthecity]

We used nesquik. Not exactly ideal but it worked! Formula is full of sugar anyways.
But we had to do it quick as milk dried up when I went to work and DS was df so on neocate which tastes rubbish.
FYI he liked banana best! And we weaned him off very quickly.

[ANiceSliceOfCake]

I tried mixing expressed and formula, even with a tiny amount of formula but he still point blank refused.

[ANiceSliceOfCake]

Sorry floowho I meant to also ask what nutrients will it mess up?

[BumWad]

floo what nutrients will it mess up?

load of bollocks

OP I think lots of people do this with the dairy free formula as it is meant to be disgusting so why not, particularly as he is 6 months, it's just a bit of flavouring isn't it. But yes like somebody said above why not try gradually mixing bm and formula?

[BumWad]

Sorry I just read your update

[Floowho]

I always thought it was really frowned upon to mess with formula and its measurements, eg if you make it too weak or strong. That's what my health visitor told me, perhaps advice has changed. Anyway I would ask a health visitor personally.

[Floowho]

Been reading other information about this where it has been pointed out that vanilla extract contains alcohol.

[ANiceSliceOfCake]

I've been looking up vanilla extract and you can get it without alcohol, I just need to physically get some and I'm going to try it.
The measurements of the formula will still be the same, just with a teeny drop of vanilla.

[Topsy34]

Just wondering if you could switch to pumping breastmilk rather than switching to formula? you didnt mention why you needed to switch :)

[JellyMouldJnr]

There's vanilla in some of the toddler milks anyway. I would give it a go. Have you tried someone else feeding him when you're not there? It might be he knows he can get bm from you.

[ANiceSliceOfCake]

I just don't really want to pump to be honest, it would be very time consuming and I'd like to wean off breastfeeding now we are at 6 months to get a bit of a rest really.

And yes I've tried having my husband give the bottle but he still screams unfortunately.

[Graceymac]

I was advised by Nutramigen helpline to add 1-2 drops of vanilla essence because taste was so bad my dd wouldn't drink it. The amount of alcohol in 1 drop is virtually non existent and the advice was that it was safe to do so. My dd still hated it so I quickly gave up the vanilla anyway.

[Graceymac]

Sorry Neocate not Nutramigen.

[Artandco]

Tbh I would try and wait a few weeks if possible. Now baby is 6 months you will be starting giving meals and regular food, so if it's just a break from breastfeeding all the time you want this will happen anyway. By 7 months as an idea mine were just breastfeeding 3 ish times a day ( compared to 6-8 times before 6 months)

[bluerose24]

My baby is on nutremigine too and doetition said we could use vanilla extract to help the taste. He is 11 weeks if this helps?