How can I get my DD11mths to drink Neocate LCP?

[Gonkster]

DD is 11mths. It's taken me this long to persuade doc that she has a problem with milk, cheese or yoghurt (and probably butter too). Finally, after the last bout of my poor DD suffering terribly with vomiting and vomiting and vomiting etc etc, the doc listened (I had to do it to DD 8 times in the last 6 months and ended up taking a diary in).

She's been prescribed neocate lcp as I am bfg 3 times a day and need to cut down but obviously she isn't getting any cows milk or cows milk products. She eats a full and varied solids diet, so the formula is to be used where cows milk would be as a drink with a meal (once she's one) or as a replacement for bf.

Help me please. I tried giving her some today for the first time and she had a few sips but it made her shiver and shake her head and then she refused (I then tasted it and can see why - it's disgusting).

So my questions are:

a) how do I get her to drink it?She normally only drinks water and has never taken a bottle so will be drinking out of a cup (the cup bit is fine, it's the taste that's the problem)

b) I haven't sterilised anything since she was 6 mths.. please tell me I don't have to start sterilising everything again like it says on the tin?

c) Do I have to boil the kettle, let it cool for 30 mins, mix it and then let it cool enough for her to drink it. She drinks tap water straight out of the tap... can I just mix in cold water?

Sorry to be such a novice but I've never done formula and really haven't a clue. Any other advice that a novice like me might need would be great too.

Sorry - that was a long one but I'd appreciate all your help.

Hi Gonkster - your dd is quite right; Neocate is vile. (My friend was ordered to taste some when going through airport security a couple of years back, and she told them they'd have to shoot her first.) My dd wouldn't take it either, but here's the secret - they also make it in banana vanilla flavour, which my dd absolutely loved. They don't offer this as standard because it's sweet and they don't want to encourage a sweet tooth, but my dietitian said that it is really hard to get an older baby to tolerate the non-flavoured kind.

Go back and ask the doctor for the yummy version. Honestly, it hasn't put my dd off her broccoli!

Oh, and no - you don't have to sterilise at this age. And I used to microwave a cup of water to make it up - obviously you have to stir it really, really well to make sure there's no hot spots. Or boiled water plus cold tap water is fine.

I have just seen an allergist for DS who is 7 months old and is allergic to cows milk. He tested negative for a soya allergy and this is what the consultant's report says

"The obvious breast milk alternative is hypoallergenic milk such as Neocate or Cow & Gate Pepti. I doubt that this will be tolerated. If they are unsuccesful introducing the same then soya would make a paletable alternative".

Our dietician told us to avoid soya because lots of children with a milk allergy are allergic to soya too but DS isn't according to his test.

What I have done (with nutragimen actually rather than neocate as that is what the dietician gave us first) is to introduce it first on cereal. I did porridge with half formula and half water which he ate and then moved on to weetabix with all formula which he is also eating. I now offer him a little of what is left to drink from a bottle and he's had a bit of it and hasn't reacted badly (refusing or spitting out etc). I am planning to try him with a proper bottle at a feed time and see if he takes it or possibly mix some with some formula first. I know that they are supposed to taste vile but I'm not sure that it smells much worse than normal formula (DS has only had breastmilk).

I have been sterilising just the bottle I use for this. Am happy to hear this may not be necessary but I thought you were supposed to sterlise any formula bottles for longer because of the risk of bacteria being greater with formula than breast milk. Not sure where I heard that though. What I do is sterlise one bottle and fill it with boiled water the night before and leave it in the frige. When I want to use it I tip out some of the water so it is half chilled and half freshly boiled and then add the formula. This seems to work out ok and doesn't seem to be too warm (although he doesn't drink it straight away).

If your DD really won't take it, the flavoured one sounds a good idea. You could also ask to see a dietician to discuss soya but I know there are lots of pros and cons and some people strongly feel its not good for babies. My consultant wasn't one of them I guess.

I hope you get it sorted, it is really tricky isn't it. Good luck.

I think ideally you're supposed to use water that's quite hot so it kills bacteria in the formula, which is why they suggest boiling a kettle and leaving it 30 minutes. I wonder if this is still important after 6 months though or whether they can cope with any bacteria or whatever? Not sure of the answer to this.

No need to sterilise after 6 months IMO although there is contradicting advice on this. Dietician told me there was no need as I wasn't sterilising cups, spoons, bowls etc for DD.

strawberrycornetto, well done on persevering with the Nutramigen. I must admit it tasted so vile I gave up immediately and am using soya formula instead (which is less unpleasant). I think Nutramigen is better nutritionally though.

Gonkster, the dietician also suggested using a bit of milkshake powder at first to mask the taste - then you can gradually decrease the amount until you aren't using any.

I should add that my 'don't bother sterilising' advice was based on the assumption that you wouldn't be using a bottle. They're hard to keep clean, aren't they? My dd went straight from breast to spouty cup, so I didn't think it was necessary.

Your DD is 11 months. You do not need to put her on a formula, you just need a milk that gives her plenty of calcium, as cow's milk would.

I was in your exact position. DD was 11 months and refused Neocate. I had exclusively BFed up to then. Eventually I was referred to a paediatric dietician. She said to try Rice Milk with added calcium (you can get it from health food shops and most large supermarkets). We tried it and DD loved it (once she got over the fact it was not coming out of a breast).

She is now 2.4 and still has 600ml of rice milk a day to ensure she gets enough calcium (as there is no dairy in her diet). Every time I give it to her she says "Love my milky").

Please, please don't force vile neocate on her. If she had no dairy allergy cow's milk would be fine from 12 months and Rice Milk will give her the same benefits.

Good point, artichokes. I kept my dd on neocate (on medical advice) until she was 2 because she had real problems keeping her weight up. Many children with dairy allergy struggle to take in enough calories, and neocate packs a bigger energy punch than rice milk.
But of course that may not be the case for OP's dd. Gonkster, have you seen a dietitian, a paediatrician or just your GP? Because I'd want some specialist advice.

My dietician recommended adding Nesquik to the Neocate to make it more palatable. I also use a Calcium supplement called Calcium Sandoz liquid for my DD who is now 5.
If weight gain is fine, as Artichokes says, Rice Milk should be fine - along with at least one soya yoghurt or Alpro soya pudding for extra calcium.

Is Neocate supposed to be nicer than nutragimen that? I was given both to try but DS has been fine so far with the nutragimen. He does seem to be willing to eat anything at the moment though (paper, wipes, DH's big toe I got the impression they were all pretty similar but I haven't really looked into it because I am still bf too.

I think Neocate and Nutramigen both taste pretty foul to be honest - not sure whichis worse! Nutramigen is cows milk based (but the proteins are broken down much smaller so they're unlikly to trigger allergies) whereas Neocate is amino-acid based. From what I gather, Nutramigen tends to get prescribed first, but if the baby still reacts (which a small number do) then Neocate is prescribed. However we've had mixed advice on this (as with everything else allergy-related!)

DD's weight gain has been pretty slow since weaning so I think we're likely to continue on some kind of speial formula until at least age 2. Plus at the moment I'm bfing morning and evening too.

strawberrycornetto, how are things going? have you got over the initial shock a bit now? It does get easier, at least emotionally!

Hello! My top tip is to add some Nesquik (strawberry was my DD's favourite) and gradually reduce the amount you add over a few days or weeks until Neocate is acceptable. Remember also that after they are 12 months old your child should progress to Neocate Advance - we kept on using Neocate Infant until DD was 18 months wondering why she'd wake up starving hungry. Good luck!

Hi Cuppachar. That's really interesting about the differences. DS is now drinking one bottle of nutramigen a day and seems to be ok with it. We were given one by the consultant and the other by the dietician with no advice. I got the impression it was just the one that they had a free sample of!

I am kind of over the shock and DS seems ok at nursery although often suffering from eczema. I still have the odd panic but I do feel a bit better. We are off to the screening appointment for the Leap Study tomorrow which will be interesting. We have to take DD with us for a skin prick test for peanuts because she's nearly 4 and I have never given her nuts so that will be interesting. I will post tomorrow to say how it goes.

Hi ladies...Jumping on the question also of how do you get them to drink that "special formula"... DS 6 months is on pepti junior....goes ok untill 40 - 60 mls and starts gagging...he is getting better now his 3rd day..
Can you really add somthing like nesquick to make it more appealling..? or is he to young or the ingredients will counter react to these issues..?

Thanks ladies hope you dont mind im new and searching for ideas..xx

Hi Charliecheckers. To be honest if your DS will drink 40-60mls no problem I wouldn't bother adding anything if I were you. Sounds like you'll be OK - after all he'll gradually get used to it more and more. I think the younger the baby, the less likely they are to reject it so sounds like you'll be fine. Whe I tried DD on Nutramigen she took one sip then refued any more at all!

my ds 3 months old was prescribed neocate lcp for cow's milk allergy. He too absolutely hates the taste ( tastes like vegetable oil) as he was previously BF. I am getting him used to it by mixing it with my breast milk which he will 'tolerate' 70/30 no problems 50/50 some days better than the others. I totally understand how you are feeling it is quite frustrating. Keep perserving is the advice my health visitor told me xx

Sorry I haven't read all the replies here, but thought I'd share my experience.

My dd was precribed nutramigen from an early age as a top-up to BM. She tolerated it well, but I stopped that carry on as soon as the HV stopped hovering over me every other day.

When I really needed her to take formula during the day when I went back to work we had huge nutramigen wars, to the point where she refused ebm, just because it was in a bottle and that's what the nasty stuff came out of. We were told to try Neocate and wysoy milk, but the only milk I had the vaguest success with was Pepti. She would take 3oz max at a time of that, and then at 12mths she had an epiphany and we haven't looked back since.

My neighbour had a kid in the neonatal ward and the consultant there told them never to sterilise because their guts need to build up resistance to bugs. It's just the formula companies covering themselves. I just put 5oz in a cup, and using an old bottle measure out 3oz cold water and 2oz from the kettle.

I haven't read any other posts, so sorry if I'm repeating. My lo wouldn't touch neocate or nutramigen (they put her off bottles for life). We went through a lot of milk strikes with her (IBF morning and evening - she often wouldn't take anything in between), but eventually (it took months) she began to take Pepti (by far the nicest imo) from her sippy cup at 11mths. I just put 5 scoops in, and add 3oz cold and 2oz hot water. I've never sterilised. She's never had a tummy bug. Good luck! Ask for calcium supplementation for her to help put your mind at rest about her intake in the meantime.

Hi, I have never posted anything in my life so new to this ... sorry! My 15month old son has been diagnosed with milk protein intolerance and we were told to use neocate advance. We tried bananna flavour and blackcurrent flavour but he flatly refuses to take any. We turned our kitchen into a science lab to come up with any way to make it ok for him but we have had to finally give up. I think the flavoured ones tasted quite good so that may be encouraging for some of you. What was a shock to me was that we really can't get him to take the formula when i was so convinced there would always be a way to get a child to take something! We are waiting to see a dietition as i am really worried that he is still loosing weight. He weighs the same now as when he was 9 months old. Does anybody have any ideas on getting calories into a kid with milk protein intolerence? would love to hear from anyone who is in same boat. Dr. has told us it could take 6 weeks to resolve any colitis happening as he still has diarrhoea. He has been dairy free for 3 weeks. thanks.

Hi

Sorry you are going through this...

My 12mth old DD is intolerant to dairy and soya. We have just had our first dietician appt today.

DD does drink the neocate on its own TBH (she must be mad !!) But as DD's weight gain isn't great I need to get as much into her as poss around 20 ozs a day.

I put it in her porridge, I pour tiny amounts on her fish/shepherds pie etc...

If your DS really hates it you could always try rice milk as it has lots of calcium I beleive so he is getting something

I was also told to put olive oil in everything she eats and feed her high in fat foods such as avocado.

hello, i have 20 tins of neocate lcp im selling, let me know if your interested. C