Cost of Nutramigen

[carbooty]

Hi everyone,

I had my baby(little boy) two nearly three weeks ago and have been buying and feeding him with Nutramigen as recommended by the NHS dietician (this is due to my daughter having a cows milk allergy and being unable to BF). I have been waiting for an appointment to take my DS into the pead day unit to try cows milk formula under controlled conditions, but this is taking longer than expected due to the extra strain on the NHS due to swine flu. In the meantime I have to continue to buy this formula and we have gone through nearly 8 tins in this time. Each tin costing £13. Can't get it on pescription until a reaction seen.

My baby will bankrupt us at this rate!! Does anyone know where the cheapest place to buy Nutramigen from?

The Dietician said that because the formula is so stripped out, babies tend to be hungrier and need feeding more often. He is having 3oz every 2-3 hours??

arrggghhh.......

what type of reaction does your child have to cows milk?

our first child would throw up every bottle of sma gold and scream all day and night.we were told at the time that it couldnt be the lactose as he was constipated. they have now found that it probably was that and to this day if he has dairy he gets really bad stomach pains and diarhoea now instead of constipaiton. he is fine with soya though as thats the milk/yoghurts he has.

our second child has none of the problems. he can eat loads of dairy and never has a problem with the baby formula milk.

we were told to try cow and gate comfort as it has a lower level of lactose than in normal formula or breast milk. im not sure whether that would be any good for your child until you can be seen by consultant? is it any cows milk what so ever that causes a problem or the lactose?

xx

Yes my friend was nearly in tears when the HV said 'are you prepared to make your son infertile and potentially kill him by feeding soy formula.' As it's her first dc she didn't say much but has all of us queuing up to have a go! Doc said it's fine to give him soy. Needless to say HV won't be welcome in their house again..

Carbooty, absolutely nothing happening. Had a false alarm last week, but nothing since. Starting to get fed up with being pregnant, but my house is a shambles due to both the plumber and builder working on our house hurting their backs so the work has run over and the midwife thinks that is stopping me going in to labour as baby is well engaged!!

I'm quite at the dietician not prescribing Nutramigen or asking your GP to prescribe it.

I think you should change GP then carbooty. How odd to feel antagonised by someone having their partner there.

I also think that the dietician should not have given you this advice if they were not prepared to back it up with a prescription and I'm not sure whether she should have given you this advice in the first place anyway, especially if the GP would not enforce it.

If it is really causing a problem for you financially, I would go and talk it over with the paediatrician and see what he says.

Did your fist child have a near fatal reaction or a severe one?

Hi carbooty! Are you still paying for Nutramigen for your DS? If so, then I've got 7 or 8 tins of unopened Nutramigen I could send you (for the postage cost). They are left over from when my DD was moved onto Neocate last month. And the hospital/pharmacy can't take them back apparently.

I'd change gp too. Food allergy rates are higher in siblings, although not dramatically so. I have seen recommendations to give second child dairy free milk but haven't time to search this morning.

Soy milk has lots of problem - most important is high risk of soy allergy (and its a very difficult one to deal with if you get it). It's been linked to higher rates of nut allergy too. The oestrogens/sugar risk are lower but extra risks you don't need. HV shouldn't be criticised for warning people off it, it shouldn't be the first choice.