Neocate issues

[user1493067813]

I really need some advice from people that may have actually gone through this, or going through the same.

My little boy is 17 weeks old today and for the last 6 weeks feeding time has been a living nightmare.

When my son was 6 weeks old the doctor diagnosed him with reflux, but my HV (Health Visitor) wasn’t happy with this and pushed and pushed until the dr prescribed something for cows milk protein allergy.... neither me or my husband thought he had this but we trusted her advice as the professional, and surely the dr wouldn’t agree if they didn’t think the same? So they prescribed him Neocate.

He was doing fine on the Neocate for a few weeks but then he started randomly refusing the bottle and spitting it out with his tongue. As time went on it went from the odd bottle, to a couple of bottles to every single bottle.

Literally he cries at the site of the bottle, but if I’m lucky enough that he doesn’t and he’ll have 1oz and hell breaks lose. He’ll start screaming, arching his back, smacking the bottle away from him, going luminous red, by the time I’ve got him to have a reasonable amount he’s horrendously overtired. It’s just taken me over an hour to get him to have just under 3oz.

I was so desperate so we tried switching back to Cow and Gate formula and he actually drank this so much better but got horrendous diahhorea from it, I think it was just from the quick switch over so had to stop.

We went to the drs and they’ve prescribed Similac Alimentum. We are picking it up from the chemist this morning but I don’t see how this is going to help? Apparently it tastes and smells even worse than Neocate. The dr said the Neocate could be making him uncomfortable (didn’t say why?) so is going back a step to try him with this formula.

I absolutely hate myself for ever allowing them to change his formula when we only thought he had reflux anyway.

Has anyone been through this? It’s making me so down and I absolutely dread every feed. I won’t go anywhere if I know he’ll need to be fed nor will I let family come round as I can’t stand people seeing me feed him.

I just want it to go back to before where he enjoyed his feed times and didn’t get so distressed and upset.

I really feel for you and I am sorry you are going through this. Our situation was nowhere near as bad as yours...but our little boy did start to get the same about feeds. He would refuse bottles and start crying as soon as I put him into the feeding position. We don't know what was causing it, suspected reflux and was given gaviscon but it made him so constipated we stopped. What solved it in the end for us was so simple, We changed from Tommee Tippee bottles to MAM anti colic ones. We were not expected this to help but the first time we did he drained the whole bottle and we have not had issues feeding since. I am not saying this will solve all your problems but it's definitely worth a try if you have not done so already.

I dreaded every feed, felt ill with anxiety inbetween each feed,wouldn't leave the house and same as you never wanted anyone around during feeding times. We had the added awful pressure of low weight as my little son is in the 1st centile...so him refusing bottles was a huge danger to him.

Hang in there x

Also have you tried dream feeding? When my son was refusing we were told to dream feed when asleep Just to get some food in him which did work x

I've got a baby with reflux and suspected cmpa. The back arching dies sound like reflux. Is he taking anything for it? My son is on ranitadine. What are his dirty nappies like? Allergies are often shown by mucus in the nappies...

My dd had problems with formula and really hated her bottle. She was having spoon feeds at about 8 weeks. On cows milk only at about 4 months and completely refusing her bottle at about 6 months. You should trust your own instincts. Could you go back to regular formula but water it down a bit and build it up? Or Try him on some really loose baby porridge maybe?