Help please! Starting nutramigen but it quite literally stinks!

[flowersfortea]

Looking for some help and ideas about starting ehf formula please!

My 8mo DD has cows milk protein allergy and has been exclusively breastfed with the odd bottle of expressed breast milk so far, and still feeds several times a day and night despite good progress with introducing solids. She tends to feed little and often (always has). She is happy to drink breastmilk from the bottle.

I'm going back to work soon and I want to introduce formula as struggling to express enough milk to get her through the long hours she'll have at nursery. I'll keep breastfeeding when at home. I've been prescribed Nutramigen Lipil 2 and the first attempt did not go so well! She had a few sips but then started pushing it away. I tried again half an hour later (in case she wasn't hungry enough earlier) but again a firm and persistent pushing away and fussing after ten minutes or so of calm persistence from me! The second time she wouldn't let the teat go anywhere near her mouth.

The formula really smells and I've heard many cmpa babies hate the taste of cows milk free formula. So.... Wise mums out there, any tips please?!

My ideas so far:
Try different temperatures (warm today, perhaps out of fridge next time)
Mix with expressed milk (but worried this is not feasible in medium term)
Try a different cups (she drinks water very well from sippy cup)

Thank you!

(Bump...)

I really don't know. The only thing I can think of is disguising the taste like a milkshake but all these 'flavours' tend to be so sugary that it rules them out.

Add fresh berries like a smoothie? Strawberries, for example.

When I introduced nutrimigen I did so gradually by mixing with EBM and increasing the quantity of formula a bit each day. For example started with a fifth formula & increased each day until 100% nutrimigen. Gets them used to the taste gradually. My DS would gag at the taste at first so I know you feel!

Have you tried it? It is vile . We never succeeded in getting DS2 to take any of the hypoallergenic formulas, but I know of people who gradually mixed it with reducing amounts of EBM, or used nesquik to disguise the flavour.

How long are we talking at nursery??? Full or part time??
I only ask as I went back 4 days a week when dd was 9m (8-6) and I only expressed 3/4 oz per day and we did fine. Bf just before I left, had her 3 or 4 oz around midday ish and bf as soon as I got home at 6 ish. It was only 3m till she could have cows milk ( tho I realise it will likely be soya milk etc for your ds when she hits 1)

Sorry forgot to add dd was a total boob monster, fed all the time at 9m. She adjusted fine!!

Hi thanks for the quick and helpful responses. I have a quiet day tomorrow so will try a tiny bit in expressed bm first, but thanks for the other ideas too. Feerkerry it's interesting to hear how well your lo has adjusted. Sometimes I think I underestimate how well DD manages without me! I'll be doing three days 8 - 6 ish initially just hope my boobs don't explode! Will take a pump for relief but will ask if if I can in theory store milk there so as not to go to waste (and could help the formula situation!)

I want to say DD1 went to nursery full time at 7mo and she never had more than a pre made carton of formula. I remember nursery said she only have maybe half a bottle in the morning and another half at night. I was using the newborn skewed bottles too.

A better start today. I could only express 2oz but mixed with 1 oz stinky formula and served warm- she drained it phew! Will try same again tomorrow...

I thought we would have this problem but dd is a complete weirdo and likes it! it smells like wet raw potatoes to me.