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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Help! Advice on switching to non-dairy formula from bf?

21 replies

Groveregg · 05/10/2006 10:54

Hi, ds is now 13 months old and I am starting to feel that the time is right to start him on a bit of formula during the day in between meals. It is going to be very difficult because a) he loves his boobs and b) he is allergic to dairy. We have tried Nutramigen in the past (yuk, wouldn't touch it) and have recently been prescribed Neocate which we tried yesterday. He took one mouthful then no more; I tried mixing it with expressed bm but he was having none of it and ended up repeatedly throwing himself on the floor and after 20 minutes of his hysteria I gave in and bf'ed.

The paediatrician also thought soya formula might be a goer for him. I know he's OK with soya and I'm wondering if any of the soya formulas are a bit more palatable, does anyone have any experience of this?

Failing that does anyone have any help or advice to get him interested in something other than my boobs? I am half wondering about going out for a few hours at the weekend in the hope that dh can feed him something else without me (and my milk smell) being about - but at the same time am a bit nervous about it...

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Original poster

Groveregg · 05/10/2006 17:58

Bump

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TarkaTheHeadlessOtter · 05/10/2006 17:59

my ds is moving from boob to nanny which is goat formula- he loves it!

TarkaTheHeadlessOtter · 05/10/2006 17:59

my ds is moving from boob to nanny which is goat formula- he loves it!

SenoraPostrophe · 05/10/2006 18:01

if he's 13 months he doesn't need to have formula at all surely?

I weaned ds at 15 months and although he isn't allergic, he wouldn't take a bottle so his calium intake was just via normal food.

SenoraPostrophe · 05/10/2006 18:02

and haven't they just banned the sale of goats milk formula in the uk?

Original poster

Groveregg · 05/10/2006 18:27

We tried goat's milk formula a while ago and he was allergic to that too. And yes I think they have now banned it but weirdly I saw it in my local Waitrose on Sunday!

I think he does need formula (and the paediatrician we saw last week did too) basically because he doesn't get enough calcium and fat in his diet without it. That's why they tell you to make sure you give your 1-year-old plenty of full fat cow's milk normally. Which is what my hv's assistant actually told me to do yesterday, it's good to see she was on the ball!

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SenoraPostrophe · 05/10/2006 19:47

but what I mean is, he can get fat and calcium from other sources (eg calcium fortified soya milk on cereal, meat, sardines, pulses etc). It's slightly harder work than just giving milk, but less hard work than giving formula to a reluctant baby, that's all.

It sounds to me like he just really likes bf - as ds did. when I stopped bfing it was hard, but I found I just had to go cold turkey - cutting down simply wound him up. and then it was a case of distract, distract, distract (toys, favourite foods, the park - you know the things) how often does he feed now?

Original poster

Groveregg · 05/10/2006 21:51

Hmm thanks Senorapostrophe, you've certainly given me some food for thought. I am just a bit wary as he is a very picky eater; it took him until 11 months to willingly eat anything much at all and although he's much better than he was, I still class 2 cubes as a good meal. I have recently cut down to 4 milk feeds a day (before that it was as and when required, sometimes 7 or 8 times a day).

Wouldn't it be great if they could make a formula that actually tastes nice? Why is that such a shocking idea?!

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SenoraPostrophe · 06/10/2006 09:02

I do sympathise: ds was like that too. he wouldn't have lumpy foods until really late: about 14/15 months as I recall. He also never ate very much in one meal - still doesn't. He is small but I don't think that's due to malnutrition or anything.

Good luck!

Original poster

Groveregg · 06/10/2006 10:37

Thank you! Now it is getting nearer to the weekend, and the time I was planning to leave dh to it, I am feeling a bit mean about it and I'm wondering if I should just try to drop a feed, to see how we go with that, and offering some kind of snack that he does like instead. I vaguely remember my hv once saying that if necessary you can breastfeed just once or twice a day and the baby will still get all the nutrients it needs. If anyone can confirm that or offer more advice that would be great...

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SenoraPostrophe · 06/10/2006 10:48

If I were you I would try to drop one feed at a time for your own sake really. going from 4 feeds a day to none hurts

NotQuiteCockney · 06/10/2006 10:50

Certainly at this age, you could bf a few times a day, and he'd get enough of what he needed. If you're happy to keep on bfing, then keep on! Your milk is better for him than any formula.

Original poster

Groveregg · 06/10/2006 11:09

Yes it was going to be a gradual change over anyway, I was thinking of replacing one feed with a formula feed at a time. Just hoping he will get enough goodness and fluid down... Maybe I will try going down to 3 feeds a day first. But I am aware that I am just putting off the inevitable really - at some point I am going to have to bite the bullet and be firm on this one...

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foxinsocks · 06/10/2006 11:15

we have done this twice - once with dd from breast to Nutramigen and secondly with ds from breast to Soya milk.

In all honesty, those formulas taste foul and if you were given a choice between nice tasting boob or horrid tasting formula, you know which one you would choose

I had to do it for work so I totally stopped breast feeding and spent a few days in absolute hell (esp with dd) - she also only took a little bit at first but I'm afraid I had to wait till she was completely starving (took practically a whole day) and then she wolfed down a bottle and never looked back. What was v important was that the formula was warm - in a way, when it is warm, it tastes more like a warm liquid than foul stuff (iyswim).

I think half the problem is that you don't sound convinced. If you want to swap over, you need to be really strong because your ds won't take that stuff willingly unless you persist with it.

Btw, we had to continue with Nutramigen until dd was 2 because of the nutrient issue (but she had other allergies as well as dairy). We were also told by the dietician that we could mix (at first) stuff into the Nutramigen to make it taste better but we never went down that route because I thought once we started doing that, we'd have an even harder time trying to stop it!

VeniVidiVampireQV · 06/10/2006 11:16

Agree with NQC.

However, with my DD, who has a cows milk protein allergy, when i switched her to formula at 7 months we got SMA wysoy on prescription from the GP, and she HATED it at first.

So, knowing she took EBM fine from a bottle we started mixing it 5 or 6 floz wiht 1 floz of formula for a few days for every milk feed. Then upped it to 4 or 5 floz of ebm with 2 floz of formula for a few days and so on until it was all wysoy. She was younger though and happily switched between breast and ebm bottle feeds anyway.

foxinsocks · 06/10/2006 11:17

and the soya formula does taste better than the nutramigen but they still don't compare to how naturally sweet breast milk is!

Original poster

Groveregg · 06/10/2006 18:22

Thanks for this; I like the idea of gradually mixing in more and more formula, just need to get my expressing head on which I haven't managed to do for a while. And yes foxinsocks I can fully understand why he wants nice bm as opposed to the nasty stuff - and I think that is why it is causing me a problem; I wouldn't want to drink that foul stuff. I am convinced though that I need to stop bfing, in fact I have a pact with myself that I must stop by Christmas (I am dying to start eating peanuts again apart from anything else!). Just not sure how to go about it and what to replace it with!

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Original poster

Groveregg · 09/10/2006 11:18

Does anyone out there know if soya formula is any nicer tasting for babies than Neocate? I have been adding a bit of Neocate to ds's breakfas porridge but this morning it backfired when he refused half of it. Have to admit it did taste much worse than usual (also went an unpleasant grey colour whih was strange!). So I'm now wondering if soya might be less painful.

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tiktok · 09/10/2006 11:26

Difficult one.....not sure why you feel under pressure to stop bf, Groveregg. It can't just be peanuts, can it ?

He doesn't actually need any other milk if he is being breastfed, and he can have water, non-milk liquids and other foods when you spend time away from him.

Sounds like what you are doing is hard work for you (experimenting with the different formulas, mixing them and so on) and distressing for him.

There's no rush to get him off the breast, is there?

Original poster

Groveregg · 09/10/2006 11:39

Hi Tiktok, no it's not just peanuts! I'm starting to feel a bit self-conscious about feeding while we're out, plus I would really like to have a bit more independence (I have had a mental block with expressing more than about 2oz for months now and so the last time I had any time to speak of away from him was around March I think). I am happy to continue with early morning and evening feeds for a little while longer but would really like to knock the daytime ones on the head. Will snacks in the day cover all he needs with 1 morning and 1 evening feed?

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tiktok · 09/10/2006 11:52

Yes - you might need to make sure the snacks and foods he has have calcium, to make up for not having any milk in the day.

See what your HV thinks.

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