Going cold turkey...need to get my son off the boob and on to Neocate or Nutramigen

[nicknack38]

My son is 7 and a half months and i need to get back to work, he is cows milk protein intolerant and needs to go onto Neocate or Nutramigen but hates the taste of both, I wanted to wean him slowly but he always knwos that if he waits long enough he will get breast milk...I have been advised to just stop breast feeding and then he has no choice! I fee terrible but think its the only way - I am so worried for him and me - I will pump for at least 4/6 weeks to avoid mastitis and help him wean onto the formulas by mixing -does anyone else have any advice? I also have a nurse coming to help me through the first 3/4 days ....I am so worried about him and also my hormones

have you considered expressing at least once at work or once at night after he has gone to bed so that he can get some milk?

is he eating solids in any quantity?

would he take juice or water from a cup?

some babies are happy to wait and continue to bf normally when you return.

Nicknack, I went through a similar thing. I think you are right to pump for a while - you are sure you can't express enough for him to have breast milk whilst you are at work? Can he top up on a breast feed in the mornings and evenings, for comfort, or is it that he is allergic to your breast milk?
They are pretty repulsive, those formulas - neocate especially - but if he is presented with no choice, he will get used to it. Assuming he is eating some solids at 7.5 months, so he will get through the days no problem. My dd2 ended up ADORING her neocate, hard though it is to believe.
Treat yourself gently - it is hard stopping abruptly + adapting to going back to work.
Good luck.

My DS is dairy allergic but is tolerating Prosobee soya formula which I believe is slightly more bearable than the Neocate or Nutramigen.

I still however breastfeed him morning and night and then offer Prosbobee as a drink at all other times from a cup. He won't take a bottle either. Weaning on to food has been fairly tricky as he was not hugly interested but to offer you hope by the time he got to 9 months he just changed and started eating far more. What we found was he didn't like sloppy/wet food and so when able to take on more proper food got right into the goove.

HTH

Oh should have said he is now only 10 months so still finding our way a bit.

His 2 elder sisters had no allergies and ate like little piggies from the off so I have found the whole thing a bit challenging.

I was going to try and pump when I go back to work - but I find it quiet stressful as sometimes I just cant get enough - I would love to feed him in the mornings and evenings but I think he will be miserable in the day and also I assume he will then try (as some of my friends have told me) to get as much milk as he can during the night...he still wakes once or twice for a feed (I assume for comfort)at night. I just want to be able to leave him with the nanny in the day and know that he is happy and if he wants milk that he can have a bottle, its such a shame he is allergic to milk as he really loves normal formula - but it makes him very sick! He drinks water from a cup and/or bottle - but he is quite small so needs milk still to help him put on weight.
I just hope that after a few days he will take these yukky formulas - and maybe his solid intake will also increase - he doesnt love solids yet either - just breast milk!!

when you are at work you will be pumping full feeds for him so in fact, you may find it a relief to get the milk off your chest. [sorry sounds so cheesy] Also, its easy to say but the more you try not to stress and worry about it, the easier it will be.

its good that he feeds a couple times a night. it keeps your supply going and provides him with milk he may otherwise miss out during the day. i found it easier to co-sleep and feed my dd in bed when i was back at work.