Can anyone recommend a formula that doesn't taste discusting?

[goodomen]

My dd is now 6 months old and so far has been exclusively breast fed. She has, on very rare occasions, had a bottle of EBM, but not particularly successfully.

She has just about managed to get the hang of drinking from a 'Breastflow' bottle. However now I am trying to introduce a couple of formula feeds as I really struggle with expressing.

DD will start sucking the bottle but as soon as she tastes the formula she makes a face and spits it out.

I have tried SMA and Cow and Gate. I have tasted both myself and they are pretty rank, so I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for a formula that tasted a bit more like breast milk?

They all taste vile IME, they are all essentially the same thing, I use Aptamil but I don't think it's any better to be honest. Just buy individual cartons of all the milks and try them!

Breast milk tastes vile, too (imo!) - it's probably that she just doesn't recognise something different as something that will give her satisfaction and relief from hunger.

Try introducing it to her after she has had some b milk, so that she is more inclined to experiemnt - when hungry she will want what she knows stops hunger, and nothing else.

Ahh,, but the cartons taste different to the powder!

Is this for when you go back to work? If so, you may be ok for her to just have water (and solids I presume) once the ebm you manage to pump runs out each day, also, you may find that when you are at work and not nursing during the day that you will find you are pumping more than you were so it might not be an issue.

Does this help?

I saw a cranial osteopath who said that he had tried all of the formulas and that Hipp Organic was the closest, taste-wise, to breast milk.
I know a few people that have used it alongside breast-feeding.

BTW

the word is disgusting

And not all of us have a choice as to whether we EBF, so get over yourself.

Good point Blu.

Bree, I don't think any one needs to "get over" them selves! Calm down.

Thank you.
Ewe I will try Aptimal next.
Blu probably it is just that she is used to breast milk rather than it tasting nicer.

Thanks GreenMonkies, it does help. I am going back to work in November but I was also (rather selfishly) thinking of going out somewhere at some point.

When I say I struggle with expressing I mean I can get about 3oz a day out. I have lots of milk but just can't express it, so I don't know if your idea would work.

Oops my mistake it is disgusting

GM

Goodomen,

Keep pumping your 3oz a day, you will get better at it, it's a learned skill. Do some relaxation exercises before and during expressing, breathe deep, close your eyes and think about your DD nursing, hold the baby gro she slept in last night to your nose and sniff it, it all sounds silly but it does work! Stash your milk, get as much in the freezer as you can, and it's not selfish to want to go out at all, you are allowed to!!

Bree,

Thanks GreenMonkies. I will keep trying if all else fails.

SquiffyHock that is interesting. I will try some Hipp tomorrow.

Fennel can help with letdown too, I often drank fennel tea when I was expressing for DD1 and I'm sure it helped me when I was stressed or not feeling on form.

Have you tried expressing from one breast whilst feeding from another?

i'm gonna get bashed for this.

but i gave ds sma progress (the 6 month + follow on) when i stopped bf as he didn't like taste of infant formula.

Hipp tastes like coffee-mate. It still smells dodgy but much better than Aptamil IMO.

I will try that GM.

Ewes I have tried expressing whilst feeding.
The only way I can get the let down reflex is if dd is feeding so this is the best way I can express. As soon as the let down 'feeling' goes, so does my milk flow in the breast I am expressing from.

elmoandella, I hadn't thought of the follow on milk so may give it a go.

MERLYPUSS, thanks. coffeemate -yuk.

Maybe I should perservere with the expressing!