Neocate update : eww

I greatly underestimated the awful taste of Neocate. Yuk, it tastes like rotten sprouts! Like a good mum I took a sip first .... And have refused to ever put it in my mouth again. Unfortunately, that's the only option for my son, other than breast milk. He was willing to try it, he thought the bottle was a novelty, but refused any further sips. I sneakily put it in his 4 grain cereal this morning. Yesterday he wolfed down the cereal that I made with cool boiled water, today he took one mouthful then refused anymore. I cleaned out the bowl and made a fresh batch just with water, which he refused to open his mouth for.
Oh dear! Think we might have a struggle on our hands. I've done more searching and discovered that dieticians and doctors have suggested to other mums to use strawberry nesquik to try and disguise the taste, so I'm definitely giving that a go. But can it disguise the awful taste? Do strawberries taste nice with sprouts?
I remember once, somebody on Facebook made a negative comment on another mum they'd seen at a playgroup who let their child drink chocolate milk from a bottle. I'm only a second time mum, but I think nothing now of doing things other mums would look down on me for. I'd let him drink strawberry milk forever if it meant he'd be fully cured! Since my son's reactions to food have gone, he has become more settled. He can go two hours without waking now and even slept on his front at one point last night. His skin has cleared up nicely and the doctor remarked on how his stomach felt more settled and less bloated. He's pooed everyday and is VERY rarely sick. If we could just crack the silent reflux then I think his sleep would not be disturbed. Neocate might be the answer.


On another note, I took my toddler to his first hearing test yesterday. He has no problems with his hearing, but the health visitor wanted to rule it out as he doesn't say quite a few sounds when he talks. It was lovely to spend some on on one time with him. It doesn't happen often now, but it wasn't that long ago when it used to be just me and him when daddy was at work. I absolutely love his company. He's great fun to be around and well behaved. The health visitor asked if we were going to take him to nursery early, but I just can't bear to part with him till I have to. He's kept my sanity these past few months!

Feeding baby: time for a change?

In my purse I have a prescription for a formula that will be suitable for my multiple food protein intolerant baby. It's called Neocate and to buy it without prescription it costs £30-40 per 400g tin. Not a lot of GP's will prescribe it due to the cost, and I was prepared to go into my GP with my guns blazing in order to get this prescription for my baby. As it turned out, no guns were needed. My GP wrote the prescription without batting an eyelid and told me how to order repeat prescriptions if this is successful. What a blessing!

So now I have the prescription and the daunting task of making the transition lies ahead. I wanted the formula because although we've seen improvements since I've gone dairy, wheat, egg, nut, fish, tomato, citrus fruit free, my baby is still unsettled in his sleep and still has silent reflux. His diet is so basic that it can't be a reaction to his diet, so it must be mine. My health has deteriorated too, and breast feeding is taxing on my energies. I could really do without this added drain on my health as well as the freedom to allow other people to care for my baby.
Now I've got the formula all my hesitations are surfacing. I will miss feeding him. It's been a wonderful bonding time for us both and I have enjoyed the closeness very much. I worry that it will distress my baby, but I plan on making the change gradually so as not to distress him too much. And then there's the apparently awful taste of the stuff. I'm not quite sure how I'm going tackle that one!

My dream is to have a happy and content baby that sleeps well (for his sake as well as my own). Maybe the fire of my hope that we'll get there isn't burning bright right now, but it is still there flickering, gaining strength as we jump each hurdle.