Alimentum or Nutramigen

[Anonymous]

I am currently breastfeeding dd, but having to supplement with forumla (about half and half). We tried regular forumlas first and she seemed to have a lot of issues. Switched to Good Start Soy and she did OK but had constipation and still bad reflux symptoms. About 3 weeks ago we switched her to Alimentum and she did really good (no reflux symptoms) for 2 weeks, but the symptoms have started coming back, although not as bad as on milk or soy formula supplmenting.

My question do you prefer Alimentum or Nutramigen and why? Also, I’ve noticed that the Alimentum has a horrible smell that I can barely stand. Does anyone know if Nutramigen has this smell also?

Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

Both smell fairly bad and from my pedis perspective are the same formula made by different companies. Although, they are not completely milk free so if she is having some symptoms “coming back” she may need Neocate which my son had to be on b/c he was bothered by the milk in Alimentum. Other moms might chime in here, we used Alimentum. You will need to do a slow switch- an oz / day or so– otherwise, babies don’t like the taste.

[Anonymous]

Kaden was on Alimentum for a bit, and is now on Gentlease but, when on the alimentum, I found it to have a metallic smell…………..I just got used to it. Didn’t seem to bother him though!

I found that after a few weeks on it, the positive effects we were seeing were slowly going back to the regular way K was on milk based formula. So, we decided to try a lower lactose formula which at the beginning, was great as well. His med dosage was upped at the same time too, which helped.

Don’t know if I answered your question, but I hope I did!

[hellbennt]

if you’re using alimentum or nutrimigen and breastfeeding, then your breastmilk should be like those formulas- have you cut out all dairy and soy from your diet, including hidden dairy & soy, meaning those proteins hidden in things as ingredients, for example ‘whey’ and ‘casin?”

may I ask why you’re supplementing? not being anything other than trying to help/understand…

[Anonymous]

Wen used both , mainly nutramigen b/c it was “given” to us. But they pretty much are the exact same product made by different companies like Erica said. They both smell pretty bad so I don’t really think one is better than the other. But if you are using Alimentum I would stick with it just so that you don’t keep changing things. Some babies do better on one than the other.

[Anonymous]

Laura,

Thanks for the concern. I don’t mind you asking at all. I’ll try to keep the story short .

Isabella nursed very well at the hospital. The day after we brought her home she showed signs of jaundice and she slept for 12 hours straight! Took her to the doctor the next day, sure enough she had jaundice. Pretty bad too. She was on the bili blanket for two weeks 24/7. Due to the jaundice she pretty much slept all of the time and would not eat. We had to feed her my milk by syringe.

It took her a while to overcome then and hence she did not have enough energy to go to my breast, only a bottle. So I was pumping exclusively for a month. My milk supply started dwindling . And it was about this timing her acid reflux started.

After many, and I mean many, visits to the ER and pedi they diagnosed it as colic so we didn’t get any medicine or reflux advice. Just basically that we had to deal with the poor, screaming baby several hours a day.

I think with my milk supply dwindling, no sleep, stress from trying to make my darling daughter as comfortable as possible it made the milk supply worse. I couldn’t keep up pumping what she needed and she wouldn’t latch on (even with help from LC).

Our pedi definitely did not promote us BF and kept telling me “it’s not like she won’t be President some day if she doesn’t BF” and “millions of kids are on formula every day and they turn out just fine”. After this beating on me and being so tired, I gave up at about 1.5 months old.

Yeah, COMPLETELY my wrong and my fault. I beat myself up over it EVERY day. I knew from day 1 of finding out I was pregnant I wanted to BF my child. And it was killing me everyday I couldn’t.

When we finally got diagnosed w/reflux (about 2.5 months old) and got some Zantac that offered some relief I really started thinking about BF. I really started doing research and contacted a different LC.

Long story short, for the last 3 weeks I have been trying to “relactate”. I still get a little milk, but not enough to sustain her. That is why we’re having to supplement with Alimentum.

Thanks for your help!

Destiny

[hellbennt]

A big hug to you, Destiny!

It is NOT your fault!

I blame your (#$&#$&!!!! doctor…

PLEASE don’t beat yourself up

anyway, if you need/want more breastfeeding resources, let me know

(you can PM me or look at ‘groupie intro’ or the breastfeeding forum, etc)

[Author]

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