More Neocate Questions

[Anonymous]

I posted below about some of the problems we’re having getting started on Neocate, and I was hoping to get some more specific advice and stories!

So DS has gained 6 oz in the 11 days he’s been partially on Neocate. He barely used to gain that in a month! But he is throwing up more than EVER. Yesterday he barely kept down 16 oz of formula, and yet he STILL gained 1/2 oz in weight. But throwing up 4-5 times a day just is NOT ok, and he’ll not stay hydrated if he keeps it up.

Right now we’re on 4 oz Neocate thickened with Thick-it (though still working on the thickness trying to get it right – if anyone has any quantity suggestions, I’d love to hear them!), and upping the cals with Polycose, mixed with 2 oz of Alimentum. Yesterday he threw up 4 times, once 2 hours after a feeding. This morning he’s already thrown up 2 oz of his first feeding, and I *think* it was behavioral – as in he made himself throw up, because he wanted to be done.

Other times his throwing up seems to be related to burping – never his strong suit. Did others find that Neocate trapped a lot more air/was harder to burp with? Mylicon isn’t helping much.

I guess I’m not sure what to do – keep upping the Neocate? Drop back to 1/2 and 1/2 for longer? With the weight gain, we really want to get him fully on Neocate, and I’m afraid that by leaving him on lesser amounts for longer we’re just prolonging the agony.

Does the throwing up get better? Was it this bad for others? When did it get better – I’ve heard 2-4 weeks, but is that after starting Neocate at all, or after being fully weaned onto the Neocate? I’m pretty sure that flavor-wise I could have him fully on it by tomorrow, if he’ll be/get better faster once he’s fully on it.

Thank you guys for any help – I am feeling so lost and miserable, and the doctors are just NOT helping.

[Anonymous]

I think Neocate does seem to be a lot thinner than most formulas so maybe the reason your LO spits it up more. When we started ours on the Neocate I wouldn’t necessarily say she spit up “more” but it did seem to be much more liquidy, almost water-like.

Our pedi and GI spec have told us to not worry about the spitting up, that they are getting calories even if they’re spitting up. They also said that it’s not abnormal for them to spit up a while after feeding. And that as long as the LO is still gaining weight, that is what is important. One other point, they said that a lot of time it seems like they spit up a big amount, but it’s usually much smaller than what it looks like.

I think unless you’re LO is spitting up tons at a time or isn’t gaining weight you’re OK. I don’t remember your situation…does your LO seem to be in pain (at feeding or spitting up)? Is he on any meds? In our situation the Neocate really made a difference she went from getting up 20 times a night to maybe 3 or 4 within a couple of days. IMO I would think that you should go ahead and put him on the 100% Neocate. If he is MSPI than doing 1/2 and 1/2 still leaves milk in his system. We kept going back and forth about how to transition to the Neocate, but when she finally got 100% it was great! Now I have heard that some babies do almost seem to get worse for a couple of weeks on the Neocate while all of that milk gets out of their little systems, but we didn’t experience that.

I truly understand and sympathize with what you’re going through. We’re finally at a point where I feel like things are on the upswing, but I SO remember being lost and miserable!! I hope that helps a little bit?!?!?

[Anonymous]

Hi!

I hope my reply will help some. We’ve def been in this very position. It’s definitely a “leap of faith” going full force with a formula that you feel like is making your baby spit up gallons. I think that doing 1/2 and 1/2 might actually be contributing to the spit up as well. Maybe the milk intolerance is building up to the point that it’s causing some of the vomiting too.

Neocate at 100% will get rid of all of those GI related problems. There will be a rocky few weeks, but once you “tweak” it with the Thick-It and know how much you need for the Neocate only, I think things will improve, especially on an elemental diet. This is coming from a mom who was let down by every milk based, soy based, lacto free formula on the market. By reading your posts, I really feel for you! I think you should work your way up to the Neocate. You can always go back…but you have nothing to lose by trying the 100% elemental diet!

Hang in there!

[Author]

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