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This won’t apply to most people, but hopefully someone out there finds it helpful. I think I mentioned it a few times on here, but W is was a horrible eater. I mean, he was fine when he was a baby baby, but after maybe 6-8 weeks? It went downhill.  He’s always been a good baby, but it all changed during feedings.  He screamed and squirmed and knocked the bottle away (he’s oddly strong). And once he finally did start to eat, it would take him FOREVER to finish.  I switched him from the regular Similac (blue container) to the (orange) Similac Sensitive (for fussiness and gas). That worked for a hot second. We tried every bottle under the sun. At first the Born Free worked. Then the Similac bottles.  Then Playtex drop-ins.  Then tommee tippee.  You get the picture.

The doctor (not his regular one) guessed it could be silent reflux.  So we started on Zantac.  I don’t know what Zantac tastes like, but it must be nasty.  I’m not even sure W kept much down.  He would just push it all back out.  Pointless.  So I called the doctor and they switched him to Prevacid. It. did. not. work.  Well, maybe something about it worked.  He no longer screamed when he ate.  He just didn’t eat.  He’d just push it back out and SMILE at me.  I would struggle to get 20 ounces in him some days.  Knowing full well this was NOT normal, I called the doctors office and made an appointment.  My regular doctor wasn’t in and the Dr. we saw?  Oh my.  I want my $20 co-pay back.  She basically told me I was crazy (she didn’t use those exact words) and said that eating that much (little) was perfectly normal.  Umm, no.  Dr. Google assures me that this is not normal.

So I waited until our normal peditrician was in the office and demanded an appointment. After listening to the entire story, he thought it may be a milk protein allergy / sensitivity. He suggested we stop the Prevacid (I already had) and try Enfamil Nutramigen.  He gave us some samples (and his personal number in case we needed anything)(*) and promised to call in a week to check up on us.

I don’t know what is in Nutramigen, but that may be the nastiest formula ever.  So gross.  B likened its smell to chicken feed.  And W hated it.  Wouldn’t even drink it.  So I switched him to Similac Alimentum.  Still smelly and gross, but at least W drank it.  But still wasn’t overly thrilled with it. He was eating better better, but not great.  We spoke with the doctor and he was pleased that he was eating better and said to continue on.  But I still wasn’t totally satisfied.  In my research, I read somewhere that the liquid Alimentum works better for some babies than the powder (which we had been using).  I happened to have a bottle on hand, so I tried it. W LOVED it.  Like he loves it.  Sucks down 6oz. in 15 minutes (or less) compared to the hour it used to take him (when he did actually eat that is).  Don’t get me wrong, he still doesn’t like to eat in public, but it’ll come in time.  Baby steps.  I’m pretty sure that he likes it because knows that a bottle lasts 1 day and costs $10.  I doubt he will be able to afford to go to college.  And that car I promised him?  Not happening!

Oh, and as for the bottle we settled on, it’s the Playtex Drop-Ins with the Medium Flow nipple.  So drop-ins + Similac Alimentum is working so so well for us.  If your baby is screaming and arching his back and acting like he’s in pain, well, maybe he is.  Call your doctor.  Try different things.  Don’t get frustrated.  Something will work!!  Oh, and also, save your breastfeeding lecture for someone else.

* Have I mentioned I love him?