Elecare...

Ch3lsea
  • By Ch3lsea · November 23, 2010 at 12:15 am · 15 replies
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Well, they ran out of my breastmilk supply at the NICU =/ so Kayleigh will start getting elecare tomorrow. Anyone have experience with this kind of formula?? How were your babies on it? Gassy?? I've heard it tastes awful, but hopefully Kay won't mind it since she's only been fed via tube. As most of you know she's had a lot of GI issues...hopefully this will be easy on her tummy. Please wish us luck, pray for us, do whatever it is you do! :p I really want my baby home!

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15 replies   

Sydney7777

My daughter which was born at 35 weeks is on Similac NeoSure since she came home from the NICU and she has had nothing but gas and discomfort since and I am looking into switching her from that . I have heard some people use that Gerber Good Start Protect Plus for there Little ones but haven't personaly used it for my daughter Like you I want what is best for my LO and I am going to ask her dr's advice next time she goes in .

keligirl

Does your DD's NICU do donor milk? I was just wondering if she has problems with formula maybe that could be an option till she gets bigger??

Brayden10

Hi my son is on elecare but simply because of the fact of him having GI issues its a more sensitive formula he couldnt handle similac but me i haven't tasted it but it doesnt bother him and it doesnt make him gassy at all i think it comes in 20 calorie but we change up the formula more so that it becomes 24 calorie good luck God bless honey don't stress everything will be fine
--------"patience is a virtue"

nashvle

My daughter Emily was on Elecare when she had GI issues. She did very well -not alot of gas and it was easily digested. She gained a good amount of weight with it - from 1 lb. 9 oz to over 4 lbs. Good luck!

Jiasmom

So happy that lil K is doing better and eating!!! I will pray that her new formula works!!!! Hugz and gl! Just a gut feeling that lil K will be home before christmas!!! And as you know I post about my gut feelings a lot they are usually right :)

Ch3lsea

Thanks for all the responses!

keligirl- No my nicu doesn't do donor milk =/ But in Kayleigh's case the elemental formula might be better for her digestive-wise...her nurse said it's more broken down than breaskmilk, so very easy on the digestive system. Hopefully it will be.

Jiasmom- I hope so, that would be wonderful...but I'm trying not to get my hopes up just yet. I spoke to her surgeon again yesterday (Dr. Prince- lol I love his name), he's been with Kay since the beginning and said there is still a very real possibility of surgery especially since the upper GI results came back a inconclusive...but here's hoping! Her dad will also be coming home on the 10th-29th of December so that will be great having him here :)

mominpa

My daughter is on Elecare and it has worked wonders on her. She gained wieght. As a matter a fact she is now in the 90% with her weight. Now they want to cut back on formula. She wasn't gassy and had no problems! Another plus is its covered under insurance and the WIC program!

Mamabear32

Elecare is an amino acid based formula & medical food. No intact proteins. a fat (33% MCT oil). a carb.

It is corn based so if a child cannot tolerate corn they will have problems w/ elecare. otherwise it is very GI friendly. and because they don't expend energy breaking down the proteins, they can gain wt better.

My son has not been particularly gassy on it. Just normal baby amt (compared to my 5 other kids who were breastmilk & alimentum fed).

It is rather foul is smell & taste. However my lil guy takes it orally w/o a problem (only one feed a day). He is g tube fed. It is easier for them to accept if they have not started solids. When they are older there is a vanilla flavor available.

Once you are home, elecare is covered by most insurances because it is considered a medical food & is not available over the counter or in the stores. you have to order it. It may take knowing the right "code" to get insurance to do this but they usually do. WIC does too. (ours required FTT or certain medical conditions) It is around 35/14 oz can.

Trying to remember your whole story-she is Ng tube fed? & they are talking about g tube? fundo? (we opted against fundo but that may have to happen down the road).

I will keep you guys in our prayers. I can imagine how much you want her home. And once home it is good to STAY home.

Our lil guy came home from the NICU w/ "feeding & growing" being his "only" big issue. "which is no big deal"...turned into a HUGE deal. 3 hospitalizations, ng tube, g tube. Still struggling w/ wt gain (his pattern up up down up down up up down). He's 8lbs 3ozs @ 5.5mos/4mos. (4.8 birth)

glad her dad will be home.

Ch3lsea

Thanks guys!

Mamabear- I didn't know it was corn based, I will keep that in mind if she does have problems tolerating it. Kayleigh is being fed with an Ng because we just started feeds again (she had NEC) hopefully she will be ok when they start feeding her by mouth. I hope you guy gets better too and starts gaining more!

Michelle1503

Caleb is on elecare now and is doing great - finally on full feeds. Before that, breastmilk and it wasnt working our for his short gut. It smells bad and gives him some gas, but if it works, it works!

Mamabear32

Ch3lsea

That's right. Glad she is doing better. Praying it keeps going well.

Dragonfly74

My son has been on elecare for about 8 months and is doing great on it. He is 8 mos adjusted and weighs 17 lbs 8 oz. I have heard it tastes like sawdust lol but he doesn't seem to mind. He has a milk protein allergy and we have to thicken it because he aspirates. Good luck!

mommaE

Ethan has been on Elecare since almost two months. He has milk and soy allergies. We love it. He drinks really good. We also have to add oatmeal to it to add calories, not rice due to constant constipation. We switched to alimentum but it made him sick. He is almost ten months now so hopefully he out grows his allergies and GI issues.

Mamabear32
  • By Mamabear32
  • Reply 1194522 · In reply to 1193783 by Dragonfly74
  • November 24, 2010 at 9:05 am
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@dragonfly74.

Funny you should say that. My 10yo actually tried it & said it tasted like sawdust. I asked him when he tasted sawdust. He says you know the smell when you are cutting wood.

I think the spitup smell is worse. And never leave an empty container or bottle sitting around. Ewwww it reeks bad.

JessicaKis

We are on elecare and it is the one thing that has finally got our son to stop vomiting so much. We started out fortifying breast milk with neosure then reflux set in... we went through fortification with several formulas including nurtamigen but the reflux was horrible. So we went to just breast milk and it still wouldn't go away. That was when he was diagnosed with a presumed milk soy protein allergy. So if I wanted to continue breastfeeding I would have to go on a crazy exclusion diet of lamb, zucchini, sweet potato, and rice milk. That was a no go. When we switched to elecare we were at our wits end.... but I have to say it is the best food we have ever given him. The reflux decreased dramatically. I held on to the idea that I wanted to give breastmilk for a long time and it was hard for me to come to terms that he was doing better with a formula than my breastmilk...but that was how it was. We love Elecare! Unfortunately we spend about $800 per month on it. I hope your insurance covers it.

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