Advice for getting kids to drink EN formula

[Patricia56]

Anyone have advice for those parents who are trying to get their kids to drink EN formula?

My two bits:

1. Use a covered cup and drink through a straw. Often the smell is what is hard to handle not the actual taste. The covered cup reduces the smell.

2. Stick to the same flavor for at least 3 days. Sip in small amounts - even if it's only one sip - several times a day until the palate gets used to the flavor and texture.

 

[kimmidwife]

My daughter had a rough go of it as well that is why we were not successful with EN, thank goodness we found LDN!

 

[Mom2oneboy]

My kid is SO sensitive to smell!! He does EN via an NG tube but on the 2 off nights he has to drink something with his VSL in it. Holding the nose while he drinks really helps. My husband even bought him swimmer nose clamps that he sometimes uses .

The texture of the formulas is so thick. I wonder if adding a little water would help?

 

[Tesscorm]

Also, I'd be interested to know what are the 'favourite' flavours or brands and which ones were just intolerable??

 

[Twiggy930]

I think getting the formula really cold helps. I even blended it with ice to create a "frappuccino" of sorts. On a normal day there is no way my extremely picky son would be able to drink any sort of significant volume of the formula. However, when he was on exclusive EN (via a NG tube) he quite enjoyed the taste of some of them. I think he got so desperate to eat something that his taste buds tricked him.

 

[Mom2oneboy]

I forgot to mention that I tried S on Nestle Breeze thinking he would be able to drink it since it's like juice versus the thick formulas. It was a no go....said it tastes like blood. Grrr....he has the pickiest taste buds ever!!

 

[Twiggy930]

My son could drink chocolate Boost and Ensure but the Modulen was a no go no matter what flavor of syrup I put in.

 

[DustyKat]

Seemed no matter what I tried with Matt it was like pulling teeth! :lol:

I'm with Twiggy though, the only thing that came even close to making it tolerable for him was to consume it loaded down with ice chips!

He was given Osmolite, Ensure and Nutrisip but found them all equally distasteful and the only flavour he would even look at was Vanilla.

Dusty.

 

[Tesscorm]

When we go on vacation, I was hoping to leave the NG and accompaniments at home and have Stephen just drink shakes for a week or two.. :lol: from the comments above and considering how picky he is, I'm thinking I'd better pack the NG tube!

 

[momoftwinboys]

My son does not like the drinks either but have had some success blending the boost with mint chip ice-cream. Not EN .... Some success with carnation instant breakfast.

 

[Sascot]

No help here - Andrew hated the Modulen no matter what I did :yfrown:. Tried all flavours I could find, tried with a straw, tried on ice, tried holding his nose. Gave up after a few days!

 

[Farmwife]

I give EN as a supplement only at breakfast and sometimes dinner.
Grace loves chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast.:thumright:
Sometimes if Grace is really unwell, I'll mix hers into a shake with a little ice cream.:soledance:
Mommy loves it too.:ybiggrin:

 

[my little penguin]

DS drinks Peptamen jr here vanilla ( orally)
He does prefer chocolate but the Dme only carries vanilla which what the insurance covers.
Back in nov we would cover it and use a straw
Plug his nose.
But mainly I gave him cash
For each week of EN he got cash from us and grandparents.
After a week he stopped complaining.
He was drinking 7 cans a day.
As a supplement he would drink boost kids vanilla
For a few months so we eased into it.
Remember cold is ok but in order to count as EN
I can't be frozen or heated.

 

[emmaaaargh]

When I first had to have exclusive EN after my colonoscopy my parents would threaten me with an NG tube... doesn't work anymore 'cos I'd rather have that than drink it all! I dunno what's made me suddenly hate it, but I can't choke down even one carton anymore.

Other than that I guess I did it because I wanted to get well again I wasn't as stubborn then as I am now! :shifty-t:

Modulen was horrific. Texture, taste - ew ew ew! I had Elemental 028 for a while and I guess that was tolerable since I lasted six weeks on it once. Orange & Pineapple flavour wasn't too bad, but grapefruit just tasted like off chicken.

 

[crohnsinct]

O drank vanilla Boost and Ensure chocolate. Kept it cold and we used the McDonald's straws...they are fat straws (marketing on their part you drink the soda faster therfore need bigger sodas). The straw would shoot it down fast and she would be done lickety split hardly having to taste it.

We bribed with mani pedis...one for each week. Now that she is off exclusive e continue her on one a day...we want to keep her used to the taste as doc warned we may have to cycle off and on exclusive plus she still needs to gain weight.

 

[Twiggy930]

But mainly I gave him cash
For each week of EN he got cash from us and grandparents.
After a week he stopped complaining.

This is fantastic!

I also used some bribery. I promised a tank full of piranhas...:eek2: I felt so bad for the kid that I would probably have said yes to anything he wanted at the time. :ylol2: