Update- We found out that Jack is both lactose and soy intolerant, explaining all the feeding issues he had for months. Though he’s still not a good eater, he’s doing well on the Alimentum. I’m still waiting on my insurance company to cover the formula, but the good news is that I’ve found Target a great place to stock up on it. Every 5-6 weeks, Target puts it on sale for 10 or 15% off. And occasionally they’ll even through in a $5 gift card for every two you buy! I have some wonderful friends who pass along their un-used Similac coupons to me too. With everything combined, I’ve been able to get it for a decent price comparatively.
Over the past few weeks you may have seen me make mention of my baby, Jack, being sick. Seems Jack has a bit of a bum digestive system. Or something like that. His appetite has always been sub-par, and his eating began to decline even more several weeks ago. Then the throwing up started. He lost weight, including his incredibly cute chubby cheeks. As his mama, I mourned the loss of those cheeks!
But thanks to a wonderful doctor’s recommendation (after some trial and error) of a prescription medicine and Alimentum formula, Jack is doing a bit better. Still eating like he has better things to do, but at least he isn’t throwing up or dehydrated anymore. Seems this medicine/formula combo is doing the trick.
So in enters you. I need help! This Alimentum powder formula is crazy expensive. Liquid gold. The company must take the production cost of this formula and multiply it by ten. Or twenty. It’s only sold in small cans that last us about 60 hours. Insurance should eventually cover the expense, but in true bureaucratic fashion, getting through the whole claim process is taking far too long. Maybe by the time he’s a high school graduate the insurance company will get through the red tape. Anyway, with that said, I need help saving money on this formula now while we wait for insurance. I can think of about ten million other things I would rather spend this money on than formula company extortion. (Yes, my baby needs this formula, and I am more than happy to buy it for him. So no “bad mom” comments or emails please! I’m just saying, if I can save on this, I would like hear how!) If your baby has needed this formula and you figured out a way to save on the cost, please, please, please share in the comments area how you did it. I’ll forever owe you money-saving posts on Frugal in Virginia.
I have already signed up to receive the Similac checks, but they send about two $5 checks a month. Yeah, not cutting it.
Oh, and the formula makes Jack stink like instant garlic mashed potatoes. Any suggestions you have on getting rid of the stink- without setting Jack on the porch or bathing him ten times a day- would be much appreciated too.
Thank you so much in advance! I just know I can count on my deal-finding readers to lend us some advice.
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes – we call that liquid gold at our house too. We have to buy the Ready Serve kind and are throwing down like $320 a month. It sucks! I haven’t found any great deals yet – let me know if you find anything great
I have 12 cans left of the Alimentum….if you’re still in need. Email me
mrsflew79@gmail.com
Rachael, I thought with my son that we would need the Ready to feed bottles only too, But I learned a Trick with the powder Formula, not sure if it will work with you but it’s work a shot:) I would premake his formula for the whole day, so I would Boil the water the night before making sure it was super hot, then add the powder, this helped dissolve it, for some reason just adding the powder to the water and shaking the bottle never seems to “melt” the powder. Hope it helps :) My daughter is now on it for GERD same reason as my son.
We used Nutramigen with our second son — Enfamil’s version of “Liquid Gold”!!! Anyhow, I had some luck calling the company directly, explaining our situation and telling them that the insurance wasn’t coming through as we had hoped — they were very kind and sent me extra checks! Hope this helps!
Oops, forgot to also add that I did have *some* luck (it was hit or miss) posting for extra coupons, checks & unopened sample cans on Freecycle and various local parenting boards. And with every trip to the pediatrician, I asked for another sample can … usually they were able to comply. No harm in asking!!! Good luck!
Sounds like some great advice you’ve gotten already. Our daughter was on it due to allergies. Thankfully she’s now on the sensitive. Definitely check freecycle. Depending on what state you’re in there are some laws actually governing this and the need for insurance coverage. Sounds kind of funky but check ebay. They can’t sell unless it is unopened and you may find some there for a good price.
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You may be eligible for assistance through WIC. This is not food-stamps, but it is a government program for food assistance for women, infants, and children….w.i.c.
If your child has a special formula prescribed by doctor, they will accommodate that need and still help you get formula (for free!)
Google WIC and find out if it is available in your area! I don’t know if I could have afforded to feed my son without it, and yes I know that sounds awful, but it is true. There are minimum requirements to qualify….it is easier and faster to get than food stamps or other assistance.
Also, look into adding probiotic supplement into his diet. Again, there will need to be some research as to what is best for his situation, but probiotics naturally balance out the flora in the intestine…..which will naturally help to absorb more nutrients more efficiently, balance hydration, and also help to fight off illness. Yogurt contains probiotics, but it is also available in powdered form which can be added to his bottle for feeding. It may also help with that smell, you never know.
Best wishes–
*Leane
.-= Leane´s last blog ..Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters {Review&Giveaway} =-.
I know that Amazon sells it. Do you have a bunch of Swagbucks you can trade in for Amazon GCs?
.-= Gina´s last blog ..Big Lots 20% Off Coupon =-.
If you have a friend with a baby around the same age maybe you could trade with her — I was able to trade my enfamil checks for similac checks from a friend.
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I got alot of those $5 off Similac checks off of Craigslist generally for free, even still I didn’t mind paying a little bit for them (even though they were free to the person who got them in the mail) because Similac would never mail them to me for some reason, I always got Enfamil checks which is another way I would go on Craigslist and trade my Enfamil checks for Similac ones. Also sometimes you can catch a good deal on those checks on EBAY. Hope this helps some : )
Dana- I had this problem with Matthew. I bought it on ebay. I bought the scratch and dent cans. The formula was fine. The dates were fine. I got it for the cost of the standard formula. Just hang in there!!! I know doctors have samples as well! Amee
I don’t know if you are eligible for WIC checks…but with a prescription for your childs primary care physician you will be able to have alimentum…they give a month supply which really lasts a month or maybe longer. Both of my last children had to have this formula because of “projectile vomiting” and this formula prevented hospital stays and stopped the vomiting. Hopefully you are eligible, you can find WIC at your local health department as well.
You’ve received many excellent suggestions already.
Another thought: have you searched on-line for support/interest groups for families with children who have this same digestive problem? Maybe there’s some support groups that could understand what you’re going through. Maybe they’d have some more money-saving tips for you. Good luck!
You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for all the suggestions. We wouldn’t qualify for WIC (great program though for those who do!), but I am definitely going to check out ebay, craigslist, Freecyle, and the other suggestions.
Courtney- I have several $10 off coupons for the Enfamil Nutramigen. I didn’t realize that was the same thing. I’ll be checking with Jack’s doctor to see if we could give that a try. I have seen it in stores, and noticed its a bit cheaper.
Thanks again everyone!
I have to agree about the probiotics, too…our son was having lots of digestive issues when he was quite young (including a milk allergy, thus prompting us to start Nutramigen) and we have been using a powder probiotic since that time. I use it with my older son anytime he has to go on antibiotics, but usually give my younger son (with the more sensitive stomach) a daily dose in juice or water. I had a great deal of luck with ABC-Dolphilus, sold at Rebecca’s in Barracks Road.
Hey Dana – I had to use Nutramigen with my middle child. I called the company and they sent several coupons which helped! Our doctor also hit up his drug reps when they came in for free samples (liquid version). We then bought it by the case from Amazon which saved us about $30 over buying it in the single can for every six cans. Hope this helps.
We had to use an expensive formula as well. My family members all signed up to receive the coupons and my mom would mail them to me! It helped us out a lot!
Have you tried writing the company directly?
Sometimes just appealing to them as a Mom, saying that you HAVE to feed the formula to your baby and would be grateful for any help they could provide in assisting you to keep to a reasonable house hold budget will have them sending either free (or nearly free) cans in your direction.
Say that you will take anything (scratch and dent cans, coupons, samples, etc.) and point out that you have a blog with X number of readers where you’d be more than glad to mention their generosity. While I don’t like reading blogs that sound like a walking advert, if you limit the number of products you talk about to those that A) you really use, B) can really stand behind, and C) are honest in your review about them (i.e., “makes Jack smell like garlic!”) your readers probably won’t mind either, so long as it’s not a new product every day. Heck, ask if you can add “Try X Formula, it really works!” to your signature line or something.
When my daughter was born, as a single Mom I wrote to the formula company we had to use for her stuff (which was also hideously expensive) and explained the situation. They sent me something like 12 cans in the mail for free. It’s definitely worth a try.
Another plug for powdered probiotics…:) When my baby started having digestive problems , my pediatrician suggested looking into baby probiotics. We used Natren’s (and, while it was really expensive initially), it cleared her throwing up within a week. Not even changing her formulas helped her that much! We still give her a daily dose of the probiotic, and she hasn’t had digestive problems since. I really hope your son gets interested in his food very soon! (Also, I found that I can swap coupons on Baby Cheapskate’s coupon trading website; a lot of people have Similac and want Enfamil coupons.)
Okay, you have all convinced me! I must ask my baby’s pediatrician about baby probiotics. Thank you, thank you!
I have free similac and Enfamil and Nestle Good Start checks if anyone wants them mailed to them my baby doesnt use that brand so I have no use for them email me so I can mail them to you today
Oh yeah i forgot email me at misstgh1973@aol.com
Hi! I read your blog often but somehow missed this post. I wanted to be sure you and your pediatrician are aware of a program that Mead Johnson Nutritionals offers called “Helping Hands for Special Kids”. This program is designed for folks that need a little assistance with the purchase of their products. Your doctor should have the form (or if you contact me by email I can provide it for you). With a medical diagnosis, for example, the allergies or reflux, they will send either a case or if necessary a long term shipment. They do not require your financial information to send the case but their is an application process for the Long Term Shipment.
You can always ask your physician/nurse when you go in for visits if they have samples. We are always glad to hand them out rather than letting them expire and throw them away. Hope that helps. Feel free to email me for more info.
Kris
Wow, what interesting timing. I just read this post. My ped. just gave us 4 cans of this kind of formula. I am nursing my daughter, but her skin is a mess and we’re not sure why. We have a family history of lactose intol. If it doesn’t work out for us I would be happy to send it to ya. Good luck :)
Kate, I hope you guys are able to quickly diagnose your daughter’s skin issues. I know it took months to figure out the cause of Jack’s digestive problems. Wow, if you don’t use the formula, I would surely take you up on the offer of your leftovers! Thank you. Just let me know if you don’t need it after all, and I could mail you money for shipping. Thanks again!
Strange but true: I’ve seen Enfamil, Good Start and other formula brands at my local St. Vincent DePaul thrift store. Call around and see if they accept donations of infant formula, and if they do then you will know that it’s worth a look every now and then. Can’t hurt ;)
I never would have thought to look there. Thank you for the suggestion!
I’m in the same situation! I was breatfeeding my 4 week old son, and he did very well with this. The only exception was his stools were liquid and he was having about 10-15 a day! My peds doc placed him on the Alimentum and his stools are much better at this point. He is now going through a can of formula in about 2.5 days. I do have some of the coupons, but with him going through it this fast, the coupons will be running out soon!!
I have cans of the Similac Advantage and I receive coupons for Enfamil, Good Start, etc, that are piling up. I’m going to have to find something to do with them as well. I’m going to check out the suggested websites as well. Thank you for posting this!!
I do have some I can sell you cheaper email me if interested.