Mikaela McElwain, a working mom of three boys in Medina, with her youngest son at seven months old, stopped breastfeeding a month ago.
She made the personal decision to start weaning her son off of breastmilk entirely, and although she is still using some of her frozen milk supply, with the formula shortage, her options are becoming limited.
“It’s pretty scary,“ she says. “I can’t imagine (parents) with younger babies.”
She said the shelves were empty of the kind of formula they needed, and she had to go to five different stores to find some.
“I have three kids and I am a busy mom,” she said of the amount of time it now takes her to find formula.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced that the first planeload of formula from Europe had arrived in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a second shipment scheduled for later this week. “Our team is working around the clock to get safe formula to everyone who needs it,” he said.
The current shortage was worsened when a major manufacturer issued a voluntary recall of some powdered formula brands in February, and the Food and Drug Administration warned caregivers against using some formulas from a factory in Sturgis, Mich. Pandemic-related supply chain backups contributed to the empty shelves.
Last week, that manufacturer, Abbott Nutrition, said that even though investigators had found no connection between its formulas and the infections found in four babies, that it had reached an agreement with the FDA that could allow it to resume manufacturing formula at the Sturgis facility. If all goes as planned, Abbott hopes to start producing EleCare formula there next week. And eventually, EleCare, Alimentum and Similac brands will reappear on store shelves six to eight weeks after their production resumes.
The Biden administration also announced other measures to address the formula shortage, including: using the Defense Production Act to prioritize and maximize formula manufacturing; allowing manufacturers to import some FDA-approved formulas made outside the U.S.; launching a resource for parents and caregivers at HHS.gov/formula; and making more formulas eligible for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits.
Dr. Richard So, pediatrician for Cleveland Clinic Children’s, has seen first-hand how parents are reacting to this shortage, because his phones have been ringing off the hook.
One of the major issues, he says, is that a lot of parents are hoarding formula. He recommends parents purchase only a two-week supply for their baby.
For parents who are shopping online, it’s important to do your research when formula-hunting, and avoid buying brands that “don’t meet the FDA’s safety and quality standards.”
Katie Malear, pediatric and family certified nurse practitioner at Mercy Health Clinic at Washington Elementary in the Lorain City School district, advises parents to pay attention to expiration dates and make sure they are purchasing formula from a reliable source.
Also, parents might be used to a particular brand, but it’s OK to buy a generic version as long as it’s a similar product, she adds.
McElwain switched to a big-box store-brand formula rather than buying the popular brands of the same type of formula.
Babies older than six months who usually drink regular formula might be able to drink whole cow’s milk in a pinch during the formula shortage, but pediatricians say that is not an ideal solution.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the FDA urge parents and caregivers not to make their own homemade formula, which may not contain essential nutrients and could make babies sick.
Malear recommends reaching out to your pediatrician or pediatric health care provider about supply questions. They can also put you in touch with the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which supports low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and infants and children up to age 5 found to be at nutritional risk.
For those moms who are breastfeeding or supplementing with formula, Malear says stress can impact the milk supply.
“I do get nervous thinking that if my milk dries up and I am unable to find a gentle type of formula, what will I do?” says Andie Klafczynski of Medina, a mother who has been strictly breastfeeding. “It’s all so crazy.”
It’s important that breastfeeding moms, as well as pregnant women who now might be worried about their options, take care of themselves during this formula shortage.
She recommends pregnant moms who know where they are delivering to look for classes if they are interested in breastfeeding. Hospital lactation consultants can put you in touch with breastfeeding support groups like La Leche League, and can provide tips on proper milk storage and thawing.
“It seems a little ‘going back to basics’ is always best,” she says, about self-care for currently breastfeeding moms. “Stay hydrated, rest as much as you can, and keep your nutrition up. Often, moms learn very early on, we put ourselves on the back burner. Postpartum care is very important to keep that milk supply up.”
“First and foremost, I would advise everyone: Don’t panic,” she adds. “We learned from COVID. We saw significant supply shortages throughout COVID. [It’s best to] have a 10-14 day supply of formula to strictly formula feed. Any more than that, we run into hoarding situations, and it makes the supply chain [problems] worse.”
Bonus:
Looking to learn more about formula and milk options?
Check out this article from Serenity Kids
Janet Cho, managing editor at Northeast Ohio Parent magazine, contributed to this article.