Some types of baby formula in short supply, frustrating parents

[Jilly_in_VA]

Some kinds of baby formula are getting harder to find in parts of the country, leaving parents of young children frustrated and scrambling for alternatives.

"We've noticed it being difficult to find maybe a couple months ago — two, three months ago — and then just recently we can't find it," San Francisco resident Irene Anhoeck told CBS News.

She and her husband, Mario Anhoeck are the parents of Marlo, a 10-month-old boy. And since she can't breastfeed, the couple have fed Marlo a liquid infant formula from Similac, which they said is now in short supply.

"We've tried all the local Targets. We checked Costco, Costco online, Walgreens, Long's. Can't find it anywhere," Irene Anhoeck said.

Many parents around the country are reporting the same thing: bare shelves or very low stocks of baby formula — from New York to Washington state. The Infant Nutrition Council of America acknowledged there are some supply issues.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/baby-formula-supply-parents-shortage/

[snowybirdie]

1. I'm old

And raised my kids many years ago. But seems to me, a ten month old baby can begin to tolerate something other than formula. We were told to start baby food before this age. But they do need to bitch about shortages, don't they?

[phylny]

2. I don't think that's fair.

I breast-fed my children and my daughter is pumping and feeding breastmilk to our granddaughter but while babies do begin to have food from purée to table food from 6 to 12 months, breastmilk or formula remain important staples of their diets. They should not have cows milk before 12 months of age.

[snowybirdie]

4. I'm just remembering

what mom's were told 50 years ago. Not what current thought is on feeding babies now. Different times for different people. Enjoy your child they grow up so fast!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. The general recommendation is to keep them on formula or breast milk until a year. So yes,

the 10-month-old is likely eating pureed foods, but should still be getting breastmilk or formula as well.

[snowybirdie]

5. For example, 50 years ago

My obstetrician told me, "dear, you don't want to ruin your body by Breast feeding". OK he was an ass, but we all somehow survived. Enjoy your child.They grow up fast.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. The point is, the young couple in this article isn't complaining just for the hell of it.

[Ms. Toad]

8. Children who are curious about food are encouraged to nibble/taste test -

bu breast milk for a full year is recommended (that ws 30 years ago).

My daughter nursed for 18 months, but between about 11 months and 18 months nibbled her way to primarly eating table food.

But I had to fight my mother and mother-in-law off because they were afraid she would starve to death (slightly different reasons) from just breast milk. My MIL wanted to put oatmeal into her formula - thank goodness she couldn't think of a way to stuff my breasts with oatmeal - I don't recall her reasons, but they wre total nonsense. My mother had tried to nurse both my brother and I, and one of us was in the failure to thrive range before she gave up.

[Jilly_in_VA]

7. There's probably some hoarding going on

But honestly, being familiar with Big Pharma and their artificial drug "shortages", I really kind of wonder if they aren't pulling a fast one here with the formula too. One company did it with one of their "specialty" formulas some years ago; it wasn't Nutramigen, but something along those lines.

OTOH, I remember the days before pre-made formula, when my mom would have to measure out condensed milk + water + (I think) corn syrup or something like it to make bottles for my brother after she stopped nursing him when he was around 5 or 6 months old. My other brother was allergic to cow's milk and had to have goat's milk---I don't remember that but she told me. He and I are only 19 months apart, which is why I don't remember. I know she breastfed all of us for several months but got bad advice and no support so that didn't last as long as it could have. I also know because I was told that I was a Carnation Milk baby after that LOL

[forthemiddle]

9. I was visiting my hometown in Wisconsin this weekend

And I heard, firsthand, that the stores in that small town, had zero cans of the formula my friends grandson needed.
She had to drive 30 miles to get it for him.