Formula Shortage: What to Do and How to Help

Have you been effected by the formula shortage? Even if you’re not personally effected, you’ve probably heard about it. Let’s talk about why this is happening, what we’re seeing, what you can do about it, how you can help others and most importantly, some safety tips if you are running low on formula.

(This post was originally a video. You can watch it here.)

Out of Stock Numbers

The numbers that we’re seeing right now are crazy. This blog post is being published May 2022 and we are currently at over 40% of formulas out of stock which is crazy. Back in March 2022 that number was around 32%. February 2020 was 14%.

We’re seeing huge increases of formulas going out of stock. This is really alarming for a lot of people who formula feed because if you can’t get food for your baby that’s a huge deal! 

Why did this formula shortage happen?

It’s multi-multifaceted, kind of a perfect storm situation. We have supply chain issues, we have recent recalls, we have record inflation, and we have the COVID pandemic that has really messed up supply and demand in the last couple years. This all snowballed and caused the current shortages. 

There was a formula plant, Abbott Nutrition, and they produced a lot of formula in the United States. Bacterial infections were linked back to the formula. The pathogens that were found in a Michigan plant of Abbott Nutrition caused a recall in February 2022. This affects Similac, and a lot of other popular brands.

If you look at some of the politics around formula in the United States, they’re a little sketchy to be honest, which is unfortunate. There’s an ethical gray area that happens when we’re talking about formula because the United States has allowed a few companies to monopolize the formula supply. The US doesn’t allow formulas imports from other countries because then the US companies wouldn’t profit on that. It really creates problems when you have a major manufacturer like this shut down. 

Supply and Demand

We’ve had recalls before, this is not new, but the pandemic does add another layer of shortages. We saw a lot of people buying formula and stockpiling it, similarly to toilet paper in the beginning of March 2020. We had a little bit of a shortage back then so formula companies started making more, but then everyone started using their stockpiles and buying less because they had a bunch so then there was an oversupply.

In theory, when demand slowed (because people had stockpiled) supply dropped and then when demand started to increase again (after people had gone through their stockpiles) formula companies were already behind in production. This also messed up the pricing of formula. Then you have a recall and a plant shutdown, that’s a big deal!

Now we’re seeing limits on how much formula you can buy. You can only buy a certain amount per transaction which is to try to stop people from hoarding it since stockpiling just perpetuates the problem. 

It makes sense that people want to stockpile. You want to make sure that you have enough food for your baby! But it does cause problems if you’re the next mom in line who came to buy formula also and now there’s nothing left. We’re all in this together. We need to trust the process and ration it out so that everyone gets what they need.

Important safety tips 

Let’s move on to some important safety tips. 

Do not dilute formula

You cannot dilute formula to make it last or stretch longer. It makes sense how people come up with this idea, but it is NOT safe for babies, especially babies under 6 months. It is unsafe for baby’s kidneys to process that extra water. Watering formula down also dilutes the nutrition. Babies don’t need more water, they need the nutrients and the stuff in formula so you shouldn’t water it down. 

Do not make your own formula

It’s also not advised to make your own formula. Don’t buy second hand formulas, either. 

It makes sense that you might think of making your own or buying secondhand, because if your baby needs food they need food! But do be careful. Make sure to buy formula from trusted sources. You don’t want it tampered with.

Do not use alternative milks

There’s another alarming trend with information going around about goat’s milk, how it’s very similar to human milk or to formula and if you can’t find formulas, substitute with goats milk or almond milk or something like that. This is a HUGE NO! It is not the same! It is not okay for your infant to be on goat’s milk. Don’t do that! There’s a reason that we advise you to wait to start your baby on whole milk until they’re one year old. Their bodies just can’t handle it until then and it is not the same as formula or breast milk.

Do not use sugar water

You may have seen posts talking about how back before formula moms would give their babies sugar water. Please DO NOT DO THIS! You have other options. 

What can I do about this formula shortage? 

So if we can’t do any of the things listed above, what CAN we do? How do we cope with this formula shortage? This is stressful and this is a an extreme situation. We’re seeing a lot of extreme responses to this.

Moms were already being shamed about formula feeding. Other moms were also shamed about breastfeeding. If you post about formula feeding or breastfeeding on social media people can think that you’re shaming other moms who don’t feed the same way you do. It’s a mess.

What you can do to help this problem is absolutely never shame a formula feeding mom for not breastfeeding! We’re not here to judge how people feed their babies. Whether you use formula or breastmilk, don’t be a part of the shaming on social media.

If you’re pregnant and you’re seeing this formula shortage and kind of freaking out, the best thing you can do right now is research some information on breastfeeding. Here’s some research suggestions: How can I make breastfeeding successful? Where are the lactation consultants in my area? Who can help me through this? These are valuable questions and researching it will help you know where to go/what to do.

What can you do if you’re breastfeeding right now but might need formula in the future? 

Maybe you don’t have to deal with this formula shortage if you’re already breastfeeding but you’re worried about your supply because you’re going back to work soon and think you might need to supplement with formula. You are the moms that New Little Life works with! Don’t let going back to work or a struggling milk supply keep you from feeding your baby. If you want more information on working with New Little Life as a working mom, you can find the working mom course, here! 

What can I do if I’m formula feeding right now? 

If you’re formula feeding, let’s talk about what you can do to work through this formula shortage. This shortage will likely work itself out in a few months. The government is trying to put some things into place to get the factories producing again. We just we gotta make it through the next little while. So, here are some suggestions if your formula is out of stock. 

• You could look into switching brands. If you have a fairly healthy baby, switching to a different brand is usually no problem. Look for the same main ingredients and that would be your best match. Most babies can adjust to a different brand with a chance of a mild GI transition.
  
  If you have a sick baby who’s on a very specific formula switching brands might not be the best option for you. But something is definitely better than nothing and switching brands might be your only choice. Just look for the most similar ingredients you can find. 
  
• You could also consider buying online. Make sure it’s from a trusted retailer! Some people have found success changing their location on Amazon to Canada because they have more in stock. Keep in mind that you will pay more in shipping, and Canada could also be having some in stock issues. 
  
• Donor breast milk is another option. There is also decreased supply in the donor milk department because it is probably going to premature babies in the NICU or other vulnerable babies in the hospital. Still, consider looking in your local area for some donor milk.
  
• If you’re a breastfeeding mom you could also consider donating your milk to your area. Post on your local social media neighborhood pages if you have a little bit of extra milk You could say, “Hey anyone in my neighborhood who needs some extra milk, I’ve got a couple of bags here,” or “I can pump a little bit extra every day to help out.” This would be a really great way to help out your local community and if everybody did that we could see some really good improvement. It can be weird accepting fluids from another person, for sure, but we’re in a crisis here. Obviously it’s better through a milk bank that’s been screened and pasteurized but we’re all in this together and we’ve got to figure this out! 
  
• Another thing that you could try is relactation. If you gave birth, you used to lactate. Everyone makes milk right at the beginning. If you formula feed full time, your milk stops producing. Relactation is an option. It’s a lot of work okay and it should never be suggested to a formula feeding parent. This has to be a personal decision, with the knowledge that you may not be successful. If you are in the position that relactation sounds like something that you want to do or can do, New Little Life will be producing a video more about that in the future.
  
  Relactation does take a lot of work. Don’t think that you have to do that, especially as some kind of weird redemption for a “bad choice” you made earlier. Don’t shame yourself. We are in a formula crisis and if you can supplement at least a little bit of your formula with some breastmilk that’s a little bit less formula that you have to buy and this will help you in the long term as we deal with this shortage.

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Final Thoughts on the Formula Shortage

Currently the recommendation is to have two weeks of formula on hand. That might sound like a scary low amount but it is enough. Doing that will help everyone have the supply they need. 

This is a tough topic! If you have any other resources or other ideas of how we can support moms through this formula shortage please post it in the comments. You can also contact New Little Life at this email address here and we can create a resource list for you guys until we can all figure this out. 

It has been great to see a lot of lactation consultants come together especially where we usually focus heavily on breastfeeding because that’s what we’re trained to do. Not because we feel that breastfeeding is better or like the perfect way to do it but that’s what we’re trained in. So, even if you formula feed, know that lactation consultants are here to support you!