Stephanie OReillys son Henry holds a box of formula at the store.
WAUKESHA The baby formula shortage continues to cause stress for parents of infants. Stephanie OReilly, Waukesha, is one of those parents. She needs Enfamil formula for her 9-month-old son Henry.
For us it has been very difficult to find what he uses. He uses Enfamil and it is one of the more needed diets that Ive seen from other moms on Facebook, she said.
It has been a huge struggle for the Waukesha mom as she hasnt had any sightings of the formula for about a month.
Its been hard to get my hands on something he can use, OReilly said.
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She told The Freeman she is on five or six different Facebook groups devoted to finding formula. Parents share images of different formulas they find at stores with hopes of helping each other find the right one for their babies.
The baby formula shortage continues to cause stress for parents looking to feed their babies. Pictured are empty baby formula shelves at a Waukesha County store.
I havent really been able to find anything but I know other people who have, she said.
OReilly spreads the word to family and friends to see what they can find for her family in the stores.
I run to multiple stores on my lunch period yesterday I went to three and none had my sons formula. I take pictures at each store and add to a mom group that Im in to hopefully help others find what they need. I talked to a grandma yesterday while at one of the stores and we talked about what stores each had gone to and if they had the formula that we needed. Ive honestly had some great conversations with other women while out formula shopping, she said.
Lindsi Peplinski is an administrator for the Facebook group Waukesha County, WI Formula Parents.
Peplinski had seen an article about a similar group for Milwaukee.
I thought it would be a good idea to have a local one for Waukesha County. In hopes that parents/guardians arent having to go go all over themselves looking at stores. We all are helping each find what we need, she said.
While some or most parents can swap brands of formula, others cant.
Finding the specific formula needs for our little ones is the biggest challenge. From the group others are posting pictures of empty shelves. Evidence of the shortage, Peplinski said.
The Waukesha County mom has two girls, 2 years old and six months.
Right now we have enough formula to last a few weeks. Thankful our six-month-old is transitioning to solids so we arent going through formula quite as fast as we were,Peplinski said.
OReilly for the most part has gone on the social media groups and make a run to different stores on her lunch break.
That way I dont have to worry about paying someone to go shopping. My family has been really great about helping out with that as well, she said.
Katie Karls, advance practice dietitian-nutrition support at Childrens Wisconsin Hospital, provided tips for parents who are struggling to find baby formula.
Karls told The Freeman she has heard parent concerns since the day the shortage started. The number one struggle she has heard is finding equivalents to products on store shelves and finding formula for babies with special medical needs or allergies.
Karls recommends that parents avoid diluting formula. The reason families are diluting formula is because they are trying to make formula last longer. They are having trouble finding in the store, she said.
Karls said the extra water is not good for babies and doesnt provide enough calories and nutrition for them. The babys kidneys are unable to process that extra water and it can be harmful to their kidneys, Karls said.
And do not attempt to mix your own formula.
You could inadvertently contaminate what you mix and it is very difficult to get the right balance of critical nutrients. There are extremely concerning online recipes that could harm your baby, including injuring their liver and kidneys, or even cause an imbalance that could cause their heart to stop, Karls said.
Many women are unable to breastfeed due to medical conditions, or issues with their milk itself such as not providing all the needed nutrients. A baby can also have special needs such as allergies, a digestive condition or other medical issues.
If babies are not provided human milk, formula is their sole source of nutrition from birth to six months. At six months a baby starts transitioning to rice, cereal and baby food.
Formula or human milk (breast) provides their primary nutrition source through a year of age, Karls said.
Other tips for parents seeking baby formula include dialing 2-1-1 to chat with a community specialist online. This free, confidential helpline is available almost anywhere in the United States and can help you find local resources.
Also, contact local food pantries. 211 can help facilitate that as well, according to Karls.
