@@@Formula shortage@@@@

[Jalapeñomel]

Talking point on the right is this is another way Biden has failed us.

What’s it like in your area?

My mother sent me angry texts about how we are supplying formula to babies at the border but not taking care of our own. Sigh.

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/12/faux-outrage-that-biden-is-stockpiling-baby-formula-undocumented-immigrants/

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/05/baby-formula-shortage-abbott-recall/629828/

[Jalapeñomel]

Here is the Twitter link to the start of the border discussion:

[mrsukyankee]

I like some of the answers under the twitter feed - both about the facts of what is happening and the thinking that perhaps we shouldn't starve children who have no access to supermarkets or online ordering as an alternative.

[neverfstop]

Yes, I saw people complaining that there was plenty of formula at the border.
So like, what should we do...let infants that we take into custody starve??? Also, applesauce pouches are not baby formula.

[karinothing]

May 13, 2022 7:22:49 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Yes, I saw people complaining that there was plenty of formula at the border.
So like, what should we do...let infants that we take into custody starve??? Also, applesauce pouches are not baby formula.

Yeah. Governor Abbott wrote a press release about this and it was upsetting. Basically it is let immigrant babies die.

[meowmaps]

The supply is not great here (I'm in Northern Virginia) but it's mostly Similac that's low. We were using Similac but are finding Earth's Best on the shelves so we switched to that. I hadn't heard any of the conservative garbage. My in-laws are Fox watchers but fortunately, they've kept whatever opinions they have to themselves. They have, however, offered to pick up formula for us when/if they see some in the process of grocery shopping. The shortage is concerning. We had a subscription through Amazon but they've cancelled our delivery three times now due to low or no supply so now we just buy what we can find at the grocery store.

@ Fortunately, our baby is nine months next week so we just need to get another two months worth (we have a one month supply right now) and then we're done.

[Deleted]

Pro-life my ass. “Let those *other babies* starve….”

ETA: this is, of course, not surprising

[timorousbeastie]

May 13, 2022 8:16:44 GMT -5 @villainv said:

Pro-life my ass. “Let those *other babies* starve….”

ETA: this is, of course, not surprising

My Representative had back to back FB posts - first post thanking the Senate for preserving the sanctity of the lives of babies, then the very next one bitching about “illegal babies” being given formula.

[bears]

Psaki said concerned families should teach out to their pediatricians (https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/12/politics/biden-infant-formula-meeting/index.html). This is a fucking systemic issue, not something for your pediatrician to solve.

[tripleshot]

I saw a Tiktok yesterday saying on Amazon if you scroll to the very bottom and change the country to Canada or UK, you can order formula like normal. I have no need so I’m not sure if it works but maybe it’ll help someone.

[wildrice]

May 13, 2022 7:25:21 GMT -5 karinothing said:

May 13, 2022 7:22:49 GMT -5 neverfstop said:

Yes, I saw people complaining that there was plenty of formula at the border.
So like, what should we do...let infants that we take into custody starve??? Also, applesauce pouches are not baby formula.

Yeah. Governor Abbott wrote a press release about this and it was upsetting. Basically it is let immigrant babies die.

But pro-life! Abortion murders babies! It's totally fine to kill them once they are here, though, as long as they are brown. Makes sense.

[Deleted]

May 13, 2022 8:44:50 GMT -5 tripleshot said:

I saw a Tiktok yesterday saying on Amazon if you scroll to the very bottom and change the country to Canada or UK, you can order formula like normal. I have no need so I’m not sure if it works but maybe it’ll help someone.

I had a friend tried this and it says they cannot ship to her address. The import of baby formula is pretty heavily regulated, which is one of the issues exacerbating this problem — even though other countries’ formula meet or exceed US standards, we can’t just import it.

[melmaria]

It’s pretty bad in my area. I just picked up a couple of cans of formula for a friend who couldn’t find any of the kind she needed at five different stores. I’ve also been donating some of my freezer stash of breastmilk.

Governor Abbott‘s comments are disgusting, but it would be a mistake for Democrats to not take this seriously. It shouldn’t just be a right wing talking point. But I have seen coverage of it in moderate/left leaning publications recently too, e.g. www.motherjones.com/mojo-wire/2022/05/baby-formula-shortage/

[kadams767]

May 13, 2022 8:33:19 GMT -5 bears said:

Psaki said concerned families should teach out to their pediatricians (https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/12/politics/biden-infant-formula-meeting/index.html). This is a fucking systemic issue, not something for your pediatrician to solve.

I didn't see this comment or the context, but I would assume she meant for immediate assistance, since pediatricians often have stockpiles of formula samples.  Or at least, used to.  I'm not sure if that is still the case given the shortage.

[melmaria]

This is good too:

Opinion: The baby formula shortage is an outrage. A sane country would fix it.
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/10/abbott-baby-formula-shortage-needs-solutions/

[bears]

May 13, 2022 9:29:27 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

May 13, 2022 8:33:19 GMT -5 bears said:

Psaki said concerned families should teach out to their pediatricians (https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/12/politics/biden-infant-formula-meeting/index.html). This is a fucking systemic issue, not something for your pediatrician to solve.

I didn't see this comment or the context, but I would assume she meant for immediate assistance, since pediatricians often have stockpiles of formula samples.  Or at least, used to.  I'm not sure if that is still the case given the shortage.

This is the quote: "When pressed which government agency such questions would be better directed at and what a parent should do if they can't find formula, Psaki, without naming an agency, said: "We certainly encourage any parent who has concerns about their child's health or well-being to call their doctor or pediatrician.""

Pediatricians may or may not have samples (I know that "baby friendly" certifications have really altered how some practices handle distribution of formula samples). But, this is not the supply chain. This may help a small number of children, but it's a systemic issue.

[smock]

So we're going to force women to have babies and then allow monopolies and stock-driven businesses so the babies starve. WTF.

I'm furious at the GOP for attacking women's rights, not giving a shit about people of color, and prioritizing profits over human lives. But I'm also frustrated that the Democrats aren't fighting. The Congressional votes doomed to fail and the texts asking me to donate to the DNC are completely out of touch with the crisis we're facing.

It feels like there are only a few Dems who really GET IT, like Elizabeth Warren and Katie Porter. The other side is literally arguing that babies should live or die based on their nationality, and the Dems are over here sending another DNC fundraising text.

[AdaraMarie]

May 13, 2022 10:03:03 GMT -5 bears said:

May 13, 2022 9:29:27 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

I didn't see this comment or the context, but I would assume she meant for immediate assistance, since pediatricians often have stockpiles of formula samples.  Or at least, used to.  I'm not sure if that is still the case given the shortage.

This is the quote: "When pressed which government agency such questions would be better directed at and what a parent should do if they can't find formula, Psaki, without naming an agency, said: "We certainly encourage any parent who has concerns about their child's health or well-being to call their doctor or pediatrician.""

Pediatricians may or may not have samples (I know that "baby friendly" certifications have really altered how some practices handle distribution of formula samples). But, this is not the supply chain. This may help a small number of children, but it's a systemic issue.

I agree that pediatricians can't solve the problem of the system, but it seems appropriate to me that if a parent can't find formula they should reach out to a doctor that knows their child to figure out what to do. The answer for a temporary alternative would be age and kid dependent so their doctor would give better advice than a government agency.

[kadams767]

May 13, 2022 10:03:03 GMT -5 bears said:

May 13, 2022 9:29:27 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

I didn't see this comment or the context, but I would assume she meant for immediate assistance, since pediatricians often have stockpiles of formula samples.  Or at least, used to.  I'm not sure if that is still the case given the shortage.

This is the quote: "When pressed which government agency such questions would be better directed at and what a parent should do if they can't find formula, Psaki, without naming an agency, said: "We certainly encourage any parent who has concerns about their child's health or well-being to call their doctor or pediatrician.""

Pediatricians may or may not have samples (I know that "baby friendly" certifications have really altered how some practices handle distribution of formula samples). But, this is not the supply chain. This may help a small number of children, but it's a systemic issue.

Oh no, I 100% agree that it is obviously a supply chain issue problem (and a baby formula monopoly problem).  I was just thinking that she was trying to address parents who had an immediate need and concern that pediatricians may have a lifeline for them as a very short-term fix.

[mskitkat]

I was reading a Twitter thread last night about the conditions at Abbott that lead the the recall. Reading about the whistleblower absolutely tracks with what I can see happening. It feels like everywhere is cutting corners.

www.politico.com/news/2022/04/28/whistleblower-fda-baby-formula-00028569?_amp=true

[bears]

May 13, 2022 10:20:13 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

May 13, 2022 10:03:03 GMT -5 bears said:

This is the quote: "When pressed which government agency such questions would be better directed at and what a parent should do if they can't find formula, Psaki, without naming an agency, said: "We certainly encourage any parent who has concerns about their child's health or well-being to call their doctor or pediatrician.""

Pediatricians may or may not have samples (I know that "baby friendly" certifications have really altered how some practices handle distribution of formula samples). But, this is not the supply chain. This may help a small number of children, but it's a systemic issue.

Oh no, I 100% agree that it is obviously a supply chain issue problem (and a baby formula monopoly problem).  I was just thinking that she was trying to address parents who had an immediate need and concern that pediatricians may have a lifeline for them as a very short-term fix.

Gotcha. I'm just going to rant here about why I'm so worked about this issue.

Formula is tighly regulated because when babies rely on one thing for 100% of their nutrition, if something is "off," they can get very sick or even die. Because it's so highly regulated, it's very expensive for manufacturers to get into the formula business. This means there's limited competition so when there are supply chain issues + contamination issues there are shortages.  

There's very few options for parents here. Because this perfect storm is, on some level, exacerbated/ caused by government regulations, they have a responsibility to keep a close eye on supply and potential issues and address them by using the power of the government. I am so utterly frustrated because the government has a responsibility here and I am sick of the responsibility being foisted on individuals who have no power to fix this situation.

[wanderingback]

May 13, 2022 10:09:34 GMT -5 smock said:

So we're going to force women to have babies and then allow monopolies and stock-driven businesses so the babies starve. WTF.

I'm furious at the GOP for attacking women's rights, not giving a shit about people of color, and prioritizing profits over human lives. But I'm also frustrated that the Democrats aren't fighting. The Congressional votes doomed to fail and the texts asking me to donate to the DNC are completely out of touch with the crisis we're facing.

It feels like there are only a few Dems who really GET IT, like Elizabeth Warren and Katie Porter. The other side is literally arguing that babies should live or die based on their nationality, and the Dems are over here sending another DNC fundraising text.

Yep. I know people are mad at people for voting 3rd party in the presidential election, but it becomes more and more appealing based on how the Democratic Party has responded to the crises this country has faced.

When Jen Psaki sarcastically replied to a report with, "what, are we just supposed to mail Covid tests to everyone?!?" it became more and more clear.

[melmaria]

May 13, 2022 10:28:37 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

May 13, 2022 10:09:34 GMT -5 smock said:

So we're going to force women to have babies and then allow monopolies and stock-driven businesses so the babies starve. WTF.

I'm furious at the GOP for attacking women's rights, not giving a shit about people of color, and prioritizing profits over human lives. But I'm also frustrated that the Democrats aren't fighting. The Congressional votes doomed to fail and the texts asking me to donate to the DNC are completely out of touch with the crisis we're facing.

It feels like there are only a few Dems who really GET IT, like Elizabeth Warren and Katie Porter. The other side is literally arguing that babies should live or die based on their nationality, and the Dems are over here sending another DNC fundraising text.

Yep. I know people are mad at people for voting 3rd party in the presidential election, but it becomes more and more appealing based on how the Democratic Party has responded to the crises this country has faced.

When Jen Psaki sarcastically replied to a report with, "what, are we just supposed to mail Covid tests to everyone?!?" it became more and more clear.

Yep.

The author of the mother jones article above tweeted: “Biden should address this, not only bc it's an actual emergency, but bc this is the kind of situation—frightening and DEEPLY personal—that voters are going to remember in november. especially when they ask themselves, ‘Did My Life Start Getting Fucking Awful With This Admin’”

It doesn’t matter that Biden didn’t personally cause this problem or that certain things (the recall) were beyond his control. It’s been a growing crisis for awhile, and the admin was way too slow to respond or even *talk* about what they *would* do to *try* to help, etc.

[Deleted]

At a minimum the government could temporarily allow the import of formula from other countries that meets or exceeds US standards.

[bears]

May 13, 2022 10:15:42 GMT -5 AdaraMarie said:

May 13, 2022 10:03:03 GMT -5 bears said:

This is the quote: "When pressed which government agency such questions would be better directed at and what a parent should do if they can't find formula, Psaki, without naming an agency, said: "We certainly encourage any parent who has concerns about their child's health or well-being to call their doctor or pediatrician.""

Pediatricians may or may not have samples (I know that "baby friendly" certifications have really altered how some practices handle distribution of formula samples). But, this is not the supply chain. This may help a small number of children, but it's a systemic issue.

I agree that pediatricians can't solve the problem of the system, but it seems appropriate to me that if a parent can't find formula they should reach out to a doctor that knows their child to figure out what to do. The answer for a temporary alternative would be age and kid dependent so their doctor would give better advice than a government agency.

The CDC makes recommendations about how much and how often to feed infants formula.  The CDC, or another government agency, should be making updated recommendations for the infant population. The government employs scientists who understand infant nutrition far better than the vast majority of pediatricians. Pediatricians can make recommendations for individual babies, but they haven't been given any guidance on how to make these recommendations!

This is a government failure and I feel like Psaki's response was putting the onus on dealing with it on individual parents and doctors.

[Susie]

I see posts on my local mom boards: I have a little of this, I have a sample of that, offering it up for free.  There's also now a Formula Hunters [Area Code] group where people post pics of formula shelves at various local retailers.

I just texted my friend across the country, who has a 6 month old who I know has a need for a particular formula.  I asked what kind, if she'd like another set of eyes looking for it in a different area.  

I've never used formula (I successfully EBF'ed/pumped for both kids), but omg the pressure on new moms right now.  BFing and formula was already a fraught topic for a lot of moms, and that was before the formula shortage put added pressure on it.  I feel so deeply for moms of infants right now.

[mskitkat]

May 13, 2022 10:55:49 GMT -5 bears said:

May 13, 2022 10:15:42 GMT -5 AdaraMarie said:

I agree that pediatricians can't solve the problem of the system, but it seems appropriate to me that if a parent can't find formula they should reach out to a doctor that knows their child to figure out what to do. The answer for a temporary alternative would be age and kid dependent so their doctor would give better advice than a government agency.

The CDC makes recommendations about how much and how often to feed infants formula.  The CDC, or another government agency, should be making updated recommendations for the infant population. The government employs scientists who understand infant nutrition far better than the vast majority of pediatricians. Pediatricians can make recommendations for individual babies, but they haven't been given any guidance on how to make these recommendations!

This is a government failure and I feel like Psaki's response was putting the onus on dealing with it on individual parents and doctors.

YEP. People are out here sharing 1960s homemade formula recipes that will cause infant malnutrition, but what other option do some parents have? I’m seeing people connecting with intentional groups that are shipping formula from Canada to the US. Not everyone has the time, energy, or resources to do this. I would imagine most people don’t. The way parents of young children have been left behind in every single way by this administration….I don’t even have words.

[sillygoosegirl]

Based on the photos of store shelves in my local moms groups, it seems like it's really only certain brands. But of course not every baby can just switch.

And a month ago, I thought my inability to get a CPAP machine was bad...

[wanderingback]

May 13, 2022 10:58:39 GMT -5 Susie said:

I see posts on my local mom boards: I have a little of this, I have a sample of that, offering it up for free.  There's also now a Formula Hunters [Area Code] group where people post pics of formula shelves at various local retailers.

I just texted my friend across the country, who has a 6 month old who I know has a need for a particular formula.  I asked what kind, if she'd like another set of eyes looking for it in a different area.  

I've never used formula (I successfully EBF'ed/pumped for both kids), but omg the pressure on new moms right now.  BFing and formula was already a fraught topic for a lot of moms, and that was before the formula shortage put added pressure on it.  I feel so deeply for moms of infants right now.

It’s not just moms either. Men/dads have newborns too, often have no other source of feeding, and need formula also.

[bears]

May 13, 2022 11:01:05 GMT -5 mskitkat said:

May 13, 2022 10:55:49 GMT -5 bears said:

The CDC makes recommendations about how much and how often to feed infants formula.  The CDC, or another government agency, should be making updated recommendations for the infant population. The government employs scientists who understand infant nutrition far better than the vast majority of pediatricians. Pediatricians can make recommendations for individual babies, but they haven't been given any guidance on how to make these recommendations!

This is a government failure and I feel like Psaki's response was putting the onus on dealing with it on individual parents and doctors.

YEP. People are out here sharing 1960s homemade formula recipes that will cause infant malnutrition, but what other option do some parents have? I’m seeing people connecting with intentional groups that are shipping formula from Canada to the US. Not everyone has the time, energy, or resources to do this. I would imagine most people don’t. The way parents of young children have been left behind in every single way by this administration….I don’t even have words.

This is the most frightening part to me. If even one of the components is off (has the wrong form of a nutrient), the effects could have huge impacts on nutrition and development.