What’s Behind America’s Shocking Baby-Formula Shortage?

The Atlantic ^ | May 15, 2022 | Derek Thompson

[Jamestown1630]

There appear to be lots of shortages of different things.

Most are not as crucial as baby formula.

(We have had a hard time buying some cleaning supplies - laundry detergent,chlorine bleach, etc., that we use - almost since a few months into the pandemic/shutdown. Not crucial, though, because we can always use something else. We’ve also seen shortages of pet food. For a long time, lots of building materials were in short supply, etc.)

[Pollard]

What’s Behind America’s Shocking Baby-Formula Shortage?

The shocking stupidity on one factory supplying 40% of the nation's baby formula plus the shocking ineptitude or evil of the FDA keeping them shut down for months over a small outbreak that they didn't cause.

[Presbyterian Reporter]

https://publichealth.jhu.edu › 2021 › breastfeeding-and-covid-19-vaccines
Breastfeeding and COVID-19 Vaccines | Johns Hopkins
According to the CDC, recent reports have shown that breastfeeding people who have received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have antibodies in their breast milk. What might this mean for breastfed babies? RK: There are publications that have looked at antibodies in breast milk from vaccinated individuals and have been able to detect those antibodies.

[rexthecat]

Canada does not have a baby formula crisis. They have plenty to meet their needs.

[No name given]

Voting them out isn’t enough. We need to abolish the democratic party by any means necessary.

[Jamestown1630]

And how do you propose to do that, big guy?

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Oh God! Don't even say that! Don't even think it! Now you have me wondering if I should hoard a couple cases lol lol lol

Wait till we run out of food for the adults. THAT is when the shiet will hit the fan, think how fast that could descend into full blown anarchy.

The first day they announce a shortage, supermarkets would be cleaned out in a day. Those who were slow to move like the elderly, disabled would be screwed and would begin starving in mere days as most people don't have more than that stored.

After about a week everyone else would run out and every day that passes would make people more desperate, fights would break out, then 2 weeks panic, desperate measures, animals would start disappearing, we'd have break ins, looting, then murder.

And there would be Nancy Pelosi showing off her well stocked fridge....

[Mr Ramsbotham]

"... Government officials also did genetic testing and found the cronobacter strains found at the Abbott plant don’t match the ones taken from two infants’ samples.”

No doubt. The problem with bureaucrats in this case is, if they don't close the plant, and the problem persists, there go their phoney-baloney jobs. The nutrition of millions of babies is only secondary to that consideration.

[combat_boots]

Order enfamil

[PoeToaster]

If we could have continued to import baby formula from Canada, we would have enough, too. The rules were changed in 2020 to add a 17 percent tariff to discourage formula importation.

[bk1000]

Shut down an entire industry due to two deaths.

How many have died, and continue to die from that $&@! jab???
When do they shut that down?

[Mr. K]

Yes there are other shortages, but why is baby formula the worst shortage?

[jacquej]

I beg to differ!

Breastfeeding is so much easier than formula feeding, assuming one gets good advice on how to properly breastfeed, and ignores the bad advice that causes a mom to lose her milk.

Properly done, breastmilk is all a baby needs for the first 6 months, and as the baby grows, feedings per day decline, and take much less time, maybe 5 minutes or so per feeding.

No bottles to wash, no waiting for a baby to finish a bottle, no worries about keeping a bottle cold, then warming it up, etc.

A nursing mother has much more freedom once a baby gets past the first 3 or 4 months. Traveling or a day of visiting friends and relatives is ridiculously simple. All she needs is to grab a couple of diapers and wipes, maybe a pretty shawl to toss over the baby while nursing, and go.

No need for insulated bags to keep bottles of formula at the right temp, no worries about running out of formula, and no need to haul little jars of baby food, either.

How do I know? I breastfed all 4 of mine, and along the way, figured out how much “marketing of stuff” complicated our lives as new mothers.

Baby food is a waste of money. Breastmilk has it all until the baby is sitting up and grabbing food from your plate.

New moms need good information, however. Not having “enough milk” or losing one’s milk is usually from offering supplemental bottles of formula, water, or juice, when the solution is just to nurse more often for the few days when the baby had a growth spurt, as this clues the breast that it is timeto make more milk!

Just my 2 cents, for those who are thinking this situation through.

[DCBryan1]

Use boob-juice, it’s better for the kid and WAY cheaper.

100% fatal to infants if the mom can't produce milk, the baby can't latch, or no milk maids available.

[Steve_Seattle]

"I’ll have to check the baby aisle to see what’s going on."

I checked my local supermarket yesterday. Because of rampant shoplifting, baby formula has joined the growing list of items that are kept in locked glass cases. The supply seemed at about 60% of capacity, with limits on purchases per customer. In recent months I've seen much worse shortages in canned pet foods.

[Jamestown1630]

Post 11 refers to making beer, dear.

See post 23.

[reg45]

Not necessarily biased, it’s just that you can graduate from journalism school without knowing how to write a proper sentence.

[jacquej]

Good post, Olivia!

You and I are on the same page. Most people seem to think that nursing babies is like the first few weeks - they don’t realize how mush easier it gets as the baby grows, becomes more efficient at nursing, and gets past the “frequent feeding” stage!

I went everywhere with my babies, no stuff to haul along, or worry about - breastfeeding is always safe and clean, no germs or contaminants to worry about!

My husband always got up at night when the baby cried, changed the diaper, and brought the baby to me in bed to nurse, then put the baby back in the cradle for me when the baby was finished. It was his contribution to making sure I got enough rest and thanking me for caring enough to make the effort.

He also cut my meat and helped pass around the food at dinner time, as I usually had a nursing baby in my lap, particularly during the “fussy period” which was the usual time for my babies to get cranky.

Husbands show a lot of TLC to your nursing wife - filling her cup with love and support will help her send on the love to your babies, and will pay great dividends in your intimate life.

[JennysCool]

Yes there are other shortages, but why is baby formula the worst shortage?

A huge Democrat voting bloc is young suburban women in child-bearing years (the kind who watch The View and were offended by "mean tweets"). The Dems love intentionally scaring the crap out of them and then rushing in to "solve" the problem they intentionally scared them with.

It's the very same thing they do with old people, minorities and the gullible. They really are that evil.

[jacquej]

I think those of us who have learned, (many times the hard way, by trial and error) earnestly want to help other mothers avoid this situation in the future. We know there are situations where a mother cannot breastfeed, because of health or family pressures.

Breastfeeding is superior to formula in every way, and you will find breastfeeding mothers ofter helping other mothers with donated breast milk when a baby is severely ill, and only breastmilk will work.

This happens more than you know, and nursing mothers also help other mothers regain their milk supply if they have lost it for some reason. It can be done!