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A 1,200-mile road-trip and no baby formula to be found. This is a nightmare
The Guardian ^ | June 11,2022 | Anna Gazmarian

Posted on 06/11/2022 4:38:54 PM PDT by Hojczyk

The original formula recall announced by the FDA in February did not include the brand we used for our daughter, which made me assume that we would not be affected. As a first-time mom already concerned about keeping her baby safe during the pandemic, I didn’t need another thing to worry about. I thought that the government would step in before families had to go out of their way to find food. We noticed the large empty spaces on shelves at every store but remained optimistic that help would arrive soon. Yet the shelves only grew emptier.

My mother-in-law agreed to look for formula while driving from Nebraska to visit us. We relaxed a bit: surely some formula could be found on a 1,200-mile road trip. But we were wrong. There was none. Someone at our church offered us several boxes of expired formula from Germany. I read from many health experts online that the nutrients in formula start to degrade over time and bacteria can develop in formula past its due date – but we didn’t have any other options. Maybe I am just a first-time mom who needs to stop Googling everything, but I was desperate for someone to assure me that I was making the right choices and taking appropriate risks to keep my daughter alive.

Luckily, our daughter was able to tolerate the milk. But even with half the formula, we still struggle to find what we need. I recently had a friend in Boston mail me three boxes that she found 30 minutes outside the city. The support of my community is the only thing that keeps me believing in my daughter’s future. I recognize that it is a luxury to even have a support system to help us get by.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government
KEYWORDS: annagazmarian; biden; bidenconomy; food; supply
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To: metmom
So sorry about your Mom.

My Mom lived to the ripe old age of 92, in part I think, because she was an educated woman and refused the hormone shots through seven children.

In those days, women with graduate degrees were so rare that the local state university actually recruited her for a faculty position in 1966. By the time she retired 20 years later, she was still making less than the local unionized public school teachers with half the experience.

All things considered, though, the stupidity rampant in the 1950s pales in comparison to the stupidity rampant in our modern era.

61 posted on 06/11/2022 6:58:22 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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To: Freedom_Is_Not_Free

It certainly was breastfeeding for most but for a tiny proportion of unfortunates. Infant formula is a convenience for the vast majority, not a necessity.


62 posted on 06/11/2022 6:59:00 PM PDT by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: Vigilanteman

Back then, it was better living through chemistry.

Some better living.

I also have often wondered if I had been breastfed, if I would have the problems with food allergies that I do now. I am not blaming my mom, in the least. She did what she thought was best for us.

Thanks for the condolences.

These days, it’s just a different level of stupidity.


63 posted on 06/11/2022 7:01:51 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith….)
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To: elpadre

Joseph Schumpeter explains it (in “Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy”). It is a classic case of “regulatory capture” (though Stigler invented the term), where the rules have been written to exclude competitors that cant comply with regulation, which gives the biggest players a near-monopoly. In this case the drug-approval level of compliance required excludes most food manufacturers. Hence the manufacturers have consolidated into a tiny number (I think just two companies own 90%+ of the market).


64 posted on 06/11/2022 7:08:39 PM PDT by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: CFW
That being said, if you can’t find the formula your child usually drinks, then try the carnation milk, karo syrup, water mix, and supplement with an infant vitamin.

The woman in the article was warned by her pediatrician not to try that.

65 posted on 06/11/2022 7:10:11 PM PDT by gitmo (If your theology doesn't become your biography, what good is it?)
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To: Jim W N

His FDA refused to allow Abbot to reopen months after they shut them down for contaminated formula even though they had identified the problem and corrected it within a few days.


66 posted on 06/11/2022 7:25:31 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Inside every leftist is a blood-thirsty fascist yearning to be free of current societal constraints.)
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To: SamAdams76

A surprising amount of modern women are not able to lactate sufficiently or at all. Some due to cosmetic surgery, others due to various medical conditions. It’s been a growing problem being quietly discussed in the medical field.


67 posted on 06/11/2022 7:38:51 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: buwaya

thanks - Also I wonder how much political payoff is involved??


68 posted on 06/11/2022 7:40:20 PM PDT by elpadre (W)
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To: Jim W N

Yeah, if I remember correctly, his FDA said some of Abbott formula was bad and made them shut the whole plant down. Took awhile for them to scrub everything and bring it up to snuff but the Biden FDA continued to take it’s sweet time to inspect the plant and give the OK to continue production.

Ironically, the suspected “bad” formula turned out not to be bad.


69 posted on 06/11/2022 7:43:15 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Vote Democrat and stay on the plantation!)
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To: Freedom_Is_Not_Free

What happened (aside from convenience reasons) is that a lot more females that used to die from various ailments that damage lactation systems now grow to adulthood and have children, but can’t lactate or lactate enough. (Same thing with the recent explosion of young people with allergies - they used to DIE from ‘unknown causes’ and now they don’t.) There are diseases that prevent lactation, and lots more. Remember too that a lot more babies that were allergic or need special supplements/formulations to survive that are not found in breast milk are being diagnosed early and surviving.

Additionally, boob jobs can kill the possibility of lactation.

The irony is that now it’s legal to breastfeed in more places and for the women that *can*, it’s more popular than ever.


70 posted on 06/11/2022 7:44:11 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: buwaya

Just FYI, that percentage of women that can’t (physically can’t) or shouldn’t (due to other medications or diseases that could be passed on) has skyrocketed in the last few decades - and this was before COVID-19. This was something that pediatricians and OB/GYNs were starting to get really concerned about pre-pandemic.


71 posted on 06/11/2022 7:47:34 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: JoJo354

The peanut allergy explosion turned out to be caused in part by female vanity - women applying lots of lotion containing peanut oil to prevent stretch marks or some such nonsense whilst pregnant. This was (and still is in some places) given out as ‘sage advice’ to expectant mothers as something to do to prevent permanent damage.


72 posted on 06/11/2022 7:51:12 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Jim W N

Mass disobedience of unconstitutional federal law. Doesn’t even have to involve violence, just tens of millions of people ignoring the diktats from DC.

Otherwise known as Irish Democracy.


73 posted on 06/11/2022 8:20:18 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Bus No. 2525)
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To: Hojczyk

An otherwise healthy baby can be fed homemade formula with no problems. It’s pathetic that Big Pharma working in concert with Big Government has convinced parents otherwise. Once a sheep, always a sheep.


74 posted on 06/11/2022 8:45:28 PM PDT by Stingray51 ( )
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To: Stingray51
It’s pathetic that Big Pharma working in concert with Big Government has convinced parents otherwise.

Gee, that sounds familiar. #2020

75 posted on 06/11/2022 9:04:06 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Bus No. 2525)
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To: caver

I believe you are just a tad too dense to get my point that there is no valve to turn it on or off. The rest of my posts on that thread do not reflect the notion that I think it it is funny. I do laugh at those who think that any time a baby needs milk you just pull out a boob and there it is.


76 posted on 06/12/2022 5:01:22 AM PDT by dforest (We have to put a stop to this now.)
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okay a tiny subset of women can't breast feed....its a tiny minority....most women can...

it became popular after WW2 for women to make formula and I don't know why...

the never ending quest by our betters to redo mother nature....

and when you think about capitalism what better way to start up a whole new market then preach how GOOD formula is, how superior....

we've been had....totally bought and sold....

77 posted on 06/12/2022 1:21:39 PM PDT by cherry (;)
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To: CJ Wolf

MOST women can breast feed....but its time consuming...its inconvenient....


78 posted on 06/12/2022 1:22:57 PM PDT by cherry (;)
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To: Hojczyk

This wouldn’t happen in a free market, but the only solution dullards can imagine is more government interference.


79 posted on 06/12/2022 1:24:16 PM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (“There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach,” said one woman.)
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To: Jim W N
I don’t get how Biden got into the middle of all this.

If I had to venture a guess (and that's all it is), I'd say that Biden's FDA was feeling its oats after the pandemic and got used to pushing people around.

Add to that, the Obama/Biden administration had a history of finding penalties in businesses and then shaking them down for "fines" that went towards funding their left-wing civil-rights offices in the Executive branch.

They probably got carried away and Abbott wasn't paying to play fast enough.

-PJ

80 posted on 06/12/2022 1:32:34 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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