BIRMINGHAM, Mich. (WXYZ) — As a first-time mother to an infant son, Ailisa Theis is juggling not just motherhood but also a historic shortage of baby formula, which has been ongoing for weeks.
“He's a growing boy, so you're going through so many bottles a day," Theis said. "With me back to work — I just got to back to work last week — he relies more on formula than anything else.”
Theis says she also breastfeeds, but that alone doesn't cut it.
The Food and Drug Administration announced they agreed on a plan with Abbott to reopen their Michigan plant in two weeks. However, it could take up to eight weeks for the product to hit the shelves.
“I've gone through some of those large packs already in a week or two, so it's going to be interesting. If I don't find anything in two weeks, what’s going to happen?” Theis said.
“Don't panic: That’s my first piece of advice,” Dr. Molly O'Shea from Birmingham Pediatrics said.
O’Shea says her best advice to parents short on formula is to use small amounts of pasteurized whole milk, or even soy milk if your baby can't handle real milk.
“If you’re just a little bit short, you can fill that gap using regular milk from the grocery store, and it is safe to do that,” O'Shea said.
She also advises not to try and buy formula from Canada, not to buy formula with other specific dietary needs and not to try homemade recipes.
“There are hundreds of different variations to that recipe that all result in different calorie counts and fat protein and sugar distributions, so it’s safest to still use the formula you have and fill that gap with whole milk in the meantime,” O'Shea said.
Theis says she’s been connecting with other moms on social media, keeping an eye out for each other all hoping to get through this shortage by banding together.
“I feel like we should be OK, but it’s the unknown that’s scary,” Theis said.
"Your baby is going to grow and thrive," O'Shea said. "This is a speed bump in the road of life and your baby is going to be OK."
