I think a lot about famliies around me with babies and young children and how they will manage come a pandemic.
What will happen to the youngest infants who are not breastfeeding? They cannot manage long without food. The younger they are, the less they can make do with other foods; say, eat some oatmeal or flour tortillas to get by until their family can get some more provisions.
Moms under stress who are breastfeeding may lose their supply.
And formula — is made up of many different components. Where do they all come from? I can only imagine, that it would be harder to produce as the pandemic continues.
This is a question that keeps me up at night.
One thing is to advicate breast feeding with every mom-to-be that we meet. Breast milk is all a baby needs for the first year, not to mention the immune boost the babies get from breast milk.
Other than that, I don’t have a suggestion. There are homemade formula recipes out there, but I’ve read too many bad things about them to suggest anyone use one.
Maybe I’ll put up a few cans of formula just in case. It would kill me to see a baby starving and not be able to do something about it.
Don’t forget to store extra water for breastfeeding moms!!
I know. I think about that a lot as well. :( I don’t know any good answer except as Carrey said to put up a few extra cans of formula (and bottled water for reconstitution). I’ve thought about the babies who use Playtex bottles w/liners and don’t have any other type in their home, too; can’t use the bottles if the liners run out (unless they reuse them, which can lead to other issues w/possible food poisoning).
My youngest is 16 mo and I intentionally have not pushed her to wean because of BF concerns (well, I let all the girls stop when they were ready, anyway). She doesn’t tolerate cow’s milk all that well anyway, plus I figure it’s extra antibodies for her and a food source (also freeing up more dry milk for the older girls).
I have also stocked fenugreek and brewer’s yeast capsules in case of stress/nutrition-related supply issues (either myself or the young nursing mom across the street) and extra water.
Petticoat Junction at 9:09
Thank you for sharing that you are nursing a 16 month old. I needed to hear that!
I am also nursing a 9 month old and have had that urge lately to have my body back. However, I have no intention of weaning him because of the security nursing gives me right now. I have stockpiled some formula just in case. If he doesn’t need it I could give it to my older children. They have tasted it and say it tastes like vanilla milk!
Homemade options here http://tinyurl.com/z85ua
(The WHO says, breastfeed until age 2 and as long after as is mutually acceptable.)
If the LLL would tie in with the Pandemic Awareness Week…
they woud reach a lot of families, and maybe save lives, if they could get them educated and preparing their households in case of pandemic.
I breastfed my last till he was 2, exclusivly for the first year cept for alittle cereal before bed after 9 months.
Please Please Please think twice (or three times) before commiting to useing homemade baby formulas! Research the risks!
Ohhhhh the bad spelling, how horrid! please forgive me! LOL
Oh, and if pediatricians would hand out educational/stockpile directives, wouldn’t that help?
(The local/state federal officals should have done this months ago, not plan to wait until pandemic starts to go public. Individuals shouldn’t have to try to educate now piecemeal!) (in an atmosphere of “off-the-radar” or denial, and lack of basic science understanding…)
Ask your local community emergency planners *how they’ve prepared* to meet the needs of their citizens “homebound by illness or quarantine” (including infants who need formula)… States said months ago it was on them to do it. (Did all the money for those Pandemic Summits go to waste??)
Lurker Mom— Hang in there! I am still nursing a 22 month old (wow- did I just type that? She is 22 months old!) and due in 12 days with number 2. Now the 22 month old is certainly not getting much milk right now, but i am definitely letting her lead with child led weaning and I imagine she will nurse for quite a while longer when my milk comes back in after the baby is born. One of the reasons I am encouraging child led weaning is because if we have a pandemic break out, as long as I stay healthy, i’ll be able to nurse both of them to ensure nutrition.
On the other hand, I do have 4 or 5 cans of formula in my preps— if i were to become sick and unable to nurse, at least the baby will have some sustenance for a few weeks until I get better, or god forbid, other arrangements have to be made.
I think you are all VERY fortunate to be able to breast feed. I had my heart set on it and I tried EVERYTHING short of chanting naked in my back yard under a full moon.
- I read all the books - Contacted La Leche league - was sent MATE, an old INCA herb that it meant to make you produce milk - gave the baby nothing but breast milk for three weeks
I had my baby, who was “latching on” correctly on my breast at least 6 hours a day because I would just not produce milk. He would get so frustrated and give me a “mummy, I’m hungry” look. At the end, I had to admit defeat and give him a bottle.
I saw a program on re-lactating African women and though, gosh, if they can bring their milk back, why can’t I breast feed?
Breast feeding is best, not only from a BF point of view but period!
My little one is now on cow’s milk. I rotate UHT supply and I found full fat powered milk that I store. I really want to get pregnant again and this is one of the things that is holding me back. That and the fact that my son is now TWO.
There’s a medicine women have taken - can get in Canada but not the US? Not sure -what is the name?… Found it; Domperidone.
A lot of women on the pumpmoms support group on yahoo swear by domperidone. I have some fenugreek in my supplies and lots of oatmeal— both are natural ways to increase milk supply. I had problems establishing supply because my firstborn was a preemie and i was very sick when I had her so i researched a lot of this stuff. With 10 days to go, i hope I’ll have a better supply this time and will be able to pump and store extra milk for emergencies.
I have read this thread several times with great concern. I applaud the support for breastfeeding on this thread! It is, without a doubt, the absolute best food source for a baby. Never so much as during a period of crisis, such as is looming on our horizon.
My concern is for those who are not breastfeeding. Again, I applaud y’all for bringing this issue to the forefront. It is a very concerning issue. My hopes are that significant people read this thread and address this issue.
Infants, children, and the elderly are societies most vulnerable citizens. We have an honor-bound duty to protect them. An infant is totally dependent on others to provide for them, and their needs are very specific.
We have come a long way in the field of nutrition in understanding what an infant needs. Anybody with any nutritional knowledge understands the dangers of home formulas… as historical research has provided this information. This is an area that must be addressed. It is not an issue that can be left “on our own.” WHO & UNICEF & world governments can not leave this issue unaddressed. A pandemic, even on the low side of mortality & civil crisis, would leave this group absolutely to the wolves (so to speak.)
I don’t know what to say, except that this is an issue that must be dealt with in each and every nations governmental planning.
“each and every nations governmental planning”
They have already officially passed it down to the local communities’ level of responsibility, (months ago,) so, I’m afraid it’s the local officials’ mindsets you’ll have to deal with. (Or, find ways to educate the public directly. Didn’t Dr. Nabarro recently say, it’s past time for “tabletop excercises” and time for action items?)
If the public doesn’t know pandemic is a clear possibility, along with suppply chain disruptions, they won’t be asking for, nor organizing their own, solutions to things like making sure the infants on formula in a municipality or county or neighborhood stay fed during a pandemic, or other long-duration event.
I would like to add that many of you who are still nursing, might be persuaded to freeze some extra breast milk. Back “in the day”, when a mother was not able to nurse for one reason or another, she could find a wet nurse for her baby, whom she would pay for the service. Stress is one thing that can cause you to have a shortage of milk, even if you are producing well now. An extra supply in the freezer would not only be reassuring, but you could possibly be a vicarious wet nurse during a pandemic, for someone else’s baby, if the need should arise.
I would also like to add a little sidenote to Eastern Shore Prepper… You may want to wean your current baby from your breast, so that your newborn will have total access to your colostrum after he/she is born, which is where most of the antibodies are passed from mother to baby via breast milk occur, and which only occurs for a short time after birth. Colostrum is a totally different component than breast milk. I’m sure you know this, but I thought I would pass it along for those that weren’t aware of this.
Enough Aldreay —
What concerns me so much about the formula issue, is, that is one thing that really REALLY can’t be improvised. Especially the younger the baby. And formula is so expensive, few will want to stockpile it if they have a small infant until a crisis is imminent. By which point, supply issues, JIT issues, it will be too late.
As for breastfeeding, great, and I did, and still am — but you always need to have formula as a backup. I never needed it, but if something had happened to me (or my supply) it would have been a nutritionally adequate safeguard.
crfullmoon – at 15:54
At some point TPTB have to take on responsibility for the positions they hold… on whatever level. This topic is a crucial example of why, and how extremely important it is that they do. The blood on their hands will be unconsionable --- but this is in some other sphere.
One voice “may” make a difference. But many voices make noise that can’t be denied. I can only hope my voice is being heard on every level inwhich I am projecting it… including on this forum.
Again, I have to commend Average Concerned Mom for bringing it to the forefront.
WIC (Women, infant, and children) could be a place to start.
Thanks Carrey. I use to be a site manager for a WIC clinic. It is a good place to start, as well as at the county health department level. I plan on doing that.
Back in the day, a long time ago, I don’t know if it is sactioned now, but when I couldn’t get my milk to ‘let down’ for the baby, my instructions said for mom to sit down, relax, and have a small bottle of Guiness Stout, or other heavy dark beer. Always worked for me — I’d keep at least a six pack on hand if I had to SIP with a nursing baby now.
Also the baby seems to be much less fussy afterwards.
I also drank a beer sometimes when my supply was low cause of the baby’s growth spurt. The beer should be consumed after the baby has nursed though, since alcohol does cross into breastmilk. I’m pretty sure it’s the hopps that helps up your milk supply, but don’t “quote” me on that! LOL
Enough Already — here’s another thought.
I never once bought formula when I was nursing my babies. But if I, as a nursing mom of a child under 1 year old, learned of an impending pandemic — even with 2 whole months warning, which sounds unrealistic, but whatever — the very FIRST thing I would do would be to get to the store and buy a goodly supply of formula — that’s formula I would never have bought otherwise, so it would be over and above whatever supplies grocery stores and manufacturers were planning on. (Should they be so foresighted as to be planning at all.) I would buy the formula because you never know what could happen to me, what could happen to my milk supply, what could happen to my friends and neighbors with babies down the street, and so on. Not to mentino the grandparents who might be doing the same for their grandbabies, just in case. I would urge all my friends to do the same. I would get this supply of formula before any other substance — before diapers (could use cloth) before rice and beans and spam, whatever. Because there might down the line be someone who could help out with some oats, or bread, or tortillas, or corn flakes — and we could make do, we wouldn’t starve. But the baby needs formula — or a very VERY close substitute, I guess, if there is one.
Because we live in a rather well-off area, and would have the money, I guess we would be able to get whatever formula we needed, though perhaps at a higher cost. I doubt the poorer in our area would be so lucky. And after that? I think (am just guessing here) that formula would be in very very short supply thereafter.
I would not call this panic buying. It would be perfectly appropriate buying, especially if there were a lack of any sense that anyone in a position of authority was aware of this problem and was willing to help out if, say, I lost my milk supply, got a plugged duct, got sick or died. If I were already a formula feeding mom, I guess I would lay in an even bigger supply than usual, for the same reasons of uncertainty.
Never thought of storing some of that - I always had a can or two when nursing as a “just in case” but never needed it. As someone said, I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing a baby suffering from lack of food. The best thing would probably be dry that is mixed with water - it’s far more economical and would take up little room.
thanks for the this overlooked item. and yes, it is nutrient packed and could be given to older children if needed.
Average Concerned Mom – at 20:46
I am actually prepping for my children (i.e., grandchildren) specifically for the reasons you mention. It is very difficult for a young family, just getting on their feet, to do this… and fortunately we can help.
Where I am extremely concerned is exactly the examples you have mentioned. Supply probably will be nill… and according to yesterday’s news, from the director of HHS, he has stated it will be of a long term duration. I believe he said a year. Families qualifying for WIC &/or food stamps “may” have a slight advantage. But overall, I would suspect “most” young families with children will have a very difficult time coming up with the means to secure preps. As will many grandparents raising grandchildren… who are often on a fixed income and facing medical bills.
Infants need specific essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, essential vitamins and minerals. Formulas are developed to similate human breast milk. Many homemade formulas will find it difficult to replicate these specific, essential nutrients and minerals. That is concerning. Especially concerning is the fact that a babies critical “window” of brain development may be compromised without the necessary “ingredients.” Which is why I am so impressed with your bringing this to the forefront.
I know it will be a personal crusade for me. It is imperative that formula and infant food be available in any crisis, but especially this crisis. IMHO, this just has to be addressed.
Enough Already at 22:29
“according to yesterday’s news from the director of HHS…”
What news was this? Can’t seem to find it…
I am glad that it will be a personal crusade for you. I am glad I brought it up. I hope someone is thinking about it.
I kept thinking about the infant formula problem all night, and you know what? It finally has hit me — after over 8 months now of thinking about this — a pandemic is just going to be a disaster, and many people are going to die, and they will die of various causes, one of which will be infants dying for lack of access to prper nutrition — here in the US and in developed countries, just as they (sadly, horribly) already do in 3rd world countries.
This is not something that can totally be managed; if it was, it wouldn’t be a disaster.
Maybe it can be mitigated, but it can’t be totally fixed.
Needless to say, this realization doesn’t really make me feel better. )-: No wonder my husband wants me to see his shrink….
Years ago my career caused me to have to do quite a bit of “on the road” work.This was one of the reasons I decided to quit and be an at home mother.Before I was able to do that I had 2 of my children which I breastfed.When I had to go for a week or two and was not able to bring my kids along,my neighbor(very close to me)who was also breastfeeding would wetnurse for me.She would babysit the kids (her 1 and my 2)at my home during the day and when my hubby got home he would then use my pumped milk for evening use.In return I would nurse her baby for the occasional night out or weekend getaway.It worked out very very well for us.I always had to decline the after hours mixers and such to be at the hotel pumping my milk to ensure adequate supply upon return.I am an American small town girl here,and many people thought this was crazy and weird.I wish I still had milk now to help out with others babies who may lose their mama and am even considering buying a pump now to see if that whole bringing your milk back thing is feasable.I guess I am trying to relate that wetnursing anothers baby could save it’s life and we may have to resort to things that may seem weird or strange.If I had a nursing baby now I would be networking with other mamas to try to have that worked out.If formula becomes scarce wetnursing could save alot of lives and possibly be a pretty lucrative deal for the wetnurse.Just trying to think outside the box.I guess you all know now what a hippie Malachi is.
:)
If you have prepped this type of formula, you may want to return it and get your money back.
300,000 Bottles of Infant Formula Recalled AP WASHINGTON (Sept. 15) - The Abbott health care company is recalling hundreds of thousands of bottles of infant formula because they might not have enough vitamin C.
The recall is for approximately 100,000 32-ounce plastic bottles of Similac Alimentum Advance liquid formula and approximately 200,000 bottles of Similac Advance with Iron, Abbott spokeswoman Tracey Noe said Friday.
The bottles, distributed by Abbott’s Ross Products division, are missing a special layer that keeps air out of the bottle, Noe said. When the oxygen enters the bottle, it causes the level of vitamin C to decrease over time, she said.
Malachi – at 10:22
Ok so now I’m seriously gonna look into what it takes to get my milk supply back too.
Crazy American Lady in the Village – at 13:31
I am so sorry for how frustrating and heartbreaking your nursing journey was. :o( FWIW, one of my best friends and my SIL both had the same experience.
They were both very committed to nursing, both had much help from lactation specialists and were doing everything ‘right’, both tried meds and herbal supplements. They just didn’t have any milk supply. Both the babies were having trouble gaining weight and were fussy because they were hungry all the time. The both ended up switching to formula, although they didn’t want to, and both babies thrived on it. (Which is also another argument for stockpiling some formula!! You just never know.)
They had many feelings of inadequacy and even guilt, feeling they had failed their babies. Interestingly, I found a study not too long after that suggested that this was a common problem in women with PCOS - and they both had it. It made them feel better to realize it was beyond their control…I had told them that before but I don’t think they ‘felt’ it.
Nursing or bottle-feeding notwithstanding, they are both wonderful mothers and their children are happy, healthy, and well-adjusted. One has already had a second child (and bottle fed her) and the other is now expecting a miracle second and hoping to be able to nurse but assuming she will have to bottle feed as well.
But then again, you never know. My pregnancies were all radically different (both the babies we had and the four we lost) and my nursing experiences with each have been radically different, too.
I guess what I’m saying in this overly wordy post, lol, is to follow your heart and instincts, nursing vs formula aside. It sounds like you have a wonderful little guy in your life right now and I hope everything works out for you the way you hope. (((hugs)))
HeddieCA and Carrey in VA - my midwife suggested dark beer to help with milk, too, as well as brewer’s yeast tablets (which I have in the cupboard, too, just in case).
And I don’t know if they still do it, but I had a friend in New Zealand who said the hospital had a cart of dark beers for the new nursing moms…they’d wheel it around with the meals and those who were trying to establish their nursing could choose one, lol!
I’ve been thinking about this thread all weekend. I wonder if there’s any merit in contacting the formula companies directly and show them the fatality rates for the hardest hit groups, which could potentially include both mother and baby….
We could then suggest to them that they could really come out as shining heroes if they undertook a program to pre-position large quantities of formula with the Red Cross (or whomever). If tshtf, their distribution could conceivably save the lives of many little babies and garner them much positive attention as well (have to appeal to their bottom line…and you couldn’t buy publicity that would be as wonderful as that - riding in and saving babies when the gov’t couldn’t. Remember WalMart trucks showing up post-Katrina with water??).
Even if ts doesn’t htf before the formula expired, they could donate it to local food banks, all of whom are desparate for donations (even though many of their clients could be on WIC, it’s not a given; the need always exceeds the supply), get lots of public kudos that way, and then restock.
Letter-writing campaign, maybe?
Another thought for pg women ~ get on the formula companies’ mailing lists and they will send free sample cans around your due date.
‘desperate’…sigh. I’m desperate for sleep, apparently. ;o)
Malachi at 10:22 “I guess I am trying to relate that wetnursing anothers baby could save it’s life and we may have to resort to things that may seem weird or strange.If I had a nursing baby now I would be networking with other mamas to try to have that worked out.If formula becomes scarce wetnursing could save alot of lives and possibly be a pretty lucrative deal for the wetnurse.”
You’re not the lone hippie, lol. I had thought before of donating to the local hospital’s milk bank for preemies; this could potentially just been an extension of that. I know a couple of local LLL leaders that I may approach, just to get them thinking out of the box with you….
Petticoat Junction:
“We could then suggest to them that they could really come out as shining heroes if they undertook a program to pre-position large quantities of formula with the Red Cross (or whomever). If tshtf, their distribution could conceivably…”
I had the same thought too, though formula is a last resort for babies. It’s full of nutrition, and if nutrition is in short supply the formula might keep old and/or sick folks alive too. Dry in a can, it keeps pretty well, no?
Formula has at least a shelf life of a year, I think likely more.
I’m so glad so many people on this thread are supportive of breastfeeding! But — I’m thinking specifically of babies losing moms, and babies who for whatever reason did not start breastfeeding to beging with. They will be totally dependent on formula. I don’t think the wet-nurse or donated breast milk idea will be terribly practical in a pandemic, unfortunately.
TO further on ACM’s thoughts - god forbid a bay loose it’s mother. But just as likely if not more so, the mom may be seriously ill or exhausted or lack of water or proper nutrition. It’s very important to eat well and keep well hydrated when nursing. Being ill can also greatly reduce supply. In addition, a sick mom may have to take medications that a nursing baby can not tolerate. A desperate dad taking care of a sick wife and baby will gladly give a baby formula if that is a better option.
I nursed all of mine for a year, but always kept some formula on hand “just in case.” sometimes I was out and couldn’t make it home so the sitter would have something, or twice I was really sick and my supply really tanked. No matter how committed you are to bfing (breast feeding that is), it’s always wise to have some on hand. Formula companies could also take that approach.
And yes, the dry keeps well if stored properly. It’s more economical and could be portioned out easily to whoever needs it. Just have to have clean water.
ACM, I’m right there with you. And it’s literally kept me up nights.
When dd#3 was an exclusively-nursing infant I had West Nile, one of the first cases in our county so it took them a while to figure out what it was. (The dr kept asking me if I had left the country and was forgetting to tell him.) They wanted to hospitalize me but we couldn’t find child care so had to do our own home care for a month.
With a fever of 104 for ten days and then 101 for another week or two, my milk supply dwindled to nearly nothing. And that was with me, in a fevered frenzy, trying to make sure to nurse her….which of course wouldn’t be an option with a highly contagious disease. And it was also with dh driving me to the dr’s office for IV’s and then back home, to help keep me hydrated enough, which also would not be an option in a pandemic.
She was on formula the entire time I was sick and on it in large proportions for the next few months while I recovered; several months in all. (I did eventually re-establish a supply but only through intensive effort.)
Even if it had been ‘just’ West Nile and not avian flu, if it had happened during a pandemic, I am not completely sure I would have survived. (As it is, I have three weeks that I don’t really remember.) And, if it had played out that way and we didn’t have extra formula on hand, our dd definitely wouldn’t have survived, whether I did or not. So this entire scenario is very real to me, even as a nursing mom.
I have a large can of formula stashed back for dd#4, even though she’s old enough to not have it be her main sustenance…if this was a year ago, I’d have more than that on hand, especially given my previous experience. In our case, it would be more for supplemental nutrients for her and to leave more dry milk (which she doesn’t tolerate as well) for the older girls.
The more I ponder it, more I really do think it might be worth our time to approach the big US formula makers and the local WIC offices at the same time; a two-pronged approach on both the national and local level.
OK, help me think….Mead Johnson makes Enfamil, ProSobee, Nutramigen, among others. Abbott Labs make Similac, Isomil, Alimentum, etc. Nestle makes Good Start. Others??
Hmm, interesting…Nestle has an entire page on their responsibility to uphold WHO standards for infants….that might give us some leverage with them. And then perhaps the others would follow??
And although I hadn’t intended to suggest donated milk during a pandemic in an earlier post, as I’m thinking about it right now, those who can might want to look into donating to local NICU’s…there are some preemies and newborns with certain intolerances who just do much better on mother’s milk and if there is a ready supply for the NICU, it might help that much more if the hospital is trying to care for them during a pandemic (assuming, sadly, that they’d even be able to).
Here is the link for Ross which is the arm of Abbott Labs that makes Similac, but also PediSure, Ensure, Glucerna (think diabetics!!) and other supplemental nutrition. This could have ramifications beyond just formula if we can get them on board….
I checked a few online grocery sites and it looks like Mead Johnson, Ross, and Nestle are the main three formula makers….larger chains also have store brands, though, so we can’t forget them. WalMart, of course. Here in TX, HEB has one…who else?
Great ideas to get the formula makers on board…..My earlier post was not to say dont stock formula(although many will not be able to afford it and lots of third world babies die even now when we do not have pandemic conditions, due to lack of proper nutrition)Basically I was saying don’t write off wetnursing if you can,even tho it sounds strange.
I would even look into recipes using almost-expired formula for older kids and adults, like adding it to chocolate milk, etc. Maybe I’ll suggest to our neighborhood association that it would be good to invest in a large case of formula for emergencies. A few months ago I was trying to contact WIC about emergency plans, and there weren’t any that the receptionist knew of.
Such an important thread. Bumping for visibility.
bump again
Malachi, I’ve been thinking about the wet-nursing some more. I do still think it would be worth it to explore, no matter how ‘unusual’ of an option it may seem right now.
I don’t think it’s probably feasible during a pandemic except between perhaps close family/friends who are SIP together or could somehow feel secure about breaking SIP (of course, if it comes down to a baby possibly starving, it might seem worth it to take more chances…very tough decision).
However, I do think it may be something to keep in mind between waves for those babies who may have sadly lost their mothers, particularly if they ended up with compromised immune systems as well.
__
Anybody think of any other store brand formulas/companies to contact?