A mother of twins in Kentucky is extending her hand to assist other parents who are seeking for and suffering as a result of today’s countrywide infant formula scarcity. Cierra Vos is motivated to guarantee that newborns are nourished while navigating the difficulties of feeding her own children, a boy and a girl who are just 9 months old.
Cierra Vos, 26, a medical lab technician from rural Union County, Kentucky, travelled to three different locations up to an hour distant in search of formula. Despite this, she and her husband, Dalton Vos, were only able to locate two cans of the brand they prefer. Cierra Vos expressed that they were terrified. They recognized it was going to be difficult to find more.
Rollyn and Landrie, the couple’s twins, were once given formula and breast milk. When Vos attempted to move them to a different kind, kids started experiencing bad stools, she claimed. According to Vos, who stopped nursing when she returned to work, they are now fed a more costly type that does not cause acid reflux or stomach difficulties.
Vos pays between $30 and $35 for a 19.5-ounce can of formula. She goes through one can in two days, using around five scoops for a 7-ounce bottle that number more than doubles now that she’s nursing twins. Vos added that one could get three days out of one can, however that’s stretching it.
Jenelle Ferry, M.D., neonatologist and director of feeding, nutrition, and baby development at Pediatrix Neonatology of Florida stated that for most of the newborns, switching brands of standard formula will have no negative repercussions.
She said, in the case of babies on speciality formulas, such as hydrolyzed formulas, see your physician for other brand options with comparable qualities.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) cautions against making your own formula. According to the AAP, too much water in infant formulae can “delay development and growth” or “lead to significant health concerns, including seizures.” When creating recipes, it is advised to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Tracy Cheatham, Vos’s mother-in-law, has been giving her formula for the twins through the mail from Central Florida, she claimed. Vos remarked that she is really loaded up but she is trying to use it sparingly. That way, she can donate to somebody in more need than she is.
Vos said she’s been communicating with other parents on Facebook, sharing ideas on how to tackle the scarcity by keeping one other updated on stores with formula in stock.
She said that it’s quite discouraging. When you go in, a lot of the lower formula is gone, but a lot of your high-end, organic natural product is still on the shelf. All of the large cans and cartons are gone. As of late, Vos has been attempting to loan backing to a mother of infant twins.
Vos has recently attempted to assist a mother of newborn twins. Vos and Cheatham (her mother-in-law) had been searching stores for the woman’s infant formula brand.
Cheatham said that the woman receives food assistance and is a WIC recipient (the government-run Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children ages 5 and under).
“Someone who is reliant on WIC must enter a shop. That is the only location where they can physically obtain [formula],” Cheatham explained.
“Sadly, like the young girl Cierra was attempting to assist, [parents on WIC] are unable to obtain the formula online since [those retailers] do not accept WIC.”
Cheatham said she’s had success getting formula from Amazon, where she can sign up for notifications to know when brands are back in stock. Because it was the only choice Cheatham discovered in stock, she ended up mailing the mother with newborn twins a package of formula comparable to the one her own twin grandkids take.
So far, Cheatham has had no problems purchasing large supplies from Amazon; both she and Vos expressed gratitude that the twin kids will soon be weaned off formula.
She already felt obligated to give her son and daughter-in-law diapers or formula, but to have someone who doesn’t have the financial means or the support structure to do so, She can imagine these women asking themselves, ‘What do I do?’ She can’t imagine becoming a mother in this situation.
Cheatham stated that she will continue to provide assistance to strangers despite the scarcity. She continued that if they can’t get it somewhere, she’ll go out and ship it. It’s the least she can do to provide formula for these infants.
Vos repeated her mother-in-law’s comments, extending assistance to other parents in any way she could. She remarked of the small ones that she hopes they don’t get hungry. That breaks her heart. She continued saying consult your pediatrician. Check with your local milk bank. Every day, breast milk is donated.
Vos continued that between her mother, mother-in-law, and her husband, they will do all in their ability to help locate anything since they know how that feels firsthand.
Vos stated that she wants Americans to “purchase what they need” in order to provide for all parents with better access to formula.
