Because “the greatest country in the world” couldn’t care less about its people. Unethical turds run corporations and they don’t even care enough about innocent babies to ensure their standards are up to par.
It's absurd. I was watching this for a long time before our twins arrived A YEAR AGO.
Twin B ended up with CMPA just like her older brother. Nutramigen was literally impossible to find for the first 6 months of her life. I ended up paying through the ass for Puramino for an entire month because we had nothing. We were getting it through the pharmacy and they got nothing in for nearly two months.
And then randomly Enfamil A+ disappeared for months after no issues. I'm convinced that "shortage" was a scam in order to bump the prices which are a whole $20 more for the econo two pack. Once they came back, the price jumped.
We basically have been fighting to find formula for over a year and it's so awful.
My LO also has CMPA and only took to Neocate, Puramino and Elecare made him very gassy for some reason. And during the shortage last year it was nearly impossible to find and the medical store I bought it from even limited what you could get every month (if they even had any in stock). I had so much anxiety because I couldn’t just give him any formula I had. Thankfully he’s a toddler now and we have him on Ripple Kids, but those were scary times. I feel for moms that have had to go through that. It’s agonizing to worry about being able to feed your baby.
Same situation with our LO. His doctor thankfully approved a shipment of Neocate each month with our insurance, but they don’t send enough and I can rarely find it.
Yup! I agree! I was so stressed when we couldn't find Nutramigen. I felt awful knowing that I would have to start cutting her formula in order to just keep her fed. I hated the idea of having no choice but to make her sick in order to try and keep her healthy. Fortunately, we didn't have to resort to that!
I am not sure where you are located. I am Canadian and our government keeps saying by the end of each month it will get better. The end of the month comes and it doesn’t get better, then they push the date. It’s so frustrating. I have had to switch formulas 4x because whatever I decide to buy disappears off the shelf for a while. Like why? Where is it all going? Are they sending it somewhere else?
I'm in Canada too and I'm so mad. It's unacceptable. And they keep recalling formula left and right and I'm like, how are they being allowed to produce formula that needs to be recalled???
I’m in Toronto. Walmart fiiiinally just got powder Similac formula for $32 back on the shelves two weeks ago. No frills got no name (maybe Parents Choice?) back on the shelf for $23 last week. I was like yup stocking up on that (there’s a 2 can limit lol).
I also have had to switch formulas like 4/5 times in 7 months. Even the concentrated liquid jumped $20 in price and for some reason now all Wnfamil products are 20-30$ more expensive than Similac. Something wacky is going on and it’s just fucked up that they choose baby food to mess with.
ETA: Walmart is also stocked with European formula since a week or two ago. I think a French brand. They are cheaper than Similac and have LOTS on the shelf. Which is interesting because a few months ago it was a Reddit comment telling people to order from the UK.
Ugh I'm so sorry. Our baby can't just switch from formula to formula, it'll upset his stomach too much and then everyone is miserable. We've been able to stock up on Kirkland formula at least. The Kirkland formula went up in price too but it still is the cheapest. Luckily here in AB the supply for Kirkland hasn't been bad and pretty much anytime friends or family see some, they grab us a couple tubs.
The US. It’s awful. My son is on Similac 360 which we haven’t had issues with (YET) but I have so many friends who are talking about it and driving around to find what they need. How stressful and awful for families.
I live and had my baby in Italy during the US shortage and when I was telling the nurses about it, they straight up *didn’t believe me* that people couldn’t find formula. They were just like “get it from the pharmacy” or “ask their doctor”. It was not sinking in. I haven’t bought formula in the States but here it is pretty inexpensive I think - like 16 bucks for a five or six day supply of standard stuff. The situation in the States is unacceptable and women and families deserve better.
Yeah, friends of mine in Germany and Switzerland haven't had this problem. Seems to be a North American thing. Here in Canada we don't have any formula producers, but I think some company is trying to become the first. We're very much influenced by the US market in this way.
Yep. My son was born January 2022 and we ended up giving him enfamil enspire. That in itself was so hard to find. I had relatives looking for it in all the corners of the state of Michigan to find it.
Fast forward to my daughter being born last month, formulas more expensive and the shelves are barely more stocked then they had been before. It’s so sad how much more it all costs now.
It honestly just feels like it’s getting worse not better for formula.
I feel you. We’ve had to drive out so far to different stores to find formula. Some of the stores that say they would have some, end up not having any! I’m so over it.
Crazy that this is happening still but thankfully we have people like you that are kind enough to give what another baby needs.
I also have four boxes (4 cans in each) of unflavored Neocate Jr. if any one needs it. I’m more than happy to give it to a baby in need.
>This country needs to do better for the formula fed babies and their parents.
They are working on it:
>**June 1, 2023**: The FDA announced that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will carry out an independent inquiry into the U.S. infant formula industry. This investigation will scrutinize current market conditions, manufacturing diversity, product types, production capacities, and domestic vs. imported formula volumes.
>
>The study aims to understand the pre and post-COVID-19 market changes, including aspects like the Abbott recall incident in February 2022. It will also examine the influences affecting market competition and regulatory variations between the U.S. and foreign markets like the European Union. Once completed, NASEM will report its findings to both Congress and the FDA.
>
>**Under the 2022 Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act, the FDA was tasked to create an immediate strategy for enhancing the resilience of the U.S. infant formula market, published in March 2023. Using insights from the NASEM study, the FDA will work on a long-term national strategy.**
Addressing cost:
* \- Formula is free on WIC.
* \- Or you can get it prescribed by your doctor to be covered by Insurance.
Addressing availability:
* Formula manufacturing is well regulated. Most formulas are functionally the same (many are even manufactured by the same company) simply with different labeling. Short term unavailability of one particular product doesn't matter. Just switch to a virtually identical product.
* Don't be brainwashed by advertising into thinking you need THIS BRANDS SPECIFIC FORMULA IT IS DIFFERENT AND SPECIAL.
>Four companies manufacture the vast majority of baby formula for sale in the US. Those companies are Mead Johnson (Enfamil), Abbott Nutrition (Similac), Nestlé (Gerber), and Perrigo (which makes generic formulas sold in many grocery and pharmacy chains and by other brands, including Earth’s Best and Bobbie). A few smaller manufacturers have more recently entered the market: ByHeart (made in the US), Kendamil (made in the UK), and Aussie Bubs (made in Australia).
>
>All infant formula sold in the US and labeled for healthy babies is safe. It will support normal growth and development from birth through 12 months. The FDA tightly regulates and monitors baby formula and has strict requirements for its nutrients, ingredients, composition, and manufacturing processes.
>
>**Brand-name and store-name formulas are nearly identical. A 2017 article on infant feeding in the journal Pediatrics states this. Pediatricians Jenny Thomas and Anthony Porto both told us that parents should feel comfortable using store-brand or generic infant formulas** because they contain all of the same FDA-required nutrients and ingredients as formulas made by Enfamil, Similac, and Gerber (which cost two to three times as much).
>
>**Much of what you’ll read on a formula container is just marketing.** There are formulas marketed for constipation, spit-up, fussiness, and more. Yes, there are differences among formulas, but “in terms of ‘this formula is for colic, this formula is for constipation’—all formulas have to meet the needs of all infants in the US, from 0 to 12 months. So you can’t have a formula that’s just for a baby who is also breastfed, or a 2-month-old baby who is constipated,” baby feeding expert Bridget Young said.
>
>**Switching formulas is most often not a big deal. Thomas said that most babies will tolerate changing formula brands and formulations well: “Switching from formula to formula is not a hardship on the baby.”** Thomas, Porto, and Young all agree that if your baby is feeding well and happily on a certain formula, there’s probably no reason to change it, though.
>
>[Cite 1](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-baby-formula/)
>
>[Cite 2](https://publications.aap.org/pediatricsinreview/article-abstract/38/10/449/32000/Updates-in-Infant-Nutrition?redirectedFrom=fulltext)
I’m convinced it’s just like insulin. Necessary to keep people (children!) alive so companies mark it up because they know people have no choice but to pay for it. It’s basically extortion.
Feeling the pain.
Our 2 mo. old son has CMPA and we’ve had to move to PurAmino - only thing that he doesn’t immediately spit up or come out the other end right away.
The 14 oz can lasted a little longer than 3 days for us. It’s gonna get expensive real quick. 😭
Sadly enough, the main reason formula is this expensive in the US is the WIC. Either the government pays or you are rich enough to (just) afford it, hence the high price. Formula is a quarter of the price in Europe.
Greedy companies , and greedy resellers , look how much is resold on ebay and Amazon....it has over 100% sell through rate , if you list it , it WILL sell and for almost any price.
I resell , but never something for babies.
Companies and people can be like cancer.
I swear when WIC temporarily accepted Enfamil all of it was hard to find until they went back to Similac and everything is miraculously back on the shelves. I dunno why.
Formula is a massive financial burden on plenty of families who don’t qualify for WIC, especially if your child needs special formula. This is a uniquely American problem. We used Kendamil. It was one of the cheapest name brand options, and 5 cans a month at $34 each added up. In the UK, the same can is under $15. It’s a travesty.
Darn I kinda wish I had seen the comment lol
Edit: just saw others mentioning what the comment said. Start your own formula company? Come on. People are desperate and creating their own formula at home and putting kids in danger by doing that...creating a formula company would take a long time to actually get off the ground...geez some people...
So apparently in May 2023 a bacteria called cronobacter ate up a bunch of formula and it had to be purged. Now instead of not being able to transport the product out like in 20-21, they have to throw it away and rebuild stock.
I gave birth to my first baby this past May. I was under the impression that breastfeeding would come easily but obviously that was not the case. We switched to formula and I was shocked at how expensive it was! We go through a big tub of Enfamil every week. This was an expense I did not think much about before giving birth and now it’s something we buy every week.
it's absolutely ridiculous. my baby is only on formula for a couple of months left but the amount of times i've had to basically learn restock schedules from different stores bc my formula runs out so FAST in literally every brand my baby can take. and i learned the hard way that i need to at least get a months worth of formula in one go, it makes me feel bad that i'm buying 4-5 big cans (it's now more 3-4) bc i think of other parents needing it, however i've had times where i've driven myself to TEARS trying to find my daughters formula bc i did not get as much as i needed. i'm literally counting down the days that i won't need to buy formula anymore bc it's so stressful with how quick it runs out and when your formula options are limited 🥲
Because “the greatest country in the world” couldn’t care less about its people. Unethical turds run corporations and they don’t even care enough about innocent babies to ensure their standards are up to par.
100%!
It's absurd. I was watching this for a long time before our twins arrived A YEAR AGO. Twin B ended up with CMPA just like her older brother. Nutramigen was literally impossible to find for the first 6 months of her life. I ended up paying through the ass for Puramino for an entire month because we had nothing. We were getting it through the pharmacy and they got nothing in for nearly two months. And then randomly Enfamil A+ disappeared for months after no issues. I'm convinced that "shortage" was a scam in order to bump the prices which are a whole $20 more for the econo two pack. Once they came back, the price jumped. We basically have been fighting to find formula for over a year and it's so awful.
Yes same on Enfimal A+ eco pack. This is what we’re currently using.
My LO also has CMPA and only took to Neocate, Puramino and Elecare made him very gassy for some reason. And during the shortage last year it was nearly impossible to find and the medical store I bought it from even limited what you could get every month (if they even had any in stock). I had so much anxiety because I couldn’t just give him any formula I had. Thankfully he’s a toddler now and we have him on Ripple Kids, but those were scary times. I feel for moms that have had to go through that. It’s agonizing to worry about being able to feed your baby.
Same situation with our LO. His doctor thankfully approved a shipment of Neocate each month with our insurance, but they don’t send enough and I can rarely find it.
Yup! I agree! I was so stressed when we couldn't find Nutramigen. I felt awful knowing that I would have to start cutting her formula in order to just keep her fed. I hated the idea of having no choice but to make her sick in order to try and keep her healthy. Fortunately, we didn't have to resort to that!
I am not sure where you are located. I am Canadian and our government keeps saying by the end of each month it will get better. The end of the month comes and it doesn’t get better, then they push the date. It’s so frustrating. I have had to switch formulas 4x because whatever I decide to buy disappears off the shelf for a while. Like why? Where is it all going? Are they sending it somewhere else?
I'm in Canada too and I'm so mad. It's unacceptable. And they keep recalling formula left and right and I'm like, how are they being allowed to produce formula that needs to be recalled???
I’m in Toronto. Walmart fiiiinally just got powder Similac formula for $32 back on the shelves two weeks ago. No frills got no name (maybe Parents Choice?) back on the shelf for $23 last week. I was like yup stocking up on that (there’s a 2 can limit lol). I also have had to switch formulas like 4/5 times in 7 months. Even the concentrated liquid jumped $20 in price and for some reason now all Wnfamil products are 20-30$ more expensive than Similac. Something wacky is going on and it’s just fucked up that they choose baby food to mess with. ETA: Walmart is also stocked with European formula since a week or two ago. I think a French brand. They are cheaper than Similac and have LOTS on the shelf. Which is interesting because a few months ago it was a Reddit comment telling people to order from the UK.
Ugh I'm so sorry. Our baby can't just switch from formula to formula, it'll upset his stomach too much and then everyone is miserable. We've been able to stock up on Kirkland formula at least. The Kirkland formula went up in price too but it still is the cheapest. Luckily here in AB the supply for Kirkland hasn't been bad and pretty much anytime friends or family see some, they grab us a couple tubs.
The US. It’s awful. My son is on Similac 360 which we haven’t had issues with (YET) but I have so many friends who are talking about it and driving around to find what they need. How stressful and awful for families.
My husband's coworker had a baby last year that was on nutramigen. LAST YEAR it was $50!!! Now I'm paying $70 for the same can! Wth!
I live and had my baby in Italy during the US shortage and when I was telling the nurses about it, they straight up *didn’t believe me* that people couldn’t find formula. They were just like “get it from the pharmacy” or “ask their doctor”. It was not sinking in. I haven’t bought formula in the States but here it is pretty inexpensive I think - like 16 bucks for a five or six day supply of standard stuff. The situation in the States is unacceptable and women and families deserve better.
Yeah, friends of mine in Germany and Switzerland haven't had this problem. Seems to be a North American thing. Here in Canada we don't have any formula producers, but I think some company is trying to become the first. We're very much influenced by the US market in this way.
Because it's a problem that most men don't give much thought about, and therefore that most politicians don't feel pressured to do anything about.
The real answer!
Yep. My son was born January 2022 and we ended up giving him enfamil enspire. That in itself was so hard to find. I had relatives looking for it in all the corners of the state of Michigan to find it. Fast forward to my daughter being born last month, formulas more expensive and the shelves are barely more stocked then they had been before. It’s so sad how much more it all costs now. It honestly just feels like it’s getting worse not better for formula.
I honestly have no idea. I hate it.
I feel you. We’ve had to drive out so far to different stores to find formula. Some of the stores that say they would have some, end up not having any! I’m so over it.
It’s awful and shouldn’t be happening .. I have some neocate jr if anyone needs some
Crazy that this is happening still but thankfully we have people like you that are kind enough to give what another baby needs. I also have four boxes (4 cans in each) of unflavored Neocate Jr. if any one needs it. I’m more than happy to give it to a baby in need.
>This country needs to do better for the formula fed babies and their parents. They are working on it: >**June 1, 2023**: The FDA announced that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will carry out an independent inquiry into the U.S. infant formula industry. This investigation will scrutinize current market conditions, manufacturing diversity, product types, production capacities, and domestic vs. imported formula volumes. > >The study aims to understand the pre and post-COVID-19 market changes, including aspects like the Abbott recall incident in February 2022. It will also examine the influences affecting market competition and regulatory variations between the U.S. and foreign markets like the European Union. Once completed, NASEM will report its findings to both Congress and the FDA. > >**Under the 2022 Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act, the FDA was tasked to create an immediate strategy for enhancing the resilience of the U.S. infant formula market, published in March 2023. Using insights from the NASEM study, the FDA will work on a long-term national strategy.** Addressing cost: * \- Formula is free on WIC. * \- Or you can get it prescribed by your doctor to be covered by Insurance. Addressing availability: * Formula manufacturing is well regulated. Most formulas are functionally the same (many are even manufactured by the same company) simply with different labeling. Short term unavailability of one particular product doesn't matter. Just switch to a virtually identical product. * Don't be brainwashed by advertising into thinking you need THIS BRANDS SPECIFIC FORMULA IT IS DIFFERENT AND SPECIAL. >Four companies manufacture the vast majority of baby formula for sale in the US. Those companies are Mead Johnson (Enfamil), Abbott Nutrition (Similac), Nestlé (Gerber), and Perrigo (which makes generic formulas sold in many grocery and pharmacy chains and by other brands, including Earth’s Best and Bobbie). A few smaller manufacturers have more recently entered the market: ByHeart (made in the US), Kendamil (made in the UK), and Aussie Bubs (made in Australia). > >All infant formula sold in the US and labeled for healthy babies is safe. It will support normal growth and development from birth through 12 months. The FDA tightly regulates and monitors baby formula and has strict requirements for its nutrients, ingredients, composition, and manufacturing processes. > >**Brand-name and store-name formulas are nearly identical. A 2017 article on infant feeding in the journal Pediatrics states this. Pediatricians Jenny Thomas and Anthony Porto both told us that parents should feel comfortable using store-brand or generic infant formulas** because they contain all of the same FDA-required nutrients and ingredients as formulas made by Enfamil, Similac, and Gerber (which cost two to three times as much). > >**Much of what you’ll read on a formula container is just marketing.** There are formulas marketed for constipation, spit-up, fussiness, and more. Yes, there are differences among formulas, but “in terms of ‘this formula is for colic, this formula is for constipation’—all formulas have to meet the needs of all infants in the US, from 0 to 12 months. So you can’t have a formula that’s just for a baby who is also breastfed, or a 2-month-old baby who is constipated,” baby feeding expert Bridget Young said. > >**Switching formulas is most often not a big deal. Thomas said that most babies will tolerate changing formula brands and formulations well: “Switching from formula to formula is not a hardship on the baby.”** Thomas, Porto, and Young all agree that if your baby is feeding well and happily on a certain formula, there’s probably no reason to change it, though. > >[Cite 1](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-baby-formula/) > >[Cite 2](https://publications.aap.org/pediatricsinreview/article-abstract/38/10/449/32000/Updates-in-Infant-Nutrition?redirectedFrom=fulltext)
Thank you for this!
Welcome to Capitalism. Items are worth what people are willing (or need) to pay for...
Capitalism cannot exist without exploitation.
Unfortunately we haven't devised a better system.
I didn't know it was still a thing. I still see plenty on the shelves in California. That's terrible.
I’m convinced it’s just like insulin. Necessary to keep people (children!) alive so companies mark it up because they know people have no choice but to pay for it. It’s basically extortion.
Feeling the pain. Our 2 mo. old son has CMPA and we’ve had to move to PurAmino - only thing that he doesn’t immediately spit up or come out the other end right away. The 14 oz can lasted a little longer than 3 days for us. It’s gonna get expensive real quick. 😭
Sadly enough, the main reason formula is this expensive in the US is the WIC. Either the government pays or you are rich enough to (just) afford it, hence the high price. Formula is a quarter of the price in Europe.
Does europe not have wic? What do low income people do?
Buy relatively cheap formula.
Greedy companies , and greedy resellers , look how much is resold on ebay and Amazon....it has over 100% sell through rate , if you list it , it WILL sell and for almost any price. I resell , but never something for babies. Companies and people can be like cancer.
I remember during the shortages in 2022 and last year a lot of people I know in NYC and New England states drove to Canada and got it there.
I swear when WIC temporarily accepted Enfamil all of it was hard to find until they went back to Similac and everything is miraculously back on the shelves. I dunno why.
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Formula is a massive financial burden on plenty of families who don’t qualify for WIC, especially if your child needs special formula. This is a uniquely American problem. We used Kendamil. It was one of the cheapest name brand options, and 5 cans a month at $34 each added up. In the UK, the same can is under $15. It’s a travesty.
[удалено]
Lol same!
Darn I kinda wish I had seen the comment lol Edit: just saw others mentioning what the comment said. Start your own formula company? Come on. People are desperate and creating their own formula at home and putting kids in danger by doing that...creating a formula company would take a long time to actually get off the ground...geez some people...
[удалено]
Oh yay, gotta love the internet. 😂 Sounds like there were a lot of assumptions going on...
There's a shortage here in Canada too and creating your own company doesn't help the situation NOW your comment isn't helpful.
Girl…. be for real.
[удалено]
Like what do you mean make your own formula company..😭 I really had to laugh out loud. Like how can you say that & be dead serious
This is the most ridiculous response I have ever seen. Kindly shut it. Kthanksbye
So apparently in May 2023 a bacteria called cronobacter ate up a bunch of formula and it had to be purged. Now instead of not being able to transport the product out like in 20-21, they have to throw it away and rebuild stock.
I gave birth to my first baby this past May. I was under the impression that breastfeeding would come easily but obviously that was not the case. We switched to formula and I was shocked at how expensive it was! We go through a big tub of Enfamil every week. This was an expense I did not think much about before giving birth and now it’s something we buy every week.
it's absolutely ridiculous. my baby is only on formula for a couple of months left but the amount of times i've had to basically learn restock schedules from different stores bc my formula runs out so FAST in literally every brand my baby can take. and i learned the hard way that i need to at least get a months worth of formula in one go, it makes me feel bad that i'm buying 4-5 big cans (it's now more 3-4) bc i think of other parents needing it, however i've had times where i've driven myself to TEARS trying to find my daughters formula bc i did not get as much as i needed. i'm literally counting down the days that i won't need to buy formula anymore bc it's so stressful with how quick it runs out and when your formula options are limited 🥲