Parents are banding together to help each other through the ongoing formula shortage. A new website created by Olympic gold medalist and mom of two Shawn Johnson East is making it easier for parents in search of specific formulas to find and connect with people who have some to spare, not only in their own cities but all across the country.
East started BabyFormulaExchange.com a little over a week ago, after she was unable to find formula to feed her 10-month-old son, Jett. “Last week I was trying to refill Jett’s formula, and I wasn’t able to find it anywhere,” East explains on Instagram. “A friend of a friend actually connected me to her friend in Pittsburgh and she was able to find and ship it to me, which got us thinking: Is there a way we can connect all of you to other mamas who have formula?”
On Baby Formula Exchange, parents can indicate whether they are in need of formula or have some to give. After providing specifics about the type of formula and where they’re located, those looking for formula and those offering it are matched. All formula exchanged must be:
- New.
- Unopened.
- Not expired.
Those offering formula can also indicate the price of the formula or if they’re giving it away for free.
News of the website spread quickly online. East’s Instagram post announcing the site has gotten over 77,000 views, and dozens of people have taken to Twitter to tell others in need about the resource.
The formula shortage is impacting more and more families across the country. Several children have been hospitalized due to a lack of formula, according to CBS News. This includes not only infants, but also some toddlers and older children who need formula due to special nutritional needs.
On May 19, a military plane transported 39 tons of speciality infant formula from Europe to Indianapolis as a part of the Biden administration’s Operation Fly Formula. A second flight is expected in the coming days.
According to a White House press release, formula brands carried by the planes include:
- Gerber Good Start Extensive HA infant formula
- Alfamino Infant formula
- Alfamino Junior formula
“These formulas have been prioritized because they serve a critical medical purpose and are in short supply in the United States because of the Abbott Sturgis plant closure,” the press release says.
Abbott, one of the largest formula manufacturers in the country, played a critical role in worsening the formula shortage after issuing recalls and closing a Michigan production plant earlier this year. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration struck a deal with Abbott to reopen the plant this June. Robert Ford, Abbott’s CEO, has also issued an apology to American families and promised that, by the end of June, “we will be supplying more formula to Americans than we were in January before the recall.”
Until U.S. formula supplies return to normal, sites like BabyFormulaExchange.com will continue to play a critical role in ensuring that parents are able to find the formulas their babies and older children so desperately need.