My kids may be well past the baby formula stage, but I can totally understand the panic some parents are feeling during this nationwide formula shortage.

Turnbull Government Intervenes Over Growing Baby Formula Shortage
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When my girls were infants, I tried my hardest to breastfeed them, but it didn't work out too well either time. To make sure their little tummies were full, I had to supplement with formula, and it burned a quick hole in my pocketbook, but I had to have it.

Now that major stores like CVS and Walgreens are starting to limit the number of baby formula products parents can buy at a time, desperate parents are beginning to resort to desperate measures, and many of them are very unsafe.

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The Worst Things Parents Can Do During a Baby Formula Shortage

When we can't find the things we need in life, we improvise, right? We find alternate products to use, we make them ourselves, or we find ways to conserve the products we already have on hand. Well, here's the bad news, when it comes to improvising baby formula, many options aren't safe for your baby.

Here are some important things pediatricians across the country are reminding panicked parents NOT to do:

  • Do not switch your child to milk until they are at least 1 year old.
  • Do not water down your child's formula, it will lead to improper nutrition balance.
  • Do not use almond or plant-based milks, they do not have the proper vitamins and minerals your baby needs.
  • Do not use toddler formula in place of baby formula.

Pediatricians Plead for Parents Not To Resort to Homemade Baby Formula

The one thing that pediatricians are most worried about during the baby formula shortage is the number of parents looking up homemade baby formula recipes online.

A pediatrician at  Akron Children's Hospital in Akron, Ohio named Sarah Adams recently told Fox News;

The AAP strongly advises against homemade formula,

These [options] are not safe and not FDA approved — infant deaths have been reported.

Advice for Panicking Parents

In Fox News' article, Dr. Adams also provided some suggestions for how parents can get a hold of much-needed baby formula. Those suggestions included;

  • Call your pediatrician to see if they have any sample cans from formula suppliers that you can have.
  • Check smaller stores and drug stores
  • Call food pantries and WIC offices to see if they have formula to share.
  • Buy formula online from well-known suppliers and NOT ones from overseas.
  • Try switching to off-brands

The Most Important Thing to Remember

Whenever you feel like you are nearing the end of your rope, just stop, breathe, and remember this too shall pass. If you happen to hit the formula buying jackpot, DON'T HOARD IT, share the info with other parents and babies who need it! Please!

KEEP READING: Here are the most popular baby names in every state

Using March 2019 data from the Social Security Administration, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular names in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., according to their 2018 SSA rankings. The top five boy names and top five girl names are listed for each state, as well as the number of babies born in 2018 with that name. Historically common names like Michael only made the top five in three states, while the less common name Harper ranks in the top five for 22 states.

Curious what names are trending in your home state? Keep reading to see if your name made the top five -- or to find inspiration for naming your baby.

LOOK: The most popular biblical baby names

To determine the most popular biblical baby names, Stacker consulted the name origin site Behind the Name and the Social Security Administration's baby names database then ranked the top 50 names from Behind the Name's Biblical Names origins list of 564 names, based on how many babies had been given these names in 2019. Click through to find out which biblical names have stood the test of time.

 

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