TOLEDO, Ohio — Being a new parent can be a scary experience, especially in the first couple of months. Currently, many parents are facing issues when it comes to finding baby formula.
"I went to the store and there was nothing on the shelves," said new mom Kristina Lawson.
Lawson's son was born premature and spent some time in the NICU. Since being released she has been feeding him the doctor-recommended formula and has not had trouble finding it at the store. However last week she could not find her son's formula anywhere and had to resort to fast shipping on Amazon.
"He was born 4 weeks early, and he was in the NICU for about 10 to 12 days. So I don’t have enough supply for breast milk and the formula he’s on is specific to increase his calorie intake" said Lawson.
Lawson's issues come in the midst of a nationwide shortage of baby formula. On top of FDA recalls contributing to the shortage, medical experts feel the pandemic also played a part in this problem.
"I was like, I have enough for maybe two more bottles but I had enough breast milk to last a couple more bottles, so I needed it at least by the next evening. Hopefully, at his next appointment for his 2-month checkup we can switch to a different formula, and maybe a more accessible formula" said Lawson.
Representatives from Kroger said as of right now they are not limiting any formula purchases in Ohio but some people are still struggling to find them on the shelves.