Being a prepper seems paranoid right up until the moment it isn’t.
And if the baby formula crisis has taught us anything, it’s that supply chain disruptions for crucial items can come at the most unexpected of times.
Unfortunately, as many Americans are finding out right now, there are simply few substitutes for baby formula — and as Bette Midler is learning, even breastfeeding just isn’t an option for many women.
Making matters worse, baby formula doesn’t even keep that long; while unopened powdered formula can last a year, once opened, it should be used within a month.
So what are your options for keeping your baby fed, whether in this ongoing crisis or in a future one where formula isn’t readily accessible?
Your best bet may be trying to find a breast milk bank near you. The Human Milk Banking Association of America has 31 locations around the country, and if there isn’t one near you, there are other milk banks outside of that network that may be closer to you. Milk banks typically provide pasteurized milk — so, milk without viruses or bacteria — and also usually require blood tests from donors.
Of course, that’s assuming society is functional enough that milk banks are still running. While that’s the case now, it may not be during some future crisis.
Experts don’t recommend informal breast milk sharing between community members or friends and family. But in a disaster situation, that’s better than nothing.
If your child is older than six months, cow’s milk could be used as a substitute — but only in very dire circumstances. And because of the nutrients babies need, it’s very important that infants younger than six months not be given cow’s milk.
The Centers for Disease Control also says you can start introducing your baby to solid foods at six months, though again that doesn’t work for younger babies.
With the younger ones, there are just not that many options. Diluting formula is not recommended, as it can deprive infants of the necessary amounts of nutrients.
People in years past also whipped together homemade formula from unusual sources like corn syrup. But this, too, can be dangerous, as both breast milk and baby formula are a delicate mixture.
“Formula mixtures made from online or other resources may not have vital components, such as enough iron or vitamins for a baby,” the American Academy of Pediatrics says. “Or, they may have too much salt or other nutrients that your baby’s kidneys and liver cannot handle in large amounts.”
So for those kiddos under six months, finding some way to get breast milk, even if it’s through informal sources, appears to be the best thing to do, as is trying to maintain some kind of a stockpile of formula — once the current crisis is all over, of course.