Formula shortage | Imamother

4g01o

Thu, May 19 2022, 12:21 pm

number wrote:

FDA not allowing in European formulas has been an issue for quite some time. People have been trying to smuggle in formula for years because European formula is known to be higher quality but doesn’t meet ridiculous FDA requirements. I think it has something to do with iron levels? I sure hope they change those rules fast.

Yes hope so.
I mean, they're good enough for our baby's, so why not yours?! Nuts.

4g01o

Thu, May 19 2022, 3:01 pm

Zehava wrote:

Personally I don’t care much for European formulas. The cholov yisroel ones anyway. They’re pretty heavy, similar to similac, and were horrible for my babies. But everyone’s different.

I didn't give the chalav yisroel formula to any of my babies.

My baby is now on Aptamil comfort, its quite hard to get at the moment. It's often out of stock in the largest local supermarket to me.
I just ordered 2 tubs online, its the same price as the supermarkets so its great. I don't pay postage bc I pick it up from the store.

Zehava

Thu, May 19 2022, 3:19 pm

Fab4 wrote:

Probably similar to enfamil right? The enfamil one I use aren’t sold in the local supermarkets for some reason. I always have to order online.

4g01o

Thu, May 19 2022, 3:24 pm

Zehava wrote:

Probably similar to enfamil right? The enfamil one I use aren’t sold in the local supermarkets for some reason. I always have to order online.

Similar. The aptamil is more popular so it's usually in all the supermarkets around me, I've just recently noticed that they've been out of stock in one particular supermarket lately. Some people must be stockpiling, I can't think of why else really. The US shortage has scared us all really. I can't imagine running out of the one that I need for my baby. The one that agrees with him the most. I worked out that I only need 16 more tubs roughly until he's off of it, so I'm not too worried. I'll buy 2 at a time so 8 trips or online shops doesn't sound like much at all.

amother

Blush

Thu, May 19 2022, 3:39 pm

Fab4 wrote:

I remember you saying you are in the UK right? My last baby had aptamil, and when he was a few months there was a fire or sth in their factory and there was a huge shortage. Most supermarkets had no stock and the ones that did put a cap of only 1 box per customer. Dh tried going back in at asda and queuing at another till but they recognised him and shooed him away! I got all my family and friends to buy for me because I was so scared of running out.

My current baby has the chalav yisroel kendamil. Compared to the materna my oldest had it is so much better. I was quite skeptical because of my terrible experience with materna, but thought I'd try it first. kendamil is so much lighter, and my baby has been so happy on it bh. The other benefit is that it's always in stock in all the kosher shops. I often see my local tesco has no aptamil on the shelf I don't know what's up with that.

Reading this thread though is shocking. Unbelievable that a country like America is in this situation. I really feel for parents I'd be going out of my mind. Is having someone bring in from another country an option? I know someone who brings boxes of materna back to America every time she travels because its much cheaper in Israel.

4g01o

Thu, May 19 2022, 3:43 pm

amother [ Blush ] wrote:

Yes, oh my that must've been so hard. I obviously didn't have a baby at the time otherwise I'd have heard about it.

Yes I heard that kendamil is good. I didn’t try it though, and when my baby started with colic/reflux , I started to try the others, anti reflux, comfort etc. Kendamil don't do specialised formulas.

amother

Pumpkin

Thu, May 19 2022, 3:45 pm

Zehava wrote:

Personally I don’t care much for European formulas. The cholov yisroel ones anyway. They’re pretty heavy, similar to similac, and were horrible for my babies. But everyone’s different.

How can you tell which formulas are better and how can you tell which formulas are heavy?

number

Thu, May 19 2022, 3:46 pm

Fab4 wrote:

Yes hope so.
I mean, they're good enough for our baby's, so why not yours?! Nuts.

American formulas need American babies taking their formula obviously ($$$) so the better quality formulas like Hipp aren’t allowed in. Only formulas that are similar enough to American formulas, like Kendamil. And now they can’t roll back that petty legislation in good time obviously. FDA is the biggest scam.

amother

Blush

Thu, May 19 2022, 3:51 pm

Fab4 wrote:

I saw kendamil in sainsburys so the non kosher supermarkets are also stocking them. I wish I could send a load to America. The shortage is worrying.

Me too! Every time I see the boxes piled high in the shops.

Just fyi the kendamil in sainsburys tesco etc are the non chalav yisroel. The kosher shops have the chalav yisrael ones.

But right they don't have specialised ones. Bh bh my currant baby hasn't had reflux. My last baby had terrible reflux and took a while till we found the specific apatamil that helped, although he still screamed his first few months.

4g01o

Thu, May 19 2022, 4:09 pm

amother [ Blush ] wrote:

Oh wow, I thought they were all the same! So interesting.
I just popped into sainsburys for stuff for shabbos, I had a look again and still no comfort formula, they have the cow and gate one but I tried it and my baby is so much better on the aptamil. Bh I don't need at the moment but this is the 3rd time this week that they've not had which means that there is definitely some shortage. There was plenty anti reflux aptamil.

Now I'm going to have to try stockpiling myself a bit bc I'm getting worried! I just ordered 2 tubs today.

4g01o

Thu, May 19 2022, 4:10 pm

amother [ Blush ] wrote:

Oh no I'd love to pm you, I'm going through a really hard time with my 7.5 month old. He's been my hardest baby by far! I'm just soooo exhausted from not having an evening anymore. He's the cutest thing ever knh.. Bh for that!!! Lol.

GLUE

Thu, May 19 2022, 4:46 pm

A few years ago in est Asia there was a shortage on rice, so people were calling their relatives in the US to send them rice. Stores like Wal-mart and Costco had a limit on how much rice you could buy.

A few years ago there was a problem with baby formula in China, so people were sending to heir relatives in China making some stores have limits.

Could be that is what is happening in Europe now, the reason stores in Europe are having problems is because of the shortage in the US

number

Thu, May 19 2022, 10:16 pm

Zehava wrote:

The ones my babies are happy on. So far it’s only been enfamil reguline. My oldest screamed for months because it wasn’t around yet.

Quote:

In Europe there are partially hydrolyzed formulas with lactose as the sole carbohydrate, which experts prefer for most babies. In the US, Parent’s Choice Tender, Gerber Good Start GentlePro, and Enfamil Reguline are the only partially hydrolyzed formulas that have no intact proteins and contain at least 50% lactose, with the remainder of their carbohydrates coming from corn-based sugars.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecu.....mula/

That’s probably why people like to source European formula. Interesting.