For many parents, switching to breastfeeding isn't an option amid the nationwide shortage of baby formula.
Infant formula is stacked on a table in Houston during a baby formula drive to help with the shortage. President Joe Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to speed production of infant formula and has authorized flights to import supply from overseas.Houston mother Rebecca Hetrick had been breastfeeding her daughter, Hannah, until the girl’s allergy to cow’s milk forced her to switch to a specific type of baby formula.
“I had every intention of breastfeeding. I really wanted to,” Hetrick said. “It was really disappointing and disheartening.” Even families who do rely on breastfeeding often use formula to supplement their supply. In Texas, just 45.8 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed at three months and just 23.9 percent are exclusively breastfed at six months,For many families, medical conditions make it difficult or impossible to rely on breastfeeding, said Dr. Amy Hair, the program director of neonatal nutrition at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Other times, a baby may struggle to latch onto the breast to feed, in which case the mother will need time to pump. That can be particularly difficult for working mothers who may not have enough time during a break, or access to somewhere private where they can pump, Hair said.