Imagine this. It’s 2 in the morning and your baby’s crying. As you hurry through wearily into the kitchen to your bottle station, you realized you have run out of the baby formula. Panic sets in, you’re awake all of a sudden. You checked the pantry, the cupboard, and even the fridge praying you left kept a stash somewhere. The only question that’s left in mind is, where can I get an emergency baby formula?
If you’re in an emergency, you have some options. There’s plenty of baby formula in stock at major online retailers. But, if you are in an emergency and you need baby formula asap, then there are a few things you can do.
What to Do
As moms, caring for children is always the number one priority. One area to think about is what would happen to all babies that are dependent on infant formula? If a local store were no longer, for moms that cannon breastfeed, this would be a terrible scenario.
There are tons of great options to consider if you require an emergency baby formula. Though these are not recommended daily, they’d still work if you’re left with no option.
Call Your Trusted Pediatrician
Many clinics have samples, and they may be able to give you some.
Contact Your Local WIC Center
In case you are not familiar with it, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children or WIC is a federal assistance program. It provides families with education on nutrition, healthy foods (that includes infant formula), and more access to services and support. They do not provide baby formula on-site, but a clinic staff can direct moms to available resources in the area.
Call Your Hospital
Supplies for hospitals are usually reserved for patients who are admitted; however, there may be some extra room given the urgency of the matter.
Breast Is Still Best
We will repeat it; breastmilk is still the best option when it comes to feeding your little one. If your little one is dependent on formula simply because you were uncomfortable with breastfeeding, we have good news for you. It is not too late to breastfeed. You can still produce milk as long as you have not passed through menopause.
In any case, you ran out of baby formula, go back to where it all began. Breast is still best.
Make a Three-Ingredient Formula
Making a baby formula might sound hard, but actually, it isn’t. While this recipe doesn’t contain the same vitamins and minerals as a store-bought formula, this will work in an emergency. You could always add vitamins as needed. To make this formula, combine 6 ounces of evaporated milk, 10 ounces of boiled water, and 1 ½ tablespoon of sugar or corn syrup. This simple recipe also works for small infants.
Try Donated Breast Milk
Breast milk is still the best choice for babies. There are times when moms are left with no choice but to supplement while working on their milk supply. With the coming together of the global community, there are many mothers who are more than willing to donate their breastmilk to moms who are in difficult situations.
Mothers are advised to express breast milk, and they are given bottles for breast milk storage. These bottles are labeled with the donor mother’s number and date of expression and are then frozen. Frozen breast milk is then pasteurized after it is collected from the donor’s house and remains frozen until needed.
Use Goat’s Milk
If you do not want to attempt re-lactation or this isn’t just an option for you, you could rely on goat’s milk. Many mothers usually use goat’s milk out of choice. While this isn’t necessarily recommended regularly, think this could be a great option for you if you don’t have access to baby formula in case of an emergency.
Use Coconut Milk
Coconuts offer a non-dairy plant-based ingredient that some parents use in making their formula recipes. Coconut milk is a notable alternative to breast milk and it has a high content of the fatty acid known as lauric acid. This predominant fatty acid can be found in mother’s milk that strengthens the immune system and protects against bacterial and viral infections. Ho
However, coconut milk doesn’t have all the necessary protein and calcium an infant needs. So other moms add things like liquid calcium and other supplements of vitamins and minerals to their formula. Coconut milk, of course, comes from coconuts and is not considered a dairy product, thus making it safe for babies suffering from milk allergies and intolerances.
Conclusion
The bottom line is, your prepper lifestyle will differ greatly based on the age of your children. It’s essential to prepare with your baby in mind to ensure that you will never experience a tragic situation where your baby is starving for nutrition, and you cannot provide.
If you are a mom with an infant, you might be in this situation in the future. Take these tips into consideration, print them, and put them in your prepper binder. Who knows, these might just come in handy.
So the next time you ask, “where can I get an emergency baby formula,” go through this article again until you can memorize it by heart. Know more about emergency plans.