Letter: Formula feeding crisis

I am a breastfeeding veteran. My best friend, however, formula feeds her 5-month-old daughter. After she told me that their family looks for formula daily and that she is literally having nightmares about not being able to feed her child, I thought I would help look. Her daughter drinks generic “gentle” formula.

I went to every store in DeKalb/Sycamore/Cortland that I could think of that sells formula – 15 in total. I could not find one, single can, of any size, of ”gentle” formula. I am privileged enough to have the time and transportation to look that extensively and couldn’t find any.

This situation is desperate. No parent should have to worry about feeding their child for any reason. It brings me to tears to think about the absolute angst parents must be feeling searching high and low for safe food for their babies. Donor breast milk that is tested, pasteurized, and safe to use is $20 a feeding. That would easily be $120 a day if that was your only source of food for your baby!

How can we be one of the richest nations in the world and not be able to figure out how to feed one of our most vulnerable populations?

Gretchen Sprinkle

Cortland