GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Many parents are still spending hours driving from store to store to find baby formula in stock.
It’s no different here in Northeast Wisconsin.
Baby Brody is five months old. His mother Chelsea Broderick couldn’t imagine if she were dealing with the same baby formula battle other moms are facing.
“It’s just really scary to be a mom and not know where your food will come from for your child,” said Broderick.
Luckily, Broderick is considered an “over-supplier” of breastmilk and has a freezer stocked.
And it’s a lot more than little Brody will ever drink.
So Broderick took to a Fox Valley mom Facebook group. She is offering her extra breast milk for free.
“I never want a baby to be hungry, there’s enough mom shame and guilt that society puts on us and I never want formula feeding versus breastfeeding to but shame on a mother. Fed is best, no matter where it comes from,” said Broderick.
HSHS St. Vincent Hospital has the same goal in mind. Executive Director for Women and Infant Services, Amber Chibuk says its Milk Depot and Dispensary sells breast milk.
“If you weren’t able to breastfeed you could only use formula and now you have the choice between formula or human donor breast milk,” said Chibuk.
“Is it safe for a baby to have a woman other than its mother’s breast milk?” asked Fox 11.
“It is safe to drink other breast milk if it is pasteurized,” said Chibuk, “We particularly use it to bridge the gaps in the hospital as well while waiting for their milk to come in. It’s really not meant for a long-term supplement, it’s really helped bridge that gap.”
Chibuk says the Milk Depot and Dispensary have recently seen an increase in sales amid the formula shortage. But it’s been seeing more community support since its start.
At its start in 2019, community women donated 7,190 ounces of breast milk. In 2020, 9,475 ounces. And in 2021, it jumped to 131,000 ounces.
Broderick says she hopes she can reach more moms through Facebook. And she’s already seen a positive response.
“Not only shared it but then they also posted something on their Facebook pages as well saying that they would donate breast milk to anybody in need as well,” said Broderick.
She says the formula shortage is causing a lot of fuss.
And it’s important for babies like Brody to get the nutrition they need.
To learn more about HSHS St. Vincent Hospital’s Milk Depot and Dispensary CLICK HERE.
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