I had to travel to four cities to find baby formula. American parents are desperate | Blair Hayse

The shortage is becoming worse and worse with every single week that passes. Sometimes I cannot grasp that I have to worry about this

How did I spend a recent afternoon? I spent it traveling to four different cities to find a canister of formula for my baby. Gone are the days of simply dashing to the local market, located a couple of miles from my house, to grab the formula. Instead, I have to carve out about six hours to find the specialty formula my daughter needs.

The recent formula shortage has caused a significant crisis for me as a mother and my baby. My youngest daughter was born with severe health issues that forced her to stay in the NICU for about a month and was released home with monitors. Due to her complications, breastfeeding was an option ruled out early, and pumping halted about two months after she was born. She was placed on a specialty formula to help with her nutrient support and reflux issues. It has been a long road, and even now, a year later, we attend therapy twice a week. She is small for 13 months and weighs what most babies half her age weigh. Needing extra nutrient support has kept her on formula for longer than most of her age. The extra nutrient-based formula has been challenging to find.

Blair Hayse is an author, book coach and freelance writer