The formula shortage has been a struggle for many moms and their children.
And now, Bette Midler has been called out for her ‘ignorant’ response to the baby formula shortage.
This comes as many moms have opened up about their struggle with this shortage.
Kayzie Weedman, a TikTok mom, shone a light on how millions of other mothers are struggling right now because of the lack of formula available to them.
Weedman took to TikTok to share her outrage and desperation in a video that has recently gone viral, in it she said: “Let’s talk about the formula shortage that is plaguing the US right now because more people need to know about this. You go to your local Target, your local Walmart, and you think you’re going to get the formula your baby needs? Nope. Shelves are bare. And there are babies who can’t have just any formula that’s on the shelf.”
Before adding a picture of her baby, she continued: “I’m going to insert a picture of what my daughter looks like when she has cow’s milk because she has a huge cow’s milk protein allergy.
“So, what am I going to do when I go to the shelves and can’t get the formula that I need? The pharmacist who fills her prescription formula can’t fill it because they can’t get it — it’s back-ordered six months and I just have to sit there and stare at empty shelves and not know what I’m going to do next,” she said.
Weedman continued: “Formula is not available on any of the shelves. They’re empty — nowhere near three hours near me [has it]. Can’t get the formula. What are we going to do? Where do we go from here? How do formula moms feed their kids?” the worried mom then inserted a photo of the bare formula shelves at a nearby store.
After watching her video and sympathizing with the young mom, many others took to the comments section to share their own experiences and the struggle they have faced due to the shortage. One user wrote: “I am having so much anxiety for all the moms right now this is not ok.”
Another commented: “I’m 38 weeks pregnant and so terrified!! Just bc I plan to breastfeed but you never know! Things don’t always go as planned.”
“I have had to travel up to two hours to get formula,” Weedman later told BuzzFeed, adding that she keeps seeing people tell mothers to “breastfeed or try harder,” which doesn’t help. “I could not breastfeed because of Palmer’s immune system and allergy needs. MY breastmilk was slowly killing my baby and if I did not have formula, she would be far worse off,” she said.
In a desperate effort to get help from the online community, she posted on TikTok and Facebook to try and see if there was anyone who could help her. And women everywhere came to support the mom by offering to ship her the specific formula she needed for her baby.
“The community of mothers around me has been outstanding. The amount of help I have received from complete strangers is something I never imagined. The tribe of mothers out there are special people,” Weedman gushed on Facebook.
She added that although she now has a good supply of formula, this is still a huge problem here in America: “This formula shortage is very scary and very real. My suggestion is to be on the lookout every time you go to any store that sells formula. Find your formula-feeding friends and band together to look for and purchase formula for each other. I have friends and family from all over looking for her cans every time they go to the store. Help moms out and just grab ONE can. Frenzy buying isn’t helping.”
But, since the formula shortage, Bette Midler, singer, songwriter, actress, and comedian, has shared her own opinion on the matter…
And she’s received a lot of backfire as a result of the opinion she shared.
In a Tweet on May 13, Midler’s response to the shortage just didn’t sit well with anybody.
But before we take a look at her tweet, let’s see what people thought…
First, Jennifer Sey took to the comment section to share her thoughts on the tweet…
“This is profoundly insensitive,” she began replying to Midler’s tweet which read: “Try BREASTFEEDING! It’s free and available on-demand.
Sey continued…
“First, there are a million reasons why some women can’t nurse at all, or can’t nurse full time & supplement with formula.
“Second, women don’t even need a “reason”. She can decide not to just because she doesn’t want to. Period.
“Third…If she hasn’t up til now, she can’t just start at any time. It’s not like turning on a spigot. The ‘breastfeeding wars’ are just another example of the class divide. It’s elite WFH class judging those who can’t or don’t breastfeed full time, #leavewomenalone #MyBodyMyChoice” she wrote.
Stephen Miller was next to speak out…
Political advisor, Stephen Miller, took to the comment section to share his thoughts: “What a profoundly offensive & ignorant statement. There are countless reasons why breastfeeding is not an option for many mothers—too many to get into here. And if you’ve been using the formula you can’t just flip a switch. Not to mention millions of babies with milk/food allergies,” he wrote.
Ilyse Hogue then commented…
“Bette, respectfully, this is a very bad take. I had twins. I didn’t produce enough milk for both. Without formula, I would have had to have chosen which one got to eat. To say nothing of kids that get separated from the birth mothers very young,” Hogue wrote.
Tim Carvell then spoke out on behalf of those raising children in a male household…
“Imagine having a large gay fanbase, many of whom are raising kids in two-dad households, and thinking this is a good suggestion,” he noted.
As many other people piled into the comment section to share their opinions on the “horrific” statement…
Midler posted another tweet. “People are piling on because of former tweet. No shame if you can’t breastfeed, but if you can & are somehow convinced that your own milk isn’t as good as a ‘scientifically researched product’, that’s something else again. The monopoly news is news to me, tho, no lie, #WETNURSES” she wrote.
But, people still weren’t having what seemed to be Midler’s way of apologizing… Or at least clarifying what she meant.
“Just shut the f*ck up, Bette,” writer and artist Tony Posnanski said.
“Noooooo. Stop. Do not double down on this. This is so bad,” Amber Gustafson said.
“Formula might not be better for babies but it sure is hell better for a lot of moms. We matter too,” another person wrote.
What do you think?