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Albuquerque mother struggles to find formula for her baby with gastrointestinal issues

"The ingredients in there have nutrition for them that nothing else can replace. So it's very nerve-racking, especially for my little one."

Albuquerque mother struggles to find formula for her baby with gastrointestinal issues

"The ingredients in there have nutrition for them that nothing else can replace. So it's very nerve-racking, especially for my little one."

DISASTER RELIEF. ROYALE: THE BABY FORMULA SHORTAGE HAS SOME NEW MECOXI MOMS IN A TOUGH POSITION. GENEVIEVE GLASS SPOKE TO ONE WHO IS FRUSTRATED THIS PROBLEM LIKELY WON’T GET FIXED FOR FEA W WES.EK IT’S A STORY YOU’LL ONLY SEE ON 7. >> THE INGREDIENTS IN THERE HAVE NUTRITION FOR THEM THAT NOTHING ELSE CAN REPLA.CE SO IT’S VERY, VERY NERVE RACKING ESPECIALLY FOR MY LITTLE O.NE GENEVIEVE: SARAH BABY SOREN CAME 13 WEEKS EARLY, SPENDING 83 YSDA IN THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT BEFORE GETTING DIAGNOSED WITH A LIFE-THREATENING INTESTINAL DISEASE. >> HE NEEDED SURGERY AT EON MONTH OLD. HE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DIGEST FOOD LIKE WE CAN. GENEVIEVE: AFTER TRYING SEVERAL DIFFERENT FORMULAS, SONRE FINALLY TOOK TO ONE CALLED ELEMENM.TU THEN, THE FEBRUARY RECALL CAME. >> I WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, FREAKING OUT, LIKE, WHAT AM I GOING TO FEED MY BABY INHE T MORNING? I CAN’T GIVE HIM THIS FORMULA ANYMORE NOW KNOWING THAT IT’S POSSIBLY CONTAMINATED. GENEVIE:EV BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD THEY WENT, LANDINGN O ANOTHER FORMULA. >> IN THE FIRST WEEK I DIDN’T HAVE ANY ISSUES FINDING .IT BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, ALL THE BABIES IN THE COUNTRY NEEDEDO T SWITCH FROM WHAT THEY WERE T SOMETHING ELSE AND THE NUTRAMOGEN WAS JUST GONE. GENEVIEVE: ONCE SHE HAD TO DRIVE TO TEN DIFFERENT STORES IN ONE DAY TO FIND A CONTAINER. WHEN THE SHELVES WERE EMPTY, SHE’S FOUND HELP THROUGH FACEBOOK. >> WE’VE GOTTEN A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM LOCAL MOMS AND MOMS OUT OF STATE. I HAD TO PAY FOR SHIPPING RFO FORMULA JUST TO MAKE SURE MY SON WAS FED. GE NEVIEVE: RIGHT NOW, SHE HAS ENOUGH FORMULA TO LAST THROUGH THE MONTH. >> I HEARD THAT IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS EVERYTHING SHOULD GO BACK TO NORMAL,UT B IT’S STILL SCARY. SEEING YOUR STASH AND SAYING, OH, WE HAVE TWO CANS LEF IT, HAVE TO GO ON A SCAVENGER HUNT AND LOOK FOR A FORLAMU AND PRAY THAT YOU WILL. GENEVIEVE: SARA SAYS SHE’S GOING THROUGH A LOT OF FORMULA BECAUSE SHE HAS TO FEED SOREN DOUB TLE SERVING SIZE TO GAIN WEIGHT. SHE HOPES THE GOVERNMENT HAS A BETTER PLAN IN PLACE. LIVE IN ALBUQUERQUE, GENEVIE
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Albuquerque mother struggles to find formula for her baby with gastrointestinal issues

"The ingredients in there have nutrition for them that nothing else can replace. So it's very nerve-racking, especially for my little one."

Sara Stueber's baby Soren came 13 weeks early, spending 83 days in the neonatal intensive care unit before getting diagnosed with a life-threatening gastrointestinal disease."He needed surgery at one month old," Stueber said. "He will never be able to digest food like we can."After trying several different formulas, Soren finally took to one called Elementum. Then, the February recall came."I was just, freaking out," Stueber said. "What am I going to feed my baby in the morning? I can't give him this formula anymore now knowing that it's possibly contaminated."Back to the drawing board they went, landing on another formula called Nutramigen. "In the first week, I didn't have any issues finding it," Stueber said. "But then all the babies in the country needed to switch from what they were to something else and Nutramigen was just gone."Once she had to drive to 10 different stores in one day to find it. When the shelves were empty, she found help through Facebook groups where moms post their formula needs and others respond with leads. Stueber said she has enough formula to last through the month."I heard that in about two weeks, everything should go back to normal, but it's still scary," Stueber said. "Not knowing, seeing your stash and saying, 'Oh, we have two cans left, I have to go on a scavenger hunt and look for a formula' and pray that you will."

Sara Stueber's baby Soren came 13 weeks early, spending 83 days in the neonatal intensive care unit before getting diagnosed with a life-threatening gastrointestinal disease.

"He needed surgery at one month old," Stueber said. "He will never be able to digest food like we can."

After trying several different formulas, Soren finally took to one called Elementum.

Then, the February recall came.

"I was just, freaking out," Stueber said. "What am I going to feed my baby in the morning? I can't give him this formula anymore now knowing that it's possibly contaminated."

Back to the drawing board they went, landing on another formula called Nutramigen.

"In the first week, I didn't have any issues finding it," Stueber said. "But then all the babies in the country needed to switch from what they were to something else and Nutramigen was just gone."

Once she had to drive to 10 different stores in one day to find it. When the shelves were empty, she found help through Facebook groups where moms post their formula needs and others respond with leads.

Stueber said she has enough formula to last through the month.

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"I heard that in about two weeks, everything should go back to normal, but it's still scary," Stueber said. "Not knowing, seeing your stash and saying, 'Oh, we have two cans left, I have to go on a scavenger hunt and look for a formula' and pray that you will."