Parents all over the country who have an infant who eats formula are currently in panic mode thanks to a shortage of many formula brands. Out-of-stock rates hit 31% in April, according to recent data from Datasembly, a company that tracks grocery and retail pricing records. The states most heavily affected include Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.

“Inflation, supply chain shortages and product recalls have brought an unprecedented amount of volatility for baby formula,” said Ben Reich, founder, and CEO of Datasembly. “We expect to continue to see the baby formula category being dramatically affected by these conditions,” adding that formula will “continue to demonstrate higher than average out-of-stock levels.”

Due to the shortage, many retailers are forced to limit the amount of formula that customers can purchase at a given time. And for places where there are still unlimited quantities you can buy, parents struggle with the idea of how much they take and how much they leave for other parents so that they don’t run out.

As you can imagine, this is a huge stressor for parents whose baby needs formula, especially certain kinds of formula.

For example, one mom of an 11-month-old, Shauna Bowman, says her son needs a specific brand due to allergies. “He has a very specific brand, Nutramigen, that he has to have due to allergy and intolerance issues,” she said. “We have been having to look pretty heavily for it, I would say for the last four or five months. But this last month it’s just become impossible to find.”

“When we ran to the local Target one day to get some [formula] just days after she was born, the shelves were completely empty,” one New York mom told Fox News. “My heart literally sank.”

“Luckily she doesn’t need any special formula and I was able to order online, but not everyone has been as lucky,” she explained. “Our neighbor said her family member can’t find the sensitive type of formula for their newborn who has stomach issues anywhere. They’re in a panic daily not knowing if they’ll be able to feed their newborn tomorrow or the day after; my heart breaks for those parents.”

To hear from other moms as well as more details on the formula shortage, check out the video below.

Have you been affected by the formula shortage, or know any parents who are? How can we help parents who may not be able to find the formula brands they need to feel their babies?