Across the United States, more and more parents and caregivers are struggling to locate baby formula amid a nationwide shortage.
But luckily, one Utah mom has taken things into her own hands.
Alyssa Chitti is joining a growing group of moms by selling her own breast milk to those in need.
In an interview with Fox 13, Chitti explained that she currently has more than three freezers full of breastmilk and is looking forward to selling it on so she can clear up some space.
"I figure I'm running out of room, so might as well help someone else," she joked to the outlet, adding: "I know I have over 3,000 ounces - 3,000 ounces downstairs and probably almost 1,000 upstairs."
Chitti did originally look at donating her excess milk to a local milk bank. However, like many other moms in the same position, she found that screening requirements made the process too slow.
"I was working with a group on it, but my daughter has SMA, and we've been in and out of primaries, and so it's just been hard to go do the bloodwork and go do all the other stuff, and that's the only thing that stopped me from doing that part," she explained.
So instead, she plans to list her breast milk online, where she'll be selling it at a rate of $1 per ounce. Though Chitti's pricing isn't too expensive, she told Fox 13 that she is very willing to negotiate with mothers on pricing because she understands what a difficult time they must be going through.
"It was making me nervous, just because so my daughter was very, very colicky," she explained, adding: "And I know a lot of moms need specific formulas for babies with upset tummies, and I know how hard it can be when they're upset. There's nothing you can do about that stomach pain."
Selling breast milk is perfectly legal. However, because it is unregulated it isn't always the safest way to feed your baby.
Milk obtained online is unlikely to come from a screened donor or to have been checked for infections diseases or contamination. As a result, it could make a baby very sick - so buyers are advised to exercise caution wherever they can.
As reported by BBC News, there has been an increasing concern over the availability of baby formula across the US following labor and supply chain challenges, as well as a factory closure back in February following a bacteria-linked product recall.
WebMD states that around 40% of baby formula supplies are currently out of stock.
