SIDELL, Ill. (WAND) - Moms across the country are scared and uncertain as they hit stores for baby formula and see empty shelves... over and over again. 

It's the same reality for mothers in Central Illinois, "it's been very scary to go into a store and not know if you're going to have food for your baby two weeks from now," says one mom living in the Village of Sidell. 

7-month old Beau and Mom Madison Puckett commute to Champaign-Urbana for groceries, but that long drive just yields stores with no formula left in stock. Puckett says, it's a nightmare and something she never thought she'd experience. "It's horrifying, I can't imagine my kid only having enough for two bottles and there's nothing on the shelf."

Beau was born prematurely, also known as a 'premie,' but by taking one look at him, Puckett says, "he's a big baby." Beau loves to play and learn who he is, his mom saying, "he's now coming into his personality, he loves to be held and dancing around and listening to music." He is also growing by the minute in these critical months of growth for him. And that's why when his formula got recalled, her heart sank. 

"They took everything off the shelf so in a matter of hours, we went from having a good supply of formula to not having any at all and not being able to find any."

Beau's formula was switched to a new option, gentler for his stomach. "He vomits a lot so he can't just be on standard, he has a special type," Puckett says. Yet, the new formula was no where to be found. Puckett tells WAND News, "in the past 2 weeks that we had gone from every store in Champaign Urbana and they're out of the new formula he's on."

Puckett turned to out-of-state help. "My mom has ordered from Buy Buy Baby online for us from Virginia and I have family in multiple different states looking at their local Kroger and Sam's Club for us and they're out there too." It seemed to be dead end after dead end... but that's when Puckett turned to Social Media, asking a Mom Facebook Group for any relief. It was a success as one mom had extra of the formula Puckett was looking for. 

"I feel fortunate that we can pay to have formula sent in from other states," Puckett says, but she recognizes this may not be an option for other moms. "There are families in this area that live paycheck to paycheck and they rely on stores having formula to feed their child."

Now, Puckett has a message for other moms. She says in this uncertain time...think of other parents when finding formula.  "For parents that feel they need to stock up, it's only making this shortage worse, especially for parents who can't afford to stock up so buy what you need and leave some for the people who desperately need formula."

Puckett and baby Beau are good for now and hope the uncertainty goes away sooner rather than later.

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