'The worst feeling.' Parents scrambling as they try to find baby formula amid shortage

A national shortage of baby formula is forcing parents to search and scramble to feed their children. Some are trying to stock up on what they can find and for others, it's a matter of days before they run out.
The pandemic has given a taste of what a shortage feels like when it comes to masks, toilet paper and COVID-19 tests, but parents say having no options to feed their child is terrifying.
Stratford resident Jillian Baker is mom to 10-month-old Benjamin who has an allergy to milk protein. He needs a hypoallergenic formula. Baker has searched high and low for her son's formula for the last two months, and tries to stock up on it when she can.
She says she has gone as far as to asking friends in Charlotte, North Carolina to ship her formula if they can find it.
"It's like the worst feeling I could ever think of, that you might not be able to feed your kid, you know? When they're that young there's not much for them to eat and it's the one thing we can rely on, and there was a recall of certain formula so you're already thinking is the formula the safest thing for him," said Baker.
Experts are urging caution against possible online scammers if ordering formula online, like on Facebook Marketplace.
The Better Business Bureau serving Connecticut is now warning parents of potential online scams.
"One red flag is the way they ask you to pay for the product," said Kristen Johnson, from the Better Business Bureau. "If they're asking you to use a peer-to-peer app like Venmo or PayPal instead of a credit card, if they're asking you to wire money or cryptocurrency, those are all red flags."
The Better Business Bureau says one of the best things to do if making a purchase online is to use your credit card because if you don't end up getting the product, you can dispute the charges.