Bowling Green birth professional creates way for parents to get baby formula amid shortage

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - A nationwide shortage of baby formula has prompted one woman in Bowling Green to find a way to make it easier for parents and their babies that have been affected by the shortage.

Amanda Poteet-Woolen is many different things: a birth professional, a birth and bereavement doula, a certified lactation counselor, a placenta encapsulation specialist and a student midwife.

Now, with the recent shortages of formula happening nationwide, she has created a way for moms to help other moms find the formula they need through a drop-off box located at Panchamama, a yoga studio located in suite 1000 at 529 Chestnut Street.

“It is a community of women who work here, we see a lot of women coming and going through the doors,” she said. “I thought, this is a great spot to start this so that people can see it, get familiar with it.”

While this is the only current drop-off and pick-up location currently, Poteet-Woolen is hoping to add other drop-off locations around the city where moms are likely to go.

“This is a way for you to take whatever you have in your cabinet, or whatever you’re not using anymore because you’ve weaned or because you know your toddler is not taking milk, let’s move it here, regardless of what it is,” she said.

For those who may argue that there is always the option of breastfeeding, she said that sometimes new moms may not have that option for many different reasons.

“Sometimes it’s medical issues with mom or baby. Sometimes people just don’t want to,” Poteet-Woolen said. “We have to be supportive of women across the board, whether they choose to lactate or they choose not to.”

Poteet-Woolen also added that there are several different kinds of formulas out there for people to use and if needed, can be crossed between.

“Thankfully, you can cross between some of them some work for others in place of others,” she said.

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