Frantic breastfeeding mum calls emergency cops for formula

"My milk just literally dried out. This is my fifth kid, and this has never happened." 

Any new mum doing night-duty totally alone will attest that it's often a nerve-wracking experience.

What if the baby needs something else? What if I become sick? What if the baby is sick?

This is the situation that one mum found herself in exceptional circumstances - and not seeing any other option, she called the cops for help.

You read that right. But let's hear her out.

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"No option but to call 911"

Mum of five Shannon Bell is going viral again, four years after her infamous call made headline news around the world.

In December 2020, the Utah mum of four was horrified to find that her breastmilk had suddenly completely dried up, and she had no idea how she would feed her newborn, six-week-old London.

It was the middle of the night - 2am. Her husband was away for work. Shannon called her mum, neighbours, anyone she could think of, because packing up all her sleeping kids into the car to dash around trying to find formula was not an ideal option.

Of course, they were all sleeping, too.

She hadn't used formula with her other kids, so was not prepared with anything else to feed her screaming baby.

"I called my husband, and we were brainstorming," she told media outlets later.

They finally agreed there was no option but to call 911 (000).

Image: Instagram

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Shannon's 911 call for formula

"I've been calling neighbours and no one will answer," Shannon told 911 dispatchers in a 2:12 a.m. call.

"I've never been in this predicament ever. My milk just literally dried out. This is my fifth kid and this has never happened."

"I went into full panic mode," adding that her milk may have dried up due to a combination of medications she'd begun taking.

Officers Brett Wagstaff and Konner Gabbitas responded to the mum's desperate call. According to CNN, Wagstaff and Gabbitas initially delivered fresh cow's milk purchased from a nearby convenience store,  as the dispatcher's notes had simply read "needs milk."

But as Shannon opened the door, they could see that six-week-old London was too young for cow's milk.

Heartwarmingly, in a moment captured on body cam, they told the exhausted new mum, "We'll be right back with some formula for your baby."

After a Walmart run, the officers returned with infant formula.

"That's the same stuff we gave my daughter when she was first born, so hopefully it doesn't upset her stomach," Wagstaff tells her upon delivery.

"I’ve never not had food for my newborn. It was really scary."

Shannon later told news outlets: "I’ve never not had food for my newborn. It was really scary for me."

She also explained that she wasn't expecting officers to actually fetch the infant formula for her. She merely hoped they could patrol her house while her eight-year-old monitored his younger siblings, who were still asleep.

But there was little empathy for Shannon on social media, after police shared the body cam footage with her consent.

"The officers used their own money"

One commenter angrily wrote, "This is a terrible waste of police resources. The officers had to use their own money and the cheapest formula out there is $40! This woman had the resources, money and transportation to get her own formula, and she calls the police?"

"Wow privilege is all I see," added another. "But thinks it's cute to share. Of course she doesn't see anything wrong with this."

And this person said: "Holy s---, I would be mortified if this was me. Although it would never be me, because I'd have had formula on hand or frozen breast milk... or woke the damn kids up."

Harsher comments included: "What a poor lack of planning on your part. SHAME on you, taking time from the police because you aren't smart enough to make sure you have enough formula FOR YOUR CHILD. It's not your first child, you should have plenty of experience by now. How self-absorbed are you?"

And: "It takes a little while to lose milk supply. So I think this was just laziness. But glad someone helped the baby."

Only a handful of comments supported Shannon.

"People love to judge others," one person said. "I know how you feel I have three kids of my own two step kids. Taking five kids somewhere is a hassle. Big thanks for the officers helping you!!!"

"I don’t know why people are being so mean to you!" another concluded. "You had to do what you had to do and I think it’s wonderful that first responders could help out."

Originally published as Frantic breastfeeding mum calls emergency cops for formula