Even though the Abbott baby formula plant in Michigan is likely to reopen soon, it will still be several weeks before supply returns to normal.

The plant had to shut down back in February because of concerns about bacterial contamination in some of the products made there. The shutdown wiped out about 40-percent of the baby formula market, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Mothers have had to deal with rationing and buying limits of baby formula at stores which have put them in a tight spot. Freedom Kolb with The Milk Bank in Indianapolis said the crisis has spurred an influx of breast milk donations.

“We are also hearing a lot of stories of compassion, too, where moms are activating their networks and you have friends taking pictures of what is available in a store, providers stepping up, food pantries stepping up,” she said to Inside Indiana Business. “We’ve seen a lot of milk donors … saying ‘my infant is done breastfeeding, but I’m going to continue to pump to donate for the families in need.”

The Milk Bank says it can provide up to 40 ounces of bridge milk without a prescription and most families can receive milk in 24 hours or less.

Kolb is encouraged by the increase in donations of breast milk. She added that breast milk can be a stigmatized part of healthcare for mothers and babies and that this baby formula shortage is shining a light on some of the issues.

“We have to talk about milk banking in the same breath that we talk about blood and organ donations,” Kolb said. “It is the same life-saving feature for our medically-fragile infants across the state and across the country.”

The Biden administration is currently pushing plans to up imports of foreign baby formula to help with the shortage as well.