Fed Family Lab

During the 2022 infant formula shortage, the caregivers in our Finding Formula: Confronting Insecurities study didn’t just worry— they were forced to go to great lengths to find the food they needed.

The video and lists you see here are a window into the invisible labour mothers took on when corporate supply chains failed and formal support was nowhere to be found.

At the Fed Family Lab, we’re committed to making sure these experiences shape the conversations that matter in policy rooms, in research, and in public discourse.

➡️ Visit the https://findingformula.study/ to stay connected with the research making this labour visible.

In 2022, a crisis unfolded on store shelves and in homes across North America and most people didn’t notice.

When a major infant formula manufacturer temporarily closed, it triggered a shortage that left caregivers in the United States and Canada scrambling to feed their babies. As one research participant put it, “it was a massive issue that mothers couldn’t find food to keep their babies alive — and the broader society seemed to barely register it.”

What the Finding Formula: Confronting Insecurities study found was when corporate and policy systems failed, it was overwhelmingly mothers who absorbed the impact. More stores. More searches. More invisible labour with no support in sight.

This is why this research matters. Families deserve better than being the safety net for systemic failures.

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Becoming a parent is one of the most layered human experiences there is.

In the Finding Formula: Confronting Insecurities study, caregivers reveal their thoughtful work that is at times fulfilling and rewarding and at others times worrisome and anxiety provoking.

Some participants spoke of discovering strengths and values they never knew they had. Others wrestled with the weight of their changing identity.

➡️ Follow the Fed Family Lab page for ongoing research updates.

“While the new mom adjusts inside, the world outside continues.” — Stephanie

This quote from one of our Finding Formula: Confronting Insecurities participants captures something so many mothers feel but rarely have words for. The postpartum period is a profound internal shift — physically, emotionally, and relationally — happening in real time, whether the world slows down or not.

We’re grateful to Stephanie and every participant who trusted us with their story.

➡️ More stories from caregivers are coming soon on the Finding Formula website https://findingformula.study/

Food work happens around the clock and most people never see it.

To feed their babies, caregivers do so much more than cook, feed, and clean up. They stay up late checking food recalls and ingredient labels. They spend extra time in the grocery store comparing products and prices, or hunt for deals through apps and with coupons. They pump breastmilk on work breaks, plan meals during nap times, and wake through the night to breastfeed and/or formula feed.

Food work is often invisible and it is rarely talked about.

▶️ We offer you a glimpse of this work. Watch the video above to hear women speak honestly about their experiences with food prep, shopping lists, budgeting, and keeping their families fed safely.

This is just the beginning; we'll be sharing more stories in the coming weeks. We'd love to hear yours too. Share this post or tell us in the comments: what does your food work look like?

When the shelves went empty, and institutions failed to offer solutions, caregivers were forced to fill the gaps.

Our project began with stories of women, primarily mothers, who created Facebook groups to help themselves and others find formula during the crisis. These weren't organizations or nonprofits. They were moms searching eight to ten stores a day, driving hours across state lines, shipping cans to strangers and building networks of support.

Behind every research project is the team that makes it possible. For the Finding Formula: Confronting Insecurities project, that team was anything but conventional.

Dr. Lesley Frank brought together 13 Acadia student research assistants from across disciplines — sociology, community development, English, law and society, theater, politics, women and gender studies, and psychology. These students didn't just assist — they were trained in qualitative analysis, digital ethnography, vignette writing, video production, and data coding. They wrote. They filmed. They edited. They helped translate lived caregiver experiences into evidence that policymakers can act on.

"Students are the bridge between academic inquiry and public understanding and that's where research can change the world." — Dr. Lesley Frank

The broader team also included:

🎬 Ariella Pahlke — Documentary Filmmaker

📋 Alyssa Gerhardt — Research Coordinator and PhD Candidate

💻 Dr. David Szanto — Website Designer

Stay in the loop and visit:

https://findingformula.study/