Bette Midler's Advice on the Formula Shortage Goes Over Poorly

Amid the nationwide formula shortage, Bette Midler had some advice for struggling parents: "TRY BREASTFEEEDING! It’s free and available on demand," she tweeted Thursday. Perhaps not surprisingly, that suggestion did not go over well, the Hill reports. A plethora of responses ranging from respectful disagreement to outrage could be found in the replies to that tweet, including one from former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who wrote, "What a profoundly offensive & ignorant statement. There are countless reasons why breastfeeding is not an option for many mothers—too many to get into here. And if you’ve been using formula you can’t just flip a switch. Not to mention millions of babies with milk/food allergies…"

Commenters pointed out that, as one put it, "breastfeeding is only free if your time is worthless," and that there are many reasons (both medical and otherwise) a person might be unable to breastfeed. Even if breastfeeding is possible for them, others noted, their job situation or a number of other factors might make it unsustainable. Midler, who had posted her original tweet above someone else's tweet about the so-called "secret oligopoly" that is the formula industry, eventually followed up: "People are piling on because of former tweet. No shame if you can’t breastfeed, but if you can & are somehow convinced that your own milk isn’t as good as a 'scientifically researched product', that’s something else again. The monopoly news is news to me, tho, no lie. #WETNURSES."