Forbes In Dialogue: Bobbie Co-Founders Laura Modi And Sarah Hardy On Evolving The Infant Formula Industry And Building A Parent-First Workplace Culture, Part 1

Being a parent is a challenge unlike any other. Every decision is scrutinized and judged—internally and externally—and it often feels impossible to get it right. This is especially true for how we feed our children. Parents who don’t breastfeed their infants, whether by choice or not, have long been shamed with the advice that “that breast is best.” Nevermind how breastfeeding women are treated—gawked at like pariahs, asked to feed their children out of sight in unsanitary bathrooms, and penalized at work for needing to pump on schedule. Indeed, mom shaming is practically a national pastime. While there are of course important benefits to breastfeeding, there are a multitude of reasons why parents may be unable to breastfeed their babies—including mothers who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), low breast milk supply, HIV, lack of support at work, or who are receiving chemotherapy. Despite this, the stigma and lack of support remains. It’s this very stigma that has stunted the infant formula industry’s evolution. Most brands in the U.S. market haven’t updated their composition or ingredients in decades. And despite being more than a year into a devastating formula shortage, parents in some parts of the country are still dealing with empty shelves and price hikes, with no solution in sight.