HEATH, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bobbie, the mom-founded and led infant feeding company, is proud to join forces with singer and Bobbie MotherBoard Member Meghan Trainor to launch ‘Ask For Help’, a campaign that sheds light on the critical challenges new parents face postpartum and the importance of mental health support during the fourth trimester.
“The Surgeon General's recent report shows that American parents are not well. They are full of anxiety and stress to a point that being a parent now comes with a health warning in the US. Meghan Trainor, a Bobbie mom and MotherBoard member, is sharing her own postpartum struggles – including the need to up her antidepressants after having her second baby – as a reminder that it's ok to accept help – and it's ok to ask for help,” said Laura Modi, CEO and co-founder of Bobbie and mom of four.
With maternal mental health now a public health priority, the Surgeon General stresses the importance of providing comprehensive support to new mothers, including access to lactation counseling, mental health services, and community networks to alleviate the stress surrounding feeding choices and ensure that mothers feel empowered and informed – all of which Bobbie has been pioneering since its inception in 2021 and through its advocacy arm, Bobbie for Change.
Bobbie and Meghan Trainor know firsthand that parents can’t pour from an empty cup – and they aren’t afraid to say it out loud. When critics attacked Trainor as 'selfish' for prioritizing her wellbeing as a new mom, she held firm—advocating for herself and the support she needed. Now she’s encouraging all parents to do the same in a new video and campaign that will live on TV and digital – along with an OOH billboard in Times Square. In the video, Meghan Trainor opens up about her own postpartum mental health journey and partners with Bobbie to raise awareness of the ongoing postpartum crisis. The campaign is encouraging new parents to ‘Ask for Help’ and in return, is offering 50 parents a ‘Bobbie Care Package’ of a $500 grant alongside parenting essentials like a one-month Coterie diaper subscription, annual membership to Care.com, access to Poppyseed Health, and a Thrive Market annual membership.
“It’s like putting on your oxygen mask first before your kid’s. If I’m not at my best, how can I give my best?” said Meghan Trainor, award-winning musician and Bobbie mom of two.
The latest report from the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy highlights the growing mental health crisis among new mothers, particularly in relation to the stress surrounding feeding choices. As many as 1 in 5 new mothers experience symptoms of postpartum depression or anxiety, with feeding-related pressures being a major contributing factor. The report notes that mothers often feel overwhelmed by societal expectations, whether it’s the pressure to exclusively breastfeed or concerns about formula feeding. These challenges are compounded by inadequate support, with almost 50% of mothers reporting that they do not receive enough help or guidance in the early months. Research cited in the report shows that mothers who feel unsupported in their feeding decisions are at higher risk of experiencing mental health struggles, including feelings of guilt and failure.
A new Bobbie-sanctioned survey developed by leading pediatric experts, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, a board-certified psychiatrist, Dr. Ashurina Ream, a licensed clinical psychologist, and Dr. Mona Amin, pediatrician and IBCLC, dug a step deeper, revealing the connection between maternal mental health and feeding. The study showed that 86% of mothers reported feeling frequent or constant negative emotions postpartum and 63% of mothers experienced extreme or moderate stress over feeding choices in their baby’s first year. While this is entirely unacceptable, for most parents, it unfortunately isn’t shocking to hear. When it comes to asking for support, 61% of mothers felt shame, anxiety or discomfort in turning to their support systems about feeding choices.
Beyond powdered milk, Bobbie is using its platform to create lasting impact for American families by funding infant feeding research that drives innovation and advocating for policy changes that impact their community of parents.
To learn more about ‘Ask For Help’ please visit hibobbie.com/ask-for-help.
About Bobbie
Bobbie is the purpose-driven organic infant feeding company that exists to build a parenting culture of confidence, not comparison. Founded in 2018, Bobbie hit the market with its flagship European-inspired formula in 2021 as the first direct-to-consumer, subscription-based infant formula in the U.S. Today, it’s proud to be the only mom-founded and led infant formula brand in the world, and the fastest-growing in the U.S. since the 1980s. Bobbie is focused on providing purposefully sourced, USDA Organic products made with simple ingredients – crafted right here in America, for American families. For more information, visit www.hibobbie.com.