Experiencing challenges and feeling isolated during breastfeeding, these women are endeavoring to bring about alteration.
Experiencing challenges and feeling isolated during breastfeeding, these women are endeavoring to bring about alteration.
"I was just like numerous women, trying to bounce back after this intense medical procedure of giving birth, and I felt like a failure," she shared with CNN. Ippolito was having trouble breastfeeding due to her low milk supply. Even now, around six years later, the memory still brings tears to her eyes.
"My daughter was losing weight," she recalled. "It was extremely stressful." Ippolito resorted to feeding her daughter a mix of breast milk and baby formula until her daughter was three months old. She was completely weaned off breast milk at that point. "It was a struggle the entire time," she admitted.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advocate for infants to solely consume breast milk – no formula – until they are approximately six months old. However, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 56% of US babies consume any breast milk at that age. Additionally, only a quarter of 6-month-olds are exclusively breastfed.
For some women or birthing parents, exclusive breastfeeding or chestfeeding is not feasible due to inadequate supply. Many stop due to a lack of necessary structural and emotional support, weaning sooner than planned.
Ippolito believes that more support in the early days would have improved her experience, both practically and emotionally. Therefore, in 2019, she established SimpliFed, a virtual platform that partners with health plans and doctors to provide patients with insurance-covered breastfeeding support from International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants, among other services. "Our stance as an organization is whatever your goals are, we'll support you," she said.
This is just one of numerous young tech companies connecting new parents to a network of support. It's a growing sector: In 2024, the postpartum services industry, including lactation consulting, amounted to a $13.74 billion market, according to the market research company Mordor Intelligence. By 2029, the postpartum services market is predicted to reach $22.6 billion, Mordor estimates.
"Over the past decade, there's finally been this recognition ... that women’s health has been dramatically underserved," said Ippolito, highlighting that there is still room for improvement. Investors are "looking at what's next and where there's going to be continued market opportunity. And that's where they're looking at postpartum care services like ours."
However, it's an uphill battle.
Why breastfeeding is so challenging
Even in ideal circumstances, breastfeeding is demanding. In the beginning, newborns typically get hungry every one to three hours. This means multiple feedings a day, including overnight. In the months that follow, babies often nurse 8 to 12 times a day – a slower pace, but not by much. There are also potential issues, such as oversupply, undersupply, and a nasty infection called mastitis, which can exacerbate the normal difficulties. Parents who continue breastfeeding when they return to work require regular breaks and a clean, appropriate place to pump and store breast milk during the day.
So it's not surprising that breastfeeding rates decrease, especially when parents cannot access help. However, breastfeeding offers numerous benefits to both children and parents, according to experts.
Breast milk is "like the baby's first vaccine and protection against infection" because mothers transmit antibodies to children through their milk, explained Ann Kellams, a pediatrician who is the founder and director of the University of Virginia's Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine program. It's also a dynamic substance. "The content of the breast milk changes with the environment, with the time of year in which infections are prevalent, and also with each developmental stage of the baby," she said. "It is personalized." Studies suggest that breastfed babies have lower risks of illness and chronic health problems, and that breastfeeding parents have lower risks of maternal diabetes and hypertension. And it's not all or nothing, noted Kellams. "Any breastfeeding, any drop, is important and meaningful."
To help increase breastfeeding rates in the US, the 2010 Affordable Care Act required some employers to give nursing parents a private space and enough time to pump breast milk during the day. It also stated that health insurance plans must cover lactation support services and products, like pumps.
The mandate, however, did not have a significant impact at first. Therefore, entrepreneurs stepped in.
Every day, she was either tending to or expressing milk, or pondering the next session, constantly feeling inadequate, lonely, and unsure. This was her reality, she shared. Community was crucial for VanHaren. She yearned for a connection with other women experiencing similar life stages, confronting the same emotional challenges.
On the Pumpspotting app, users share experiences, pose questions, and voice concerns. They engage with one another, and lactation experts chime in with their insights on specific dilemmas. In 20XX, the app took its support initiative a step further, dispatched its Breast Express Bus, Barbara, on a nationwide tour. The colorfully-decorated vehicle offered a cheerful space for parents to nurse and explore breastfeeding essentials.
A Lactation-Friendly Approval Seal
Pumpspotting boasts various revenue streams. A premium version of the app, costing $9.99 a month, is designed to be covered by employers. Brands seeking advertising space within the app serve as additional revenue sources.
As a consultant, Pumpspotting assists businesses in adhering to regulations such as the PUMP Act, a federal law based on the ACA's provision necessitating lactation rooms at workplaces. This service represents a promising commercial avenue for the company, suggested Matt Douglas, CEO of Sincere Corporation, which manages virtual brands like Timehop and Punchbowl. Citing an investment in Pumpspotting made by Sincere last year, Douglas claimed, "Every single company in this country should have a Pumpspotting seal of approval." He further added, "It's not only the morally correct approach for an employer, but it's also a risk reduction strategy."
Not all shares this perspective. VanHaren, being a sole female founder of a lactation tech company, has faced challenges in securing financial backing. "We still have a long way to go," she conceded.
The Lactation Network is privately-held, free from external investment, Neff mentioned. Yet she remains vigilant, looking into the strategies employed by investors in women's health sectors. "There's a lot of discussion, but there's still not a substantial involvement yet," Neff noted.
Some healthcare specialists have their reservations. Gayle Shipp, an assistant professor at Michigan State University's public health department and a board member of the Michigan Breastfeeding Network, stressed the importance of evaluating the mission of groups offering lactation services. "Who's on the board... and beyond that, is there diversity?" Shipp cited racial and socioeconomic disparities in breastfeeding rates and posed, "How are those companies considering those disparities?" Ultimately, she suggested transparency would be beneficial for all.
Kellams expressed fear of conflicts of interest in for-profit enterprises, advocating for solutions within the public sector. However, she acknowledged that "there's a gap in what traditional care is providing," and that change is necessary.
"Our society puts such pressure on new families to excel in every aspect, yet we rarely discuss the harsh reality of postpartum life," Kellams pondered. "There's so much we can help with, but altering the way we care is crucial."
Ippolito's struggle with breastfeeding led her to realize the importance of postpartum support. Therefore, she established SimpliFed, a platform providing breastfeeding support to new parents.
Despite the numerous benefits of breastfeeding, such as offering protection against infections, many women face challenges and may require assistance to continue.