Dr. Whitney uses her experience as a pediatrician to explain how the formula shortage points to a lack of support for women in the workplace, why women might not choose to breastfeed, and changes we need to see made in order to support women in the workplace.
Key takeaways:
Statistics on breastfeeding and formula usage:
- Per the CDC, 84% of American babies are breastfeed at birth, with that number going down to 50% at 3 months, and 25% at 6 months
- Globally, the average is 40% of babies under 6 months are exclusively breastfed vs. 35% in the U.S.
- At 3 months, 73% of white children receive breast milk while 58% of black children do. At 6 months, it’s 62% of white children and less than 45% of black children. Black people and other minorities are more likely to work in low wage jobs which will be way less likely to have the luxury of paid leave, which makes them even more vulnerable to formula shortages.
- The formula shortage is affecting about ⅔ of the babies that are relying on formula for at least part of their nutritional needs in their first year of life
There are a number of reasons why American women would choose not to breastfeed:
- Not having paid leave. It’s extremely hard to breastfeed when you have to pump at work. It’s time consuming, it’s cumbersome, and requires a flexible schedule and privacy. And for low wage workers, those luxuries are elusive. Even as a higher paid worker, I still had to deal with stigma from colleagues about taking breaks to pump in order to consistently breastfeed. I actually had to remind my superiors about the federal laws that were in place to protect me surrounding breastfeeding at my workplace. And lower waged workers are usually not even able to have that conversation.
- If there was a lot of trauma/pain/difficulty surrounding breastfeeding, it weighs on their mental health to continue. And we don’t need to provide any guilt around that.
- Our country’s lack of support for women early on. Most women don’t have the ability to heal properly without being stressed about going back to work right away or to take the time to put in the work that it takes to get breastfeeding down successfully.
- The formula shortage brings to light all the inequities that exist way higher up in the “supply chain.” It highlights all the inequities that exist for moms in structural and social support for breastfeeding, paid leave, and even being able to leave the workplace to have a baby and not have a wage pay gap when you return (which only plays more into being able to afford formula in the first place).
- We know exactly what we need to do in order to support moms in the workplace. We need to honor and respect them and see their needs as real instead of seeing them as an inconvenience in the corporate setting. And businesses need to start seeing that when those things aren’t in place, that affects whether or not women want to stay in those positions, but also their ability to excel in their careers and to be in a place of influence and power and to have a seat at the table. When that happens, then business owners can start making decisions from a place of better representation.
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About the Episode: In this episode, Dr. Whitney sits down with Dr. Jay Gargus and Dave Justus from NeuroQure to discuss the power of early clarity when it comes to autism detection and why earlier intervention can fundamentally change outcomes for childre n and families. Dr. Gargus explains the science behind early behavioral therapies and why their impact goes far beyond short-term skill-building. Research shows that early, evidence-based interventions can lead to measurable, lifelong improvements in IQ, so cial skills, independence, and educational placement, often determining whether a child can thrive in mainstream education or requires ongoing specialized support. The conversation also tackles a critical and often overlooked issue: access. Dave Justus shares the personal motivation behind NeuroQure’s work and explains why the test is being launched at cost, with installment plans and employer subsidies, while the team works toward insurance coverage. The goal is to prevent families from losing precious years waiting for answers. Together, they emphasize a hopeful message for parents: families don’t need to wait for a future “silver bullet.” We already have therapies that work and getting kids connected to them earlier can change the course of a lifetime. In this episode, we discuss: Why early autism detection leads to lifelong changes—not just short-term gains What a 17-point IQ difference actually means for education, independence, and quality of life How early intervention can shift developmental trajectories as early as 6 months The science and validation behind current autism therapies Why NeuroQure is pricing testing at cost while pursuing insurance coverage How early clarity can reduce long-term strain on families, schools, and healthcare systems This episode is a powerful reminder that timing matters and that early access to answers can make an extraordinary difference for children and the families who love them. About Our Guest: Dr. Jay Gargus, MD, PhD is a physician-scientist and nationally recognized expert in neurodevelopmental disorders, with decades of experience researching the biological underpinnings of autism. His work has focused on translating well-established science into meaningful, real-world interventions that can improve lifelong outcomes for children. Dr. Gargus emphasizes that early, evidence-based therapies are already available—and that connecting families to them sooner can fundamentally change developmental trajectories. Dave Justus is a parent and the founder of NeuroQure, whose work is driven by personal experience navigating delayed autism diagnosis and intervention. Motivated by the belief that early clarity can spare families years of uncertainty, Dave is focused on expanding access to early testing through cost-based pricing and ongoing efforts to secure insurance coverage. His mission is simple but powerful: ensure families don’t have to wait for answers that could change everything. Want to Start Raising Body-Confident Kids Today? 📘 Order the Book Order your copy of My One-of-a-Kind Body 👉 www.raisingbodyconfidentkids.com/books 🎁 Claim Your Free Bonus When you order on our site, you’ll also get access to a FREE video mini-course with five bite-sized lessons for parents. In just 25 minutes, you’ll walk away with: Simple, script-style ways to respond when your kid says, “I hate my thighs” How to talk about health without weight talk What to do when your own inner critic shows up How to interrupt diet culture at home The first step to raising a body-confident kid, even if you didn’t grow up as one 📩 Subscribe to The Modern Mommy Doc Podcast for more episodes on parenting with confidence and clarity. Leave a review using the hashtag #ModernMommyDoc.
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