Hard to believe Thanksgiving is next week!
It really is the season of eating– at least for us– so we thought we’d talk about feeding the littlest members of our family– the babies! Our expert this week is Andrea Ippolito, the CEO, and Founder of Simplifed, which provides virtual breastfeeding and baby-feeding support to new parents.
One thing we learned this week: breastfeeding support, by law, should be covered through your health insurance. Who knew?!
We asked about tips and tricks you learned when first feeding your baby, and if you searched for baby-feeding resources with your first child!
ASK AN EXPERT: Empowering families with the resources for baby-feeding
We talked to Andrea Ippolito, the CEO, and Founder of SimpliFed.
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First off, what is SimpliFed?
SimpliFed is for families navigating feeding a new baby. We’re a virtual service to connect with supportive healthcare professionals, answer your questions, and help make a plan. We are experts in breast or chestfeeding, pumping, bottle feeding, formula, and donor milk.
How much does it cost?
SimpliFed works with health plans to provide baby feeding services covered by your health plan at no cost to you.
I had no idea that insurance companies even covered baby feeding services…
With my first daughter, I learned that breastfeeding support is a mandated benefit under the Affordable Care Act. However, health plans were often not in compliance with federal law. [When I founded SimpliFed] I wanted to leverage my background in complex healthcare systems to improve access to care for new parents fully covered by health plans.
I’m sure you’ve heard the expressions: “Best is breast” and “Fed is best.” There can be so much pressure when it comes to feeding your baby. What are the biggest misconceptions about breastfeeding vs formula feeding?
The biggest misconception is that it is breastfeeding VERSUS formula feeding. You should feed your baby in whatever way works best for you and your family. Both are wonderful options. Full stop.
We’re going to talk about both formula and breastfeeding. Let’s start with breastfeeding– I know a lot of families start breastfeeding and then switch over to formula. Do you have some of the numbers?
About 85% of families start out breastfeeding, and at least 60% use both breastmilk and formula, according to the CDC. ACOG, AAP, and the Surgeon General’s office recommend fully breastfeeding for 6 months, but come on, people – that is not realistic right now for most American families. Societal infrastructures have not evolved to support families to reach that goal, so it’s no surprise that 60% of women stop breastfeeding sooner than they initially wanted to.
What’s your biggest advice for new moms debating whether to formula feed/pump/breastfeed?
No matter what, you should do what works for you! Formula, pumping, and breastfeeding are all amazing safe options that will lead to healthy, happy babies and families. Hooray!
[Editor’s notes: In our next edition, Andrea has advice for families still dealing with the baby formula shortage, and some insight into how to decide the best feeding method for your family.]
