How Laura Modi Is Rewriting Baby Formula

The Dr. Hyman Show

Dr. Mark Hyman

Health & Fitness, Nutrition, Medicine

4.6 • 8.7K Ratings

🗓️ 10 December 2025

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Every parent wants to feed their baby well—but finding clarity in today’s system isn’t always easy. In this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I sit down with Laura Modi, CEO and co-founder of Bobbie, to talk about the real challenges families face when it comes to feeding and why it so often feels overwhelming. Laura shares her personal journey, the moments that changed everything, and what she’s learned from supporting thousands of parents through this stage. Enjoy the full conversation on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why shame shows up so quickly around feeding—and how to replace it with clarity and confidence • How to navigate breastfeeding challenges without feeling like you’re “failing” • What most parents don’t realize about formula standards, labels, and ingredient quality • How combo feeding can ease pressure, support mental health, and support your baby’s development • Why America’s fragile formula system matters for every family and how to stay informed Feeding your baby should feel empowering, not confusing. I hope this conversation helps you feel more confident as you navigate this stage. View Show Notes From This Episode Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman https://drhyman.com/pages/picks?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal https://drhyman.com/pages/longevity?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast Join the 10-Day Detox to Reset Your Health https://drhyman.com/pages/10-day-detox Join the Hyman Hive for Expert Support and Real Results https://drhyman.com/pages/hyman-hive This episode is brought to you by Seed, Fatty15, Function Health, Sunlighten, PerfectAmino and AirDoctor. Visit seed.com/hyman and use code 20HYMAN for 20% off your first month of Seed's DS-01® Daily Synbiotic. Head to fatty15.com/hyman and use code HYMAN for 15% off your 90-day subscription Starter Kit. Join today at functionhealth.com/mark and use code MARK2026 to get $50 OFF toward your membership. Head over to sunlighten.com and save up to $1400 or more this holiday season with code HYMAN. Go to bodyhealth.com and use code HYMAN20 for 20% off your first order. Get cleaner air. Right now, you can get up to $300 off at airdoctorpro.com/drhyman. (0:00) Laura Modi's experience with mastitis and challenges in breastfeeding and formula feeding (1:06) FDA nutritional standards and the critique for infant formula (2:06) New mothers' dilemma: Breastfeeding vs. Formula (3:19) Hospital practices and breastfeeding discouragement (4:14) Laura Modi's transition from tech to founding Bobby (7:08) Emotional toll of formula usage on mothers (9:27) Ingredient quality in infant formula (16:01) The 2022 infant formula shortage: Causes and effects (18:39) The science of breast milk for infant health (23:46) Probiotics, microbiome, and infant health (26:35) Mimicking breast milk in formula development (27:05) US vs. European infant formula standards (28:06) Combating the stigma around formula feeding (33:55) Policy efforts to enhance infant formula standards (37:21) Ensuring safety and domestic production of infant formula (41:03) Transparency and labeling in the infant formula industry (44:06) Identifying high-quality infant formula (45:43) Government programs' role in infant formula access (48:11) SNAP challenges and infant formula (49:34) Guidance for mothers on infant feeding choices (52:46) Disrupting the infant formula market and looking ahead (55:47) Nutritional supplementation for infants: Vitamin D and probiotics (58:10) Episode wrap-up and acknowledgements

Transcript

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0:00.0	I went into motherhood grounded in all of these beliefs and expectations that my body would be able to exclusively breastfeed my babies.
0:08.2	Five days in to having my first kid, I got my stitis.
0:12.7	And it got to the place where I wasn't able to get enough milk out to feed my child.
0:17.7	And the alternative for me to feed my child was going to a pharmacy to buy my baby's food.
0:23.1	And I was riddled with guilt. Formula is food. Why are we also going to a pharmacy, which is typically a place that you would go purchase drugs for a medical need?
0:33.7	Your ability to not be able to breastfeed shouldn't be seen as a medical problem.
0:37.6	There's been so much shame and stigma tied to how you feed your child that we have to develop a new relationship with it.
0:44.7	Laura Modi is the co-founder and the CEO of Bobby, the first women-led organic infant formula company driving policy and cultural change in early nutrition.
0:52.3	Now before founding Bobby, she spent six years at
0:54.8	Airbnb where she led global host experience and trust initiatives. In 2025, she was named
1:00.4	one of Times Magazine's Women of the Year for her leadership in reshaping how America feeds
1:05.6	its babies. I started looking at the nutritional standards that the FDA had set and was questioning
1:10.6	why hadn't they really evolved over the last 30 years, essentially the nutritional standards that the FDA had set and was questioning why hadn't
1:11.2	they really evolved over the last 30 years. Essentially the same formula that I probably was consuming
1:16.0	as a child was the same formula that existed on shelf for our kids. But every other food source has
1:21.1	seen some change with the latest science. 50% of babies born in the country rely on WIC. The way it's
1:26.9	set up for infant formula is that the two
1:28.9	major companies will bid for the winning per state, and they will be the formula of choice in that
1:34.4	state for any WIC participants. So what that does is limits choice. I mean, frankly, I think it's a sign
1:40.6	that inequality starts day one. How do you give advice to mothers who are trying to figure
1:46.2	out how to navigate the space? How do they make the right choice for themselves and for their baby?
1:50.5	Your best is best. Is one of the most important things to consume.
	...

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