How Bobbie Shows Up for The Breasties — Beyond the Bottle

In 2020, Bobbie learned of a glaring policy gap: Parents impacted by breast or gynecologic cancers who cannot breastfeed are still eligible for a breast pump under the Affordable Care Act. While this coverage for breastfeeding moms was a huge win, it does leave a gap for those who are medically unable to breastfeed and can’t make use of a pump.

Bobbie initially learned about this issue from a mom who had undergone a double mastectomy and spent hours attempting to get reimbursed by her insurance company, only to continually get denied. So, Bobbie decided to offer her and 5 other moms a full year of free infant formula. A few months later, he Breasties—the first all-inclusive nonprofit organization that creates community for survivors, previvors, stage 4 thrivers, and caregivers impacted by breast and gynecologic cancers—reached out and suggested we officially partner. Now, this partnership that began in the Instagram DMs has supported 615 families over 6 cohorts. But more than that, it was the beginning of the Bobbie Breasties—a thriving community in its own right—leading advocacy, building educational tools, and sharing resources about the experience of new parenthood and being impacted by breast and/or gynecologic cancers.

Why This Matters

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will get invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. And for young parents impacted, feeding their baby can be especially challenging. 

The CDC and other research show that treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation often make breastfeeding impossible. This leaves parents juggling alternative feeding options while also managing their health. The physical strain of treatment, combined with the emotional toll of not being able to nurse, can be overwhelming. 

And this issue isn’t limited to people facing cancer. There are other chronic conditions, mental health issues, and physical conditions of either mother or baby that make it medically impossible to breastfeed. It’s important that everyone gets the equivalent support to feed their babies. 

The Unfair Burden on Parents Who Can’t Breastfeed

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) guarantees insurance-covered breast pumps for all new parents, including those who’ve undergone cancer-related surgeries. But for parents or infants who can’t breastfeed due to a medical necessity, they need access to nutrition, infant formula, or donor milk. Yet, the ACA doesn’t cover these essential feeding options, leaving families to shoulder the cost alone. In light of the cost of treatment and survivorship, this creates a system that is not providing equitable feeding support to all families.

The Breasties x Bobbie Partnership

The partnership between The Breasties and Bobbie is all about making real change for parents. The Breasties bring the power of community, while Bobbie has stepped in with real, tangible feeding support. And together, they have been working on a legislative solution to this policy gap. In May 2026, they took one step closer to solving it. After years of relentless advocacy, a group of Bobbie Breasties, along with The Breasties and Bobbie leadership teams, helped a bill they inspired and co-created get introduced by bipartisan co-leads in the House, Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman-Shultz and Ashley Hinson. The bill is officially named The Constance C. McDaniel Medically Necessary Infant Formula + Donor Milk Act, aka Connie’s Bill, named after Connie, who was in the very first Bobbie Breasties cohort. Heartbreakingly, she passed away last year. The bill honors her legacy, and the Bobbie and Breasties communities sent more than 12,000 letters to their lawmakers to create awareness that led to the bill’s introduction.

Here’s how the partnership is making change:

• Petition for insurance equity: Before helping introduce a federal bill, Bobbie launched a petition advocating for insurance coverage of formula and donor milk for parents unable to breastfeed due to cancer treatments. 
• Awareness campaigns: Through collaborative campaigns, like the campaign around Connie’s Bill, Bobbie and The Breasties have highlighted the feeding struggles of cancer-impacted parents, bringing attention to the emotional and financial burdens these families endure.
• Direct formula support: Over the past six years, the Bobbie Breasties Program has given a full year of Bobbie formula to hundreds of new parents facing cancer. This initiative helps lighten the financial burden for struggling families and ensures that little ones get the nourishment they need to thrive. It also creates a community for parents going through similar challenges, navigating things like surgery, cancer treatment, surrogacy, and menopause.

By combining advocacy, awareness, and action, Bobbie’s partnership with The Breasties aims to make a meaningful difference in the lives of families navigating cancer and infant feeding challenges broadly.

Get involved

Want to get involved? Now that a bill has been introduced, it’s time to hunker down and get it passed! Whether you’re directly impacted by this issue or a person wanting to support this movement, there are multiple ways to get involved:

• Write your lawmakers and call on them to co-sponsor the Constance C. McDaniel Medically Necessary Infant Formula and Donor Milk Act, H.R. 9007, aka Connie’s Bill. 
• Download the advocacy toolkit: Equip yourself with the resources you need to push for legislative change. Bobbie’s toolkit offers tips on how to spread awareness and take action—increasing the momentum needed for real, lasting change by meeting with your legislators.
• Donate to The Breasties: Support The Breasties’ mission to empower cancer-impacted families through a donation. Your contribution helps fund their vital work—offering emotional and educational support to breast + gyn cancer-impacted families, organizing annual camps, and fighting for equitable access to resources like formula and donor milk.
• Apply to be a Bobbie Breastie: If you or someone you know is navigating cancer and facing feeding challenges, you can also apply to be a Bobbie Breastie. Applications open late September each year. It will also be announced on our @Bobbie Instagram. Through this program, eligible families receive a full year of Bobbie formula to reduce financial stress and ensure their babies receive essential nutrition.