By Rebekah Scroggy, RN, BSN, IBCLC
Short answer...yes!
To help break it down, we had the incredible opportunity to interview Candace St. John from the popular Instagram account Public Health for Parents. Candace is an amazing advocate and educator - she's a Certified Lactation Counselor, a pediatric sleep specialist, a former epidemiologist for almost 6 years...the list goes on!
So, let's get into it!
First things first: How you feed your baby is deeply personal, and the most important thing is feeling supported and informed. Deciding to breastfeed or not breastfeed is a personal choice.
However, as Candace points out, breastfeeding also impacts public health in ways we don't even think about, since it directly affects the health of both infants and mothers.
1️⃣ Breastfeeding provides protection
Breastmilk is the best way to provide an infant with essential nutrients and immune protection for the first six months of life. These immunological benefits help protect against:
✅ Viruses
✅ Infections
✅ Serious conditions like SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
2️⃣ It could reduce the need for extra medical visits
Breastfeeding can lead to fewer medical visits, hospital admissions, and procedures because it helps prevent illnesses.
Candace explains, “A reduced likelihood of illnesses due to contamination, milk pooling in the mouth, & immune protection leads to a reduced burden on the medical system for sick visits, admissions, & procedures.”
This ties into emergency preparedness, too! If you caught our last discussion on Safe Infant Feeding in Emergencies, you’ll remember that Love Anderson highlighted how clean water and electricity aren’t always available, making safe formula preparation more challenging.
3️⃣ It has an impact on the environment
Candace shared this eye-opening statistic: “One parent choosing to breastfeed instead of formula feeding is the equivalent of taking 75,000 cars off the road per year in the UK.” – Based on NHS estimates from EPA data
With landfills overflowing and improper recycling practices, breastfeeding reduces waste from formula packaging.
BUT, the barriers can feel overwhelming for some...
With all the above being said, if you’ve ever breastfed or pumped (especially in the U.S.), you’ve likely encountered a serious lack of support. That's among one of the most commonly reported reasons to stop breastfeeding. Others include:
🚼 Concerns about low milk supply (especially in the first two weeks)
🚼 Latch issues (most common in the first three weeks)
🚼 Breast pain & soreness (peaks around week three)
🚼 Returning to work/school with unsupportive policies (a huge factor around 10-12 weeks)
🚼 Unclear information about medications and breastfeeding
🚼 Cultural norms & lack of family support
🚼 Unsupportive hospital policies & practices
🚼 Unequal pay & workplace discrimination
🚼 Healthcare inequities, especially in lower-income communities
We know and understand that there are many challenges to overcome in a breastfeeding journey. Some experience it more than others.
Not having enough support, whether it's from family, work, or in the healthcare space, is an issue that many still face. These are systemic issues that call for a change - a large part of the reason why there are so many people out there fighting for more protections under the PUMP Act and for new bills in government to help support breastfeeding and pumping moms. Things are changing!
Formula marketing
Aside from the common struggles that cause moms to feel like they need to end their breastfeeding journey sooner than expected, there's also other, less-known-about reasons, like formula marketing practices.
Here’s the deal: Formula is an incredible, life-saving option for many families. However, in the U.S., formula companies have historically lobbied against paid family leave, which directly affects breastfeeding rates and disproportionally affects low-income communities who already face fewer employment protections, limited healthcare access, and lack of lactation support.
Candace shared how the WHO Code of Breastmilk Substitutes was adopted in other countries to protect against misleading marketing: “Historically, predatory formula marketing targeted low-income communities of color, starting in the Global South, falsely claiming formula was superior to breastmilk. Now, formula companies market towards specific parenting challenges—returning to work, better sleep, less fussiness, etc.”
This is a complex and deeply intertwined issue—one that connects to paid parental leave, lactation education, formula marketing, and healthcare policies.
Candace reminds us that public health touches so many aspects of our lives, "from the moment we wake up in the morning, all the way through the night as we sleep. Breastfeeding is a beautiful way to make a substantial impact not only on our family’s health but on our country and the world.”
Please remember - however you choose to feed your baby, you are an amazing parent.
As we’ve learned, breastfeeding isn’t always as simple as just...deciding to do it. There are SO many external factors that influence this journey.
If you weren’t able to breastfeed or decided not to, you did not fail. You made the best choice for your baby and your family.
I hope you found this interview as enlightening as I did! If you learned something new, share it—because as I always tell my clients:
“The more we know, the better we do.”