New Mom and Tennis Champ Naomi Osaka Returns to the Court Postpartum, Joining Forces with Bobbie to Offer Parents Grants

Osaka and Bobbie are supporting new parents with 50 grants as part of Parents Push Harder Campaign

Osaka featured in inspiring new TV spot, the first ever infant formula campaign to run on ESPN

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bobbie, the mom-founded pediatric nutrition company, is joining forces with Naomi Osaka, member of the Bobbie MotherBoard, Four-Time Grand Slam champ, activist, and new mom, to raise awareness around the lack of paid leave for parents in the U.S. Alongside nonprofit partners, Paid Leave for All, Chamber of Mothers and Moms First, the campaign is amplifying Bobbie’s commitment to push for paid leave in 2024. Today, Osaka returns to the court at the Australian Open for the first time since becoming a mom – but it’s not a comeback. In a new campaign with Bobbie, Parents Push Harder, Osaka is opening up about her motherhood journey, how she’s blocking out the noise, her decision to exclusively formula feed with Bobbie, and why she’s more motivated than ever by her 6-month-old daughter, Shai.

Together, Osaka and Bobbie are introducing the N.O. Support Grant to help ensure new parents have the resources they need for their families to thrive. Osaka and Bobbie are committing to make 50 cash grants for 50 families to provide interim support while advocating for federal paid leave. If passed, the Family and Medical Leave Act would give 12 weeks paid leave, job protection, and guarantee a minimum monthly benefit of $580 - that’s why each grant is $580. It’s not a solution, but it’s a start.

In her new role as mom, Osaka is shining a light on the nearly 73% of Americans that don’t have paid leave through work and sharing statistics (below) that demonstrate the need for federal paid family leave.

• 84% of Americans support paid leave (source).
• 1 in 4 women return to the workforce before they’ve fully healed from delivering their babies (source).
• 30% of women will drop out of the workforce within a year after welcoming a child when they don’t have access to paid leave (source).
• Only 14 states offer paid leave (that’s about one-quarter of the US) (source).

“The day I announced my pregnancy publicly, I also announced my return to the court. I recognize the immense privilege of having the emotional and financial support to take on motherhood with no question of the impact to my career. If anything, from the moment I found out I was pregnant, I was more motivated than ever to continue competing for my daughter, not in spite of her,” said Naomi Osaka, new mom to Shai. “This is not the collective experience of most Americans and that’s why federal paid leave is so essential so all Americans can enter parenthood with the support structures and resources they need to thrive – whatever that looks like for them and their family.”

Osaka turned to Bobbie Gentle to exclusively feed her daughter because it was the best decision for her daughter, herself, and her family. In a society where 83% of parents turn to formula in their baby’s first year, yet 64% of parents feel judged for doing so, the power in deciding what is best for you as a mother – whether it’s how to feed or when to return to work – cannot be underestimated.

“When I founded Bobbie, I was a first-time new mom living in the U.S. during the most vulnerable days of my life – that postpartum period is unlike any other – and this inspired much of our core mission to change parenting culture. But let’s be frank, that’s a lofty goal and how do you truly change culture?” said Laura Modi, CEO and Co-Founder of Bobbie. “The answer I have come to is that you do so by creating the conditions where American parents, caregivers, and especially mothers can thrive. Right now, the federal government’s lack of paid leave is setting us up for failure – full stop. That’s why we’re getting loud about this issue, moving the needle in the ways that we can, and continuing to do so until we see real change.”

To apply for the N.O. Support Grant or learn more about how to help advocate for federal paid leave, visit: parentspushharder.com

About Bobbie:

Bobbie is the mission-driven organic pediatric nutrition company that exists to build a parenting culture of confidence, not comparison. Founded in 2018, Bobbie hit the market with its flagship European-inspired formula in 2021 as the first direct-to-consumer, subscription-based infant formula in the U.S. Today, it’s proud to be the only mom-founded and led infant formula brand in the world, and the fastest-growing in the U.S. since the 1980s. Bobbie is focused on providing purposefully sourced, USDA Organic products made with simple ingredients – crafted right here in America, for American families. For more information, visit www.hibobbie.com.