Let's face it: breastfeeding is HARD! And it doesn't matter who you are - even celebrities have trouble breastfeeding. Here are a few celebrities who've been candid about feeding their little ones and all the struggles that come with it.
Jaime-Lynn Sigler
The Sopranos star has been battling Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for years, telling WebMD that she is constantly in pain and still has trouble with the right side of her body. When her second son was born in 2018, Sigler tried breastfeeding but had to go off her MS medications to do it. With her symptoms increasing and becoming unmanageable, she made the tough decision to stop nursing in order to go back on her medications. On Instagram, she admits the physical toll of having two kids was just too much for her body.
She admits her baby boy was having trouble adjusting to formula but keeps a positive attitude by saying, "I KNOW we will both be fine, but I'm emotionally having to deal with the guilt and sadness..." A publication by the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) finds that some medications are safe to take while nursing, because no harmful amounts transfer through your milk to your baby. Some medications, however, are NOT safe. It's always best to talk to your doctor about any medications you're on to determine the pros and cons to being on or off of them while breastfeeding.
Hilary Duff
The working mom of two kids took to her Instagram to open up about breast pumps. Any nursing mom knows those pumps come with you everywhere and are necessary to keep up with milk supply when you are away from your baby. Duff is so relatable when she declares, "pumping at work sucks." She fights the misconception of pumping during her breaks on set by explaining the she not only has to sit upright for the milk to get into the bottles, but she often has multiple people around her getting ready to shoot her new scene. This leaves her no down time or rest, which led her to admit that she "needed a break. I was going to break," after about six months of nursing her second child, Banks. She admits of feeling like a failure, but cherished all the bonding time with her baby, and celebrates the fact she made it six months.
Lauren Conrad
The former reality television star says the hardest part of breastfeeding her son, Liam, is her low milk supply. She tells What to Expect, "I felt like I was failing at something that should come really naturally." She admits she tried everything from lactation cookies, pills, and teas, but nothing she tried boosted her milk supply.
Conrad admits that she felt like a failure of a mom because she couldn't make enough milk to feed her baby boy. According to the American Pregnancy Association (APA), there are many factors, both with baby and with mom, that cause low milk supply. Stress, medications, and even postpartum health issues like anemia and depression can cause your supply to dip. The APA also says scheduling feedings, instead of feeding on demand, can affect your supply, as well as an incomplete latch or the use of nipple shields. There are supplements you can try that may help boost supply, but they don't always work. Consult with your doctor and pediatrician for tips, but if nothing's working, doctors agree there is no shame in supplementing with formula. Baby's health, after all, is most important!
Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis gets real with Vanity Fair about her biggest struggle with nursing: the shameful looks she got while breastfeeding in public. The Bad Moms star says she nursed her daughter, Wyatt, "everywhere," including subways, planes, and restaurants, and often didn't bring a cover. She goes on to say her and her celebrity husband, Ashton Kutcher, would often get rude stares and shameful glances. She tells the magazine that she doesn't care what people think, adding "That’s what I chose to do, but I think it’s unfortunate that people are so hard on women who choose to do it and do it in public." To Kunis, she breastfeeds in public because her baby is hungry and needs to eat! She says it's non-sexual, and then throws down this ultimatum: "If it’s not for you, don’t look."
Troian Bellisario
The Pretty Little Liars star admitted she absolutely hates breastfeeding after welcoming her first daughter in 2019. She took to Instagram to explain how she often feels like a "cow," a sentiment relatable to most nursing moms. She goes on to say she is thankful her milk came in early and easily but did struggle with mastitis, a painful infection of the breast tissue.
According to the Mayo Clinic, signs of mastitis include redness, fever, swelling, and lumps in the breast. Taking an antibiotic is the best course of action to clear up mastitis. Mastitis is very painful and can cause some moms to stop breastfeeding altogether, but the Mayo Clinic says continuing to nurse while taking antibiotics is ok for your baby. Bellisario also gets real about her constant worrying about what she is putting in her body, saying on her Instagram, "and that means alcohol, medication, even melatonin! I can’t even join in all of this cool CBD stuff that’s happening." Despite it all, however, Bellisario calls breastfeeding a "no brainer" and will continue to do it as long as she is able.
Sources: WebMD, American Association of Pediatrics, American Pregnancy Association, Vanity Fair, Mayo Clinic