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We've heard it time and time again, from an overly invested aunt, a much-loved friend whose been there, done that – heck, I'd be surprised if it didn't hit you on the head as you made your way out the delivery room. It's those three magical words filling the pages of every baby advice book – if you listen closely you can hear the faint sound of a nurse’s quaking voice haunting the halls of Gauteng’s oldest maternity wards… “Breast is best.”
The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to at least 6 months and with its proven benefits for both your baby, and you, we do too. Even the act of breastfeeding itself helps you connect and bond with your baby – another important, even vital aspect, that will influence your relationship and their development.
With that in mind, you can gladly add our voices to the choir singing, “Breast is best.”
Also read: How to breastfeed: a quick list of key articles
Breastfeeding doesn’t come naturally to every mom though. And it can be the most challenging thing when you just can’t get your baby to latch or you feel so full you can burst at any moment. Wanting to give your baby the very best makes it all the more heartbreaking, which often has the complete opposite effect on both you and your little one.
So when Hilary Duff made the brave decision to stop breastfeeding, for one very good reason, we couldn’t help but get behind her along with fellow celeb moms including Jessica Simpson and Laura Benanti.
She posted an image on Instagram breastfeeding her six-month-old, Banks, with a caption starting, “THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES.”
“Just a few thoughts that I wanted to share on breast-feeding,” she wrote. “Last week was my last week nursing Banks.”
Also read: Breastfeeding myths busted
“I am a working mom of two. My goal was to get my little girl to six months and then decide if I (and her of course) wanted to keep going. Let me tell you. Pumping at work sucks.”
She elaborates saying that she hadn’t experienced this with her first child, Luca, because she didn’t return to work immediately. With Banks, she found it a lot more challenging to do both.
“I had zero downtime and [I] am usually pumping in a hair and make up trailer while four hands work to get me ready for the next scene with lots of other people around. Even if I had the luxury to be in my own room, it’s not even considered a “break” because you have to sit upright for the milk to flow into the bottles! Plus you are having your damn nipples tugged at by an aggressive machine that makes an annoying sound, that echoes through your head day and night (I swear that machine and I had many conversations at midnight and 3 am)! Ttttthen having to find someplace to sterilise bottles and keep your milk cold.”
“Your milk supply drastically drops when you stop feeding as often and lose the actual contact and connection with your baby,” she continued. “So I was eating all the feunugreek goats butt blessed thistle fennel cookies/drops/shakes/pills I could get my hands on! It was maddening.”
“With all of this complaining,” she says, “I want to say I enjoyed (almost) every moment of feeding my daughter. Felt so lucky to be so close to her and give her that start. I know many women are not able to and for that I am sympathetic and very grateful that I could. For six wonderful months. But I needed a break. I was going to break.”
“With the stress of a dropping milk supply and a baby that was getting bored or not caring about nursing when I was available to… I was sad and frustrated and feeling like a failure all the time.”
She continues explaining that she thought long and hard about whether or not she should stop breastfeeding, “It was a constant loop in my head. Weighing the pros and cons. And half of the time I wasn’t making any sense.”
So what finally pushed her to stop was realising she had to do what was right for both Banks, and herself. “I cried many times and felt so depressed. I wasn’t myself at all… The lows felt horrible,” she explains, and more importantly, she says, “I was missing good time with my baby.”
After making the decision to stop breastfeeding she updates: “Banks is thriving and I get even more time with her and daddy gets to do more feeds,” she says, before reminding moms of how truly amazing we are.
“Moms get high on feeling like superwoman... because we are! Doing too much, because we can! But somehow stuck on the feeling we can always do a little more!
“Whether you are pre or postpartum. Or just a busy mom, you are a superwoman everyday for all that you do. Always putting yourself last and running a mile a minute... while carrying all of the bags.”
In our opinion, Hilary really did give Banks the best start by breastfeeding her for as long as she could. And when she had to make a choice between continuing to breastfeed or stop, she made the best possible decision for her family.
We’re of the thought that breast is best, but only until and if it doesn’t negatively impact you and hinder your relationship with your baby. And we’re sure Hilary won’t have any trouble bonding with her girl.
She recently shared Banks’s birth video revealing that seconds after she was born, she gave her mom a big hug.
“In my mind I like to believe that she was saying good job mom. Go team go. We did it. Together.”
See the beautiful video below:
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Did you find it challenging to breastfeed your little one? Share your story with us and we may publish it. Do let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.
