Celebrities, such as Ashley Graham, help normalize breastfeeding by sharing their own journeys in caring for their young children.
From opening up about their struggles to knowing when it’s time to move on, battling mastitis to feeling shame, a whole host of first-list parents are using their platforms to document their own experiences and help start the breastfeeding conversation.
Earlier this week, Ashley Graham, 34, who gave birth to twins Malachi and Roman in January, shared a photo of herself breastfeeding and having a baby while detailing her nursing trip.
In the photo, a mother of three is reclining on a bed and has lifted her jacket so that her children can nurse.
“Double fist (the fuzzy tan streak peep),” she joked in the caption.
In the comments section, fans praised Graham for highlighting the reality of breastfeeding twins.
One commented, “So glad you’re breastfeeding in tandem! I absolutely love seeing other women do this, and as a mother of twins I can appreciate how hard and difficult it is.”
“Yeah, mama! Go, mama! Really refreshed to see things like this in a celebrity post. This is what real motherhood looks like to people!” Another added.
Watch: Ashley Graham reveals the names of her twin son
The model also posted a similar snapshot of her Instagram story, revealing her normal tandem feed – although it took her “a few weeks” and “a lot of tears” to perfect it.
Graham isn’t the only celebrity mom who’s getting real about breastfeeding. From highlighting their struggles to celebrating the triumphs of nutrition, a whole host of celebrity moms have added their voices to helping normalize nursing.
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Halsey
After welcoming their first child, Inder, with boyfriend Elif Aydin, in July last year, singer Halsey shared two black and white photos of them breastfeeding their baby boy.
And the accompanying caption read, “Gratitude. For the most ‘rare’ and joyous birth. Powered by love.”
Later, the 26-year-old, who uses her pronouns, celebrated World Breastfeeding Week by sharing photos of her breastfeeding a newborn in a park.
After the post, many of the star’s fans gave thanks for “using your platform to normalize breastfeeding.”
“[There’s] It’s not acting enough at all and it’s really a very hard and beautiful ride,” another comment said.
The bad in love The singer also highlighted the reconciliation of many breastfeeding moms on their return to work, sharing a mirrored selfie that shows them breastfeeding their hair and makeup.
They captioned the photo, “Welcome to the jungle.”
Talking to additionalThe 27-year-old said, “It’s definitely hard to strike a balance. I think this is a common thing that working moms have in common no matter what your job is. I want to work hard, so he’s proud of me, but I also want to spend every second cuddling him.”
Time to challenge the hold they have on the transfer
Emily Ratajkowski has proudly shared several photos of herself feeding her baby boy, Sylvester, since his birth in March 2021.
“If it seems like I always breastfeed, it’s because I am,” she wrote in a blog post.
An additional scroll through the model’s Instagram will show you a range of breastfeeding photos, highlighting the intimate moments between mother and baby and challenging the idea that nursing should be hidden.
In another attempt to address the breastfeeding taboo, she shared a photo of her and a friend breastfeeding side by side, proving that breastfeeding can also be a social experience.
Read more: Woman shares tip to test baby’s name before settling on it
Millie Mackintosh
In addition to deciding whether breastfeeding is right for you and your baby, many moms wrestle with the decision about when to stop breastfeeding.
Earlier this year, Millie Mackintosh opened up about choosing to stop breastfeeding her second daughter in an honest post shared on Instagram.
Previous Made in Chelsea The 31-year-old star welcomed her second child, a girl named Aurelia Violet Taylor, with husband Hugo Taylor in November 2021.
Since giving birth to their newborn, Mackintosh, who is also a mother to her daughter Sienna born in 2020, has been giving fans an honest look at the ups and downs of the motherhood journey.
Recently, she described the reason for her decision to stop breastfeeding Aurelia.
“I really felt the pressure to keep going even though I literally cried in pain every time I needed to breastfeed,” the mother of two wrote.
After initially mentioning her struggles on social media, McIntosh said she was overwhelmed by the support of her followers.
“One comment that really stuck with me was, ‘It’s OK to stop too, it doesn’t make you a bad mother,'” she wrote. “At the time I really needed to hear that.”
The star decided for a while to get fed, before another round of mastitis helped her make the decision to stop.
“Eventually, when I had mastitis again, I decided that breastfeeding was no longer good for me, and I knew it was time to stop,” she explains. “I was in a lot of pain, I really wanted my body back, my time back and Aurelia was really unstable, which I found frustrating and upsetting.”
Kate Lawler
TV and radio host Kate Lawler also recently opened up about the realities of breastfeeding, revealing the controversy she’s been waging around the switch to bottle feeding her daughter.
The 40-year-old new mother described feeling ‘guilt’ after discussing whether she would stop breastfeeding her daughter Noah, revealing it was like ‘exercise’ making her feel ‘exhausted’.
Read more: Woman shares tip to test baby’s name before settling on it
Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff has previously been praised for being open about the difficulties she faced while breastfeeding as a working mother and for making the decision to quit smoking.
By sharing a photo of her breastfeeding her six-month-old daughter Banks, the actress explained what contributed to the decision to stop breastfeeding in a detailed accompanying explanation.
Duff explained that she was struggling to pump breast milk on the set of her TV show, youngerShe revealed that the stress caused by her low milk supply made her feel like she was “on the verge of collapse.”
Lee Ann Pinnock
Ashley Graham isn’t the only celebrity highlighting breastfeeding facts, Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock has also shared her own journey.
The singer, who welcomed twins (she did not reveal their name or gender) with fiancé Andrew Gray last August, recently opened up about trying to feed two babies at once — known as tandem feeding.
“It was intense, and I don’t feel like people are talking about how hard it is,” she revealed to MailOnline.
“With sleep deprivation at the fore, I had hallucinations at one point because I was so tired,” she continued. “It’s definitely not easy.”
This comes after a sweet photo Lee Ann shared in December of breastfeeding her twins backstage at the premiere of her first movie, boxing day.
After the photo was shared, it was flooded with comments praising the normalization of breastfeeding in public.
“the one [picture] Breastfeeding your baby is so powerful,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “A great picture of you feeding! Well done Mama.”
perrie edwards
Pinnock’s bandmate Perrie Edwards also welcomed a baby last year, a son she shares with soccer player boyfriend Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 28, and recently opened up about new moms’ breastfeeding journeys.
“Every night I was breastfeeding Axel so my broken eyes were falling out of my head, and I was thinking about Lee Ann and the fact that she had to do this with two,” she said.
“Oh my God, she needs a medal! One kid is strong enough, don’t care about both. I don’t understand how you did that.”
Read more: A premature baby’s hands at 23 weeks were only the size of her father’s fingernails
Laura Whitmore
Laura Whitmore was recently praised for sharing a photo of her breastfeeding in public along with a call for more support for new moms learning how to breastfeed.
The image shows a file love island Presenter feeds her daughter, whom she shares with husband Ian Stirling, while basking in the sun at an outdoor café on a break between photo sessions on the ITV dating show.
“I am a little anxious talking about my baby in this space because I feel protected but wanted to talk about breastfeeding,” she wrote in the accompanying caption.
“It doesn’t knock anyone who doesn’t but it is Breastfeeding Awareness Week and I know that many new moms are not getting the support they need like being encouraged to breastfeed in the golden hour after giving birth and that it is okay to feed in public without feeling like you have to. hide.
“Feeding your baby is your number one priority. I’ve exclusively breastfed for over 4 months now – it’s free and no washing! I’ve had support too, putting my baby on standby or being able to pump for individual feedings.”
“Anyway, I hope a picture of me holding my breasts doesn’t bother you and encourages women to breastfeed if they need to! I’m so shocked that so many women don’t have enough support or are embarrassed to feed in public.”
Kate Hudson
To prove that celebrities face the same problems as any new mom, Kate Hudson shared a photo of her breastfeeding her daughter Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa while she was at work.
Hudson, who welcomed her third child (her first child with boyfriend Danny Fujikawa) in October 2018, shared the photo of the moment on Instagram along with the caption: “When you work but the kids should eat.”
Paloma Faith
Singer Paloma Faith recently opened up about a rarely talked about breastfeeding issue – thrush.
The 40-year-old singer welcomed her second child with partner Lyman Lahcene in February last year and documented her postpartum journey on social media.
In addition to discussing physical facts like suffering from sore nipples, Faith also revealed another health battle that affected her and her baby.
In the accompanying caption, Faith described the hurdles the family has faced since the baby was born.
She began her act: “It’s been a month! It is clear that nothing is clear ahead.”
“We both have thrush (my nipples, her mouth), and we’ve used Daktarin gel for her and Daktacort for me, plus a fluconodazole 50mg tablet (daily for a week now) and probiotics – and it looks like it’s getting worse! Miracle please?!”
“I’m not very impatient, so all of this ‘try it this way’ with my newborn is really challenging for me. I love instant solutions!”
