No matter how moms choose to feed their babies, fed is best. Hilary Duff’s Instagram post about her decision to stop feeding her six-month-old is an important reminder of that.
Duff, who welcomed her daughter Banks last October, took to Instagram to share her decision to stop breastfeeding and pumping. “My goal was to get my little girl to six months and then decide if I (and her of course) wanted to keep going,” Duff wrote. “Let me tell you. Pumping at work sucks. I had zero down time and 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!”
Duff is certainly not alone in feeling pressure to maintain it all as a working mom. Trying to balance pumping and working, even when you’re a celebrity can be challenging. She explained, “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 of the time. When really I’m a bad ass rock star.”
Deciding how to feed your baby whether it’s breast or bottle or a mixture of both is ultimately a personal decision for every mom, but it can be easy to feel guilty over you’re choices or like you’re not measuring up to certain expectations, which is why Duff felt it was important to share her journey publicly.
“I wanted to share this because deciding to stop BFing was so emotional and hard. I thought about it ALL day everyday. It was a constant loop in my head. Weighing the pros and cons. And half of the time I wasn’t making any sense. It was about me, and not Banks at that point. I cried many times and felt so depressed while weening. I wasn’t myself at all,” she wrote. “I feel fine and happy and relieved and silly that I even stressed on it so hard. Banks is thriving and I get even more time with her and daddy gets to do more feeds! And mommy gets a tiny bit more sleep! Love you all and hope this helps anyone struggling!”
—Shahrzad Warkentin
Featured photo: Hilary Duff via Instagram
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