Hilary Duff may be known to many as a Disney Channel legend and the star of the hit TV show Younger, but when she’s not working in the fast-paced entertainment industry, she’s home being a mom to her two children, Luca and Banks.
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Luca is 7-years-old, while Banks is 6-months-old. Throughout her time so far as a mother, Duff has kept it incredibly raw and real with her followers online about the trials and triumphs of parenting. She’s never afraid to be transparent about how hard it is to be a working mother, or just how much her body has changed so far since giving birth.
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Recently, Duff opened up on Instagram about her decision to stop breastfeeding her youngest, Banks. In a lengthy post alongside a photo of her actually breastfeeding, Duff wrote:
THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES Just a few thoughts that I wanted to share on Breast-feeding.
Last week was my last week nursing Banks (my six month old).
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She explained that as a working mother, she made the decision to stop breastfeeding after she realized it was a lot for her to manage while on set.
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. 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.
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And, she added that it’s a lotof “tugging” and a lot of late nights.
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)!
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On top of it, sterilizing everything and dealing with old milk, etc. is a lot of work, too.
Ttttthen having to find someplace to sterilize bottles and keep your milk cold (ok I’m done with that rant lol)! Anyway, I didn’t know this because with Luca I didn’t work until he was about nine months old, so I didn’t pump very often. Your milk supply drastically drops when you stop feeding as often and lose the actual contact and connection with your baby.
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Duff added she tried just about everything to make her milk keep flowing.
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. (Does fenugreek make anyone else smell like maple syrup and rubber gloves?…not chill) With all of this complaining, 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.
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However, she made the decision and she’s proud of it.
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. Moms get high on feeling like superwoman…because we are! Doing too much, because we can! KEEP READING in the comments below.
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In another comment, Duff explained the reason she stopped breastfeeding was not just her work schedule, but her low levels of oxytocin from breastfeeding.
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. Something scary was hovering over my brain and my heart…the part of me that I know is smart and rational. The lows felt horrible. I was missing good time with my baby. But I was really missing that natural oxytocin high. Those chemicals are powerful hormones and no joke. I am happy to say that I haven’t fed or pumped in three days and it’s crazy how fast you can come out on the other side. 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! Whether you are pre or postpartum. Or just a busy mom, You are a ? everyday for all that you do. Always putting yourself last and running a mile a minute…while carrying all of the bags lol
Love you all and hope this helps anyone struggling!
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Moms on social media were grateful and praising Duff for being so transparent and honest about the struggles that come with breastfeeding. Not all mothers decide to—or can—breastfeed for a long period of time. Being honest with yourself and your body is important for any mother.
h/t: Someecards