Celebrities who are empowering moms to normalize breastfeeding
Many mothers still feel shy and guilty about breastfeeding, for fear that they may be criticized about how they nurse their baby, much so, where they decide to do so.
Every mother has her own struggle. And for celebrities, those struggles are often lived out in public. That’s why this Breastfeeding Month, Filipino celebrities like Anne Curtis, Coleen Garcia, and Isabelle Daza are opening up about their breastfeeding journeys, sharing the good and the bad, in a bid to normalize the conversation for women.
Check them out below.
Anne Curtis
First-time mom Anne Curtis shared her not-so-easy but "unforgettable" journey with breastfeeding recently. On her Instagram, the host-actress shared that she was unaware of the hormonal changes breastfeeding can do to a woman, but is now "treasuring every moment of my bf journey while it lasts."
"When I started dropping feeds (when food became her main source of nutrients) my hormones started changing and I was just very quiet and felt somewhat melancholic.. I didn’t really notice till Erwan [Heussaff] called me out," she wrote.
Curtis continued to share information to raise awareness for other moms and future moms so they can "prepare" themselves "when that time comes." She learned that prolactin—a hormone that causes the breasts to grow and produce milk—and oxytocin—a hormone and neurotransmitter—levels drop when you start to lessen feeds.
"Since I am weaning slowly, and breastfeeding only 2-3 times a day na lang, it’s become somewhat a gentle wean that’s helped me not have such an abrupt shift in hormones.. but there’s definitely something that changes," Dahlia's mom wrote.
"To all the mummas whom have had their own personal struggles with breastfeeding. You do you. You and your doctors will know what works for your little one and will keep them happy, busog and content," Curtis ended.
Coleen Garcia
Like most moms, breastfeeding wasn't an "easy ride" for Coleen Garcia.
During the earlier weeks of motherhood, her son Amari would have a hard time latching to her breasts, which frustrated her and gave her discomfort.
"I used to hate it, but I kept pushing on cause I was determined to see it through," she wrote on Instagram.
But Garcia has considered this bond with his son "an honor and a blessing"
"I get the best view in the world when he looks me in the eyes, especially when he decides to smile or laugh, or blow milk all over our faces. It makes me laugh, too, when he tries to eat his foot at the same time, or when half of his body stands and starts bouncing while feeding in bed, and even when he stops mid-feed to stare at my nipple and pinch it. I wouldn’t trade this for anything, even though he has five painful teeth."
She ends her note by sending her love to all moms and cheering them on for "doing an incredible job" regardless of how they choose to feed their babies.
Isabelle Daza
Isabelle Daza celebrated National Breastfeeding Week by sharing several photos of herself breastfeeding.
"Sometimes breastfeeding feels like you’re a prisoner to your baby. But sometimes it also makes you feel like you have a unique connection. ✨ Either way the benefits of breastfeeding your child outweigh the saggy flat pancake boobs you have after," she wrote.
Rica Peralejo
Rica Peralejo, who has always been open about motherhood, posted photos of herself nursing her two kids, saying "both endured with a lot of tears, but every single drop was worth it."
The celebrity vlogger adds: "Nothing like breastfeeding to break me. But also, nothing like breastfeeding to take us to our breakthroughs!!!"
Saab Magalona
Saab Magalona-Bacarro looked back on her "crazy" breastfeeding journey back in 2018, which involved going to the ER.
"It (my right breast) had become rock hard and no milk would come out no matter how much I tried to express it. Turns out, some milk had solidified and blocked it," Magalona revealed.
She also mentioned having late night "frustrated crying" because of painful clogged ducts, but learned how to massage her breasts to thoroughly empty it.
"I think I’ve finally mastered breastfeeding!!" she exclaimed.
Kylie Padilla
Kylie Padilla shared the "joys of breastfeeding" and the "ouches of nursing" in a post back in 2018.
She recalled how she used to get shy about showing her body in public whenever her baby asked to be fed, but now couldn't care less because what's important is for her baby to be full.
"I said I would only BF you for 1 year and once again I find myself rethinking my decision. It’s more about the bond, that I can’t let go of. Apart from the struggles, breastfeeding is one of my favourite things about being mama. Even though sometimes it has been one of the most frustrating at the same time," Padilla added.
Camille Prats
Back in 2018, Camille Prats promised to stay committed in exclusively breastfeeding her baby Nala Camilla, and shared it was worth it.
"All the pain was truly worth it. 10 months and counting,I now share a beautiful bond with my daughter that’s too precious and incomparable," she wrote.
Photos from @annecutissmith, @isabelledaza, @ricaperalejo