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Although Khloe Kardashian has been virtually silent on social media the last few months after giving birth, she returned recently to express her frustration with breastfeeding.
Kardashian gave birth to daughter True in April and has mostly stayed off of Instagram and Twitter so that she could acclimate to being a new mother.
With that being said, on June 6, she posted a link to her website on Twitter with the headline “My Lifesaver for Feeding True.” Kardashian’s eponymous app also doubles as a website called “Khloe with a K.”
This is actually game-changing!! https://t.co/DvOyYDzdYk
— Khloé (@khloekardashian) June 6, 2018
On the website and app, Kardashian writes posts about her life and advertises products she likes. The article about breastfeeding was significantly different from many of the others that she writes because it’s considerably more personal and points to a problem that’s often stigmatized in our society.
Kardashian said that she’s been struggling to breastfeed, saying, “I don’t produce enough milk so I have to give a bottle with every feeding. And, with the formula I use, I have to give True the bottle within 30 minutes of making it.”
Discussing her issues with breastfeeding is a big deal because many new mothers are made to feel like they’re less competent parents if they aren’t able to breastfeed. When many women become mothers, they expect that breastfeeding will be easy but the reality is that not everyone is capable of feeding their children that way.
There’s a stigma surrounding formula because the product is thought of as not as natural or safe as breast milk and therefore, some people shame women who do not breastfeed. By someone as high-profile as Kardashian speaking to her own struggles with breastfeeding, the problem becomes more normalized because she proves that anyone can experience challenges.
Many women have taken to Twitter to thank Kardashian for drawing attention to the fact that not every mother is capable of breastfeeding.
Here are some of their Tweets:
It makes me feel good to know that I’m not the only person that has to bottle feed along with breastfeeding. I’m so glad that Khloé opened up about this and she isn’t ashamed. https://t.co/KMwAuEyXa0
— Stephasaurus🦖🧜🏼♀️ (@steph_asaurus) June 8, 2018
This!!! There are times when formula helps mums who want to breastfeed to continue. It’s not all or nothing -fedisbest! Thank you for sharing your experiences @khloekardashian and helping women all over the world see they aren’t alone if breastfeeding doesn’t go according to plan https://t.co/mPJEyYHPXx
— FedIsBestUK (@UKFedIsBest) June 8, 2018
mad respect to @khloekardashian for opening up about supplementing with formula. i had to do that when i went back to work, and i was so embarrassed that i couldn’t produce enough because i was away from jackson. fed is best!
— amber keimig (@amberkeimig) June 7, 2018
Kardashian saw Amber Keimig’s Tweet and responded:
Mommy shaming is real! But the truth is I’ve tried and tried and tried to breast feed only and it wasn’t working for me. I feel fortunate that I am able to still breast-feed but with the help of formula. Breast-feeding is something I really wanted to do. Just am not fully able
— Khloé (@khloekardashian) June 8, 2018
Everyone paints this perfect picture of breastfeeding. Thank you for being so honest!
I struggled badly with no support. My husband assured me it was ok to use formula and that feeding our girl was the most important thing, to ignore the whispers and looks for doing so.
— Megan Bevan (@Meg_Bevan) June 8, 2018
You do you mama! Breastfeeding didn’t work out for me either, and my baby loves her formula! 😂 Mom shaming is bullshit. We need to support each other, instead of tearing each other down!
— Mama Samgria (@mamasamgria) June 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/southerngal78/status/1005097735870181376
@khloekardashian I struggled with breastfeeding for my daughter.. she was born premature at 34wks and had a stay in the NICU for 2.5 weeks because she had to learn to eat.. my milk just never came in fully..I had to supplement with formula as well..a happy baby is a fed baby!❤️
— amanda soberanis (@AmandaSoberanis) June 8, 2018
Good for you both for being honest about the challenges of breastfeeding! There are far too many women passing judgement out there, without knowing everyone’s individual circumstances. Kudos to both of you 👏🏻
— MrsFinProf (@mrsmoore910) June 8, 2018
@khloekardashian I struggled with breastfeeding too. Don’t let anyone shame you for doing what is best for YOUR baby. 😘 Mommy’s do the best we can.
— Lacie Wilkins (@WilkinsLacie) June 8, 2018
Kardashian’s openness about her struggles with breastfeeding is a testament to the fact that anyone can experience challenges and that formula is the best option for some mothers. It’s important that celebrities with such large platforms can speak about stigmatized issues and prove that mommy shaming is best left in the past!
