Yes, breastfeeding is one of the most nutritious foods you can give your child, and yes, breast is best. It is one of the first things that a mother does for her baby soon after birth, and it is also one of the best ways to bond with your child. While all of that is true, it is also true that sometimes, breastfeeding takes trouble and time. And sometimes, it may not happen at all. Several mothers have problems with lactating, and it could be due to various reasons such as insufficient glandular tissue, hormonal fluctuations, previous history of surgeries, or certain medications. It can also be because the baby has some issues such as tongue-ties, cleft palate, or Down’s syndrome. When this happens, you are forced to choose an alternative such as baby formula. And this is okay too! (1), (2).
Often, mothers are at the receiving end of unnecessary jibes and constant scrutiny just because they don’t go the conventional route and opt for something like baby formula. Mothers who have troubles with breastfeeding are often made to feel incompetent and this, shouldn’t be the case. We’re happy that our celebrities have taken steps to vocalize this and highlight the fact that whatever path you choose, whether you breastfeed or use baby formula, it doesn’t matter! Here’s what they had to say:
Shilpa Shetty Kundra
Image: theshilpashetty/Instagram
In February of 2020, actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra welcomed her baby girl Samisha Shetty Kundra via surrogacy. This also coincided with the time when the country was under lockdown, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The actress, soon after, opened up about her struggles when it came to feeding her child. She had to depend on baby formula to meet the child’s daily nutritional needs. Unfortunately, the formula suitable for her little girl was unavailable due to the ongoing pandemic, as imports had been impacted. She went on to say that although this might not seem like a huge deal or a problem to many people, a mother will undoubtedly understand when her child is accustomed to one kind of formula and can’t easily make the change to something else. Shilpa also added that although it was an obstacle, both mother and child could overcome and cope with it.
Rupali Ganguly
Image: rupaliganguly/Instagram
Rupali Ganguly has been a favorite for some time now, given her brilliant acting skills. The star had her first child with her childhood sweetheart Ashwin K Verma in the year 2015. Many women face issues when it comes to breastfeeding, and Rupali happened to be one of them. She spoke about how we’ve often come across the fact that breastfeeding is the best thing for your child, but what happens when we can’t lactate? The actress had faced issues with lactating, and this, in turn, took a toll on her mentally. She shared how she felt like a bad mother who couldn’t provide for her baby’s basic needs. What did help, however, was when her husband asked her to stop beating herself about it. She soon grew to realize that just because she couldn’t lactate, it didn’t make her a bad mother!
Shikha Singh
Image: shikhasingh/Instagram
Even though breastfeeding is natural, normal, and extremely important, there’s so much stigma and judgment surrounding this beautiful act between mother and child. Women who feed, particularly in public, are often scrutinized, even though they’re doing nothing wrong. Actress Shikha Singh did her part in normalizing breastfeeding by putting up a picture of herself breastfeeding her little one on her social media handles. The actress shared a picture with us recently, and spoke about how people are okay with giving their babies processed and unhealthy food. No one bats an eye when you give a child coke, but the minute you feed the child the purest of milk from the mother, everyone gets offended! This is true, and we’re glad Shikha spoke up about it!
Addite Malik
Image: additemalik/Instagram
Earlier this year, Addite Malik and her husband Mohit Malik welcomed their first child, Ekbir Malik. The actress has been proudly sharing her journey through pregnancy and motherhood on her social media handles. Through her posts, we know that she chose both breastfeeding and baby formula for her baby, and when she was asked what’s better, she gave us a wonderful response. She said that a mother knows best. You can rely on your instincts when it comes to deciding what’s best for your child. She opened up about how people judge her for giving her baby formula, but that’s okay because at the end of the day — mommy knows best!
It helps when celebrities stand in solidarity with every other woman who goes through the same struggles. The choice of opting for breastfeeding or baby formula is one that a mother has to make, considering her struggles and the problem her child faces — society has no say in it! What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!
