Cameron Eubanks knew exactly what she was getting into when she shared her decision to “retire the boobs” after nearly three months of nursing her daughter Palmer.
“I know I’m opening up the flood gates with this one,” the Southern Charm star captioned a recent Instagram post.
The 33-year-old mom, who shares Palmer with her doctor husband, Jason Wimberly, noted that she was opening up in hopes of making other mothers feel less alone.
“You see, I’m not quitting because my milk supply dried up or because I’m sick . . . I’m quitting because I’m just plain OVER IT. By CHOICE,” wrote Eubanks. “I know I will get lectured and judged by this but it doesn’t bother me. I need some freedom back for my sanity and the bottle and formula will allow that. You are NOT a bad mother if you don’t like breastfeeding.”
The honest post received more than 19,000 comments — and as the Bravo personality predicted, many of them were judgmental.
“I really think that moms milk is best for baby. I will do my best to feed him as long as I can. PS: #iamdyingtodrinkabottleofwine,” wrote one person. Added another: “I hope a struggling new mom having challenges breastfeeding doesn’t come across this discouraging thread and finds an empowering, support breastfeeding group instead.” A third (falsely) informed Eubanks that formula is all chemicals.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends “exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year of longer as mutually desired by mother and infant.”
But breast isn’t always best. Bottle-feeding — whether it’s due to supply issues, going back to work, a baby who won’t latch or personal preference — should be guilt-free. “We want to have a baby who’s getting their nutritional needs met,” acclaimed pediatrician Dr. Ari Brown previously told Us Weekly. “And that is what you are achieving when you give a baby formula.”
Any brand made in the U.S. is safe, but steer clear of homemade recipes, which could be dangerous, she advises. “This is going backwards in sophistication,” explained the author of Baby 411. “It’s called formula because our grandmothers used to have a formula to create it in the kitchen.”
Meanwhile, thousands of moms praised Eubanks for her honest post. As one Instagram user wrote: “Yes!! So much yes! A happy baby is a full baby!”
