Sorry, opinionated strangers, but breast isn’t always best. Just ask Eva Amurri Martino. The actress recently opened up about her emotional decision to stop nursing her 3-month-old son, Major.
The trouble started in November when Major suffered a fractured skull after a night nurse dropped him. “While we were in the hospital with him, and in the next couple of weeks, my milk supply dipped big time,” wrote the mom of Marlowe, 2, and Major in a January 18 blog post. “The stress was just too much for my body.” Though the 31-year-old began drinking lactation tea and pumping to boost her supply, she found herself dealing with postpartum anxiety and struggling to make enough milk.
“What made this even worse is how much I would blame myself for it all. I would put so much pressure on myself to battle the anxiety so that my son’s food source wouldn’t suffer,” Amurri Martino revealed. “When I would fall short (which you always do when you try to strong-arm anxiety!), I would feel even worse for ‘failing’ my son.”
That’s when the Undatable alum began to consider supplementing with formula. “I felt like the Breastfeeding Police were going to somehow know the second I made the decision and blame me for not trying hard enough, for not battling through and finding a solution,” she wrote. “Even though I remembered how much happier Marlowe and I both were when I started formula with her at four months, my own feelings of self-doubt and guilt wouldn’t allow me to view it as an option this time around.” Enter the voice of reason: husband Kyle Martino.
“Kyle finally stepped in and asked me to stop torturing myself,” wrote Amurri Martino. “At this point, Major was 11 weeks old and my morale was in the toilet. Between my pumping and feeding schedule, and my hyper-vigilance surrounding Major and his safety, I was barely leaving the house.”
So she reluctantly began the weaning process, transitioning Major from breast milk to HIPP Organic formula, which is made in Europe. “This wasn’t an easy decision for me, but I will say that I felt a great sense of relief after making it,” she admitted. “I think as Moms it’s never easy to make a decision based on our own needs, but it’s important to remember that as Mamas we are the beacons of light that our children follow. If we are miserable it’s very challenging to make our kids happy and to help them shine as brilliantly as they deserve to. Secure your own oxygen mask before helping other passengers!”
