Fellow moms:
How long did you breastfeed? Is it weird that I get emotional when I even just think about when it’s time to stop? pic.twitter.com/YOz4oeIajH— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) December 6, 2017
When Serena Williams was pregnant and having trouble sleeping comfortably she asked her more than 10 million Twitter followers for advice. The query received 1,200 responses (“put a pillow between your legs!” and “Lay on your left side.”) Now, the tennis pro — who welcomed daughter Alexis Olympia on September 1 —is turning to her online hive once again.
“Fellow moms: How long did you breastfeed?” asked the 36-year-old mom Thursday, December 6. “Is it weird that I get emotional when I even just think about when it’s time to stop?” In the accompanying photo, Williams gazes lovingly at Alexis Olympia, 3 months.
Once again, the Twitterverse came through. “Mine is 18 months and we’re still going strong. You do it as long as you feel it’s right for you and your baby,” wrote one mama. Added another: “I’m breastfeeding my little girl, she’s 3.5 years tomorrow. Taking her lead and allowing her to continue whilst we’re both happy to do so. Breastfeeding is a wonderful thing, which continues to provide benefits for as long as you feed . . . and not weird to get emotional X.”
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 or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant.”
Of course 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 you 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 ins sophistication,” explained the author of Baby 411. “It’s called formula because our grandmothers used to have a formal to create it in the kitchen.”
Williams just returned to the tennis court on December 2, marking her first public sporting appearance since she married Alexis Ohanian and gave birth to their daughter.
On Thursday, December 7, Nike announced plans to name a building after Williams at their campus in Beaverton, Oregon. According to Sports Illustrated, it will cover more than one million square feet and is expected to open in 2019.
