Unveiling the Untold Struggles: Celebrity Mothers Open Up About the Harsh Reality of Breastfeeding

Amanda Seyfried, Khloé Kardashian, and other celebrity moms have openly discussed their difficulties with breast-feeding. In an exclusive interview with We in April 2019, the Mamma Mia! actress, who has two children with husband Thomas Sadoski, shared her first-hand experience and described breast-feeding as an incredibly challenging and often misunderstood aspect of motherhood. She emphasized that those who find it easy are fortunate and uncommon.

Seyfried expressed that although there is conversation happening, it is still not enough. She recalled reaching out to friends during her own difficult times, even if they hadn't spoken in a while, seeking advice on how to cope. Married to actor Thomas Sadoski since March 2017, the Mean Girls star became a mother to a daughter named Nina in 2017 and a son in 2020. Having overcome her challenges on her own, Seyfried now finds joy in offering guidance and support to other mothers facing similar situations.

Veronica Mars actress shared in 2019 how she is fortunate to have an amazing group of women in her life who she can rely on for support. She explained that they are like rocks for each other, always there to lean on and help each other through tough times. Kardashian, on the other hand, faced challenges in breastfeeding her daughter True for several weeks after giving birth in April 2018, while co-parenting with her ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson.

"For me, it was an extremely painful experience, compounded by the fact that I was not producing an adequate amount of milk. As a result, I had to pump whenever my baby was napping," the Kardashian star shared on Twitter in November. "I believe the stress I was under hindered my milk production. I made every effort to increase my milk supply, including seeking medical advice, consulting a lactation specialist, power pumping, consuming lactation tea and cookies, and even trying special massages. Unfortunately, none of these methods were effective for me. When my baby began losing weight as a result, I had no choice but to switch to formula."

The Good American designer and Thompson, who officially ended their relationship in late 2021, had a baby boy through a surrogate in July 2022. This is the basketball star's fourth child, in addition to his sons Prince with Jordan Craig and Theo with Maralee Nichols.

Continue scrolling to discover what other celebrity moms have openly shared about breastfeeding.

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Amanda Seyfried, Khloe Kardashian and More Celeb Moms Share Breast-Feeding Struggles: It's 'Incredibly Hard'

Sharing their struggles. Amanda Seyfried, Khloé Kardashian and more celebrity moms have been vocal about their challenges with breast-feeding.

The Mamma Mia! actress, who has two children with husband Thomas Sadoski, shared her first experience with breast-feeding, describing it as a desperate and challenging endeavor. She believes that breast-feeding is a widely misunderstood and often hidden topic. According to her, it is a difficult task that not many people find easy, and those who do are considered fortunate. Despite the increased conversations about breast-feeding, Seyfried feels that more needs to be done to address the challenges and provide support. She recalls reaching out to friends for advice when she encountered difficulties, despite not having spoken to them in a long time.

Mean Girls star Lindsay Lohan, who married Life in Pieces actor in March 2017, welcomed their daughter Nina in 2017 and their son in 2020. After overcoming her own challenges, Seyfried has developed a newfound passion for sharing her wisdom with other mothers facing similar situations.

"I am fortunate to have an amazing group of women in my life who are always there for me," the Veronica Mars actress shared with Us in 2019. "We support and lean on each other through thick and thin. It's interesting how when one friend is struggling, I become their rock, and vice versa. It's a give-and-take dynamic that fosters the strongest kind of friendship."

Kardashian, on the other hand, faced difficulties in breastfeeding her daughter True, whom she shares joint custody with ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson, for an extended period after giving birth in April 2018.

"It was incredibly painful for me, and on top of that, I wasn't producing enough milk. Therefore, I had to use a pump whenever she was asleep," the reality TV star shared on Twitter in November of the same year. "I believe the stress was causing my milk supply to be insufficient. Despite my efforts, I couldn't provide her with enough milk, so I had to switch to formula."

Kardashian expressed, "I tried every possible method! Doctors came to assess, I consulted with a lactation specialist, I engaged in power pumping, consumed lactation tea and cookies, and even underwent special massages. However, none of these efforts yielded positive results for me. When True started losing weight as a result, I had no choice but to supplement with formula."

Later in 2022, the Good American designer and Thompson, who officially ended their relationship in late 2021, joyfully welcomed their fourth child together, a baby boy born via surrogacy. In addition to their new addition, Thompson is also a father to Prince from his previous relationship with Jordan Craig and Theo with Maralee Nichols.

Scroll below to read more celebrity moms’ candid thoughts about breast-feeding:

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Laura Benanti

"We are often presented with the idea that breast-feeding is completely natural and the best choice for babies. However, there are instances where this is not possible. I had the difficult experience of realizing that I couldn't feed my baby because she was allergic to the proteins in my milk. It made me question if I was somehow harming her by not being able to provide breast milk." In June 2023, the Younger alum, who goes by the name Benanti, opened up exclusively to Us about this situation. She also mentioned that she shares her daughters, Ella and Louisa, with her husband, Patrick Brown. It is worth noting that Louisa was born in 2021 through a surrogate.

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Amanda Seyfried

The actress, known for her role in Big Love, shared with Us in 2019 how she reached out to several friends for guidance on breastfeeding her daughter, Nina, despite having lost touch with them for years. Today, she offers valuable advice to new mothers who find themselves in similar situations.

"I took two days off during the first week so I wouldn't constantly feel scared and upset every time she woke up to breastfeed," Seyfried commented on Instagram in response to Claire Holt expressing her "self-doubt" about feeding her first child. "And it made a huge difference. No guilt. Just pumping and using a bottle. And I did both throughout. Less pressure. You're not alone."

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Khloe Kardashian

The Revenge Body alum had reservations about breast-feeding during her pregnancy with True, but eventually had to transition to using formula. Kardashian revealed on Twitter in July 2018 that she had to stop breast-feeding, which was emotionally difficult for her. Despite her efforts to continue breast-feeding, it simply wasn't working for her body. However, once she made the decision to stop, she realized that it brought her a sense of relief and allowed her to let go of the stress and worry associated with producing enough milk for each feeding.

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Olivia Munn

After the Newsroom alum and boyfriend John Mulaney welcomed their first child, son Malcolm, in November 2021, she admittedly struggled with feeding the newborn.

Breast-feeding can be extremely challenging, particularly when faced with low supply. In January 2022, Munn took to her Instagram Story and expressed her personal struggle, mentioning that she has experimented with numerous vitamins, teas, and lozenges, and has sought guidance from multiple lactation consultants, all without any positive results.

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Heather Rae El Moussa

"It has truly been a journey! I initially thought that I could simply breastfeed him whenever necessary. But that was far from the reality," the Selling Sunset star shared on Instagram in February 2023, referring to her first child whom she welcomed with her husband Tarek El Moussa a month prior. "Tristan was diagnosed with tongue tie, cheek tie, lip tie, and jaundice early on, thanks to the amazing expertise of my lactation specialist and @tonguetietribe. They are like baby fairies ‍️."

Heather added, "I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have found them for their knowledge and support. However, it made it extremely difficult for him to latch and suck, resulting in him burning a significant amount of calories while struggling to eat, ultimately causing his weight to drop."

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Lauren Conrad

Despite her initial assumption that breast-feeding would be a seamless and delightful experience, the reality proved to be far more challenging for the Hills alum.

Conrad expressed her struggles during a May 2019 episode of her “Asking for a Friend” podcast. She described feeling like she was failing at something that should come naturally and found it extremely challenging. Conrad revealed that she even felt like a bad mom when she was unable to breast-feed her eldest son Liam as she had hoped.

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Jeannie Mai

"Nursing has been the most challenging aspect of my journey as a mother," expressed the former Real cohost through an Instagram post in March 2022. "I had heard that it would be difficult, but I never anticipated it to be this tough. It was even more demanding for me compared to giving birth."

Mai, who had joyfully welcomed her daughter Monaco in the previous January with her husband Jeezy, went on to elaborate on her struggles with low milk supply. She shared, "Every three hours, my routine would consist of latching, supplementing with formula since I could only provide her with an ounce, if even that, pumping to stimulate milk production, reminding myself to take milk thistle pills and sunflower Lecithin pills, drinking fenugreek tea, massaging my breasts, preparing them with a hot compress or towel an hour before, and waking the baby up to repeat the process. At one point, it began to take a toll on my mental well-being, and I started feeling overwhelmed."

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Hilary Duff

Following the arrival of her third child, daughter Mae, the former Younger cast member expressed apprehension regarding her breastfeeding journey due to previous difficulties in producing an adequate milk supply for her son, Luca, and daughter, Banks. It is worth noting that Duff shares Luca with her ex-husband, Mike Comrie, and her two daughters with her current spouse, Matthew Koma.

During an episode of Dr. Berlin's "Informed Pregnancy Podcast" in April 2021, she shared that being a lesser milk producer was an emotional experience for her. This is the first time she has exclusively breastfed a baby without supplementation, and she intends to continue for a few more weeks. She also expressed anxiety about not producing enough milk, feeling inadequate, and getting trapped in a cycle of negative thoughts. However, she recognized the need to relax, trust that her body is doing what it should, and found solace in knowing that her baby is gaining weight.

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Ashley Graham

The supermodel found it “really difficult” to nurse her oldest son, Isaac, after his January 2020 birth.

"I sought the help of a lactation expert to address the issues I was experiencing with breastfeeding. Those first few days were tough, my nipples were raw and painful," shared Graham on Instagram two months later. "Part of the problem was my improper technique, where I was forcefully pushing my breast into Isaac's mouth. Thankfully, my lactation nurse taught me a proper method: positioning the nipple near the nose and gently flipping it into the mouth while ensuring the entire areola is inside. Wishing you all the best with this journey."

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Morgan Stewart

"I was completely clueless about what I was doing," Stewart shared on her Instagram Story in March 2021, reflecting on her initial experience of breastfeeding her daughter Row Renggli, whom she co-parents with her husband Jordan McGraw. "It was painful and resulted in bloody and cracked nipples... Luckily, they eventually healed (thankfully!). If things hadn't improved, I would have definitely switched to formula! Ultimately, the most important thing is that you choose the feeding method that works best for you and your baby."

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Jade Roper

The Bachelor in Paradise alum, who shares three kids with husband Tanner Tolbert, opened up about her breast-feeding struggles in February 2021. 

After enduring 11 weeks of sleeplessness, I must admit that I don't feel up to being a mom today," Roper shared on Instagram. Three months had passed since giving birth to her youngest son Reed. Despite these feelings, she found herself sitting here, typing this message, with a children's electric toothbrush being hurled at her face repeatedly. It seemed that the only one capable of switching it on and off to bring joy to her son Brooks was her – only "Mama" could do that. Although she had become more resilient in relinquishing unrealistic expectations this time around, the lack of sleep during the newborn phase had taken its toll, and she had reached her limit.

Adding to her exhaustion, Roper shared that her kids were wearing her down this week. She had grown weary from attempting various approaches to overcome breastfeeding challenges. Additionally, she had been experiencing bouts of vertigo that hindered her ability to function adequately as a mother. Despite knowing she would persevere as she had in the past, in that particular moment, she felt incredibly low and overwhelmed.