Chrissy Teigen is working with Cord Blood Registry, trying to educate parents about storing their newborn’s stemcells from their cord blood. I find that fascinating. But she ended up talking to People more about breastfeeding after her breast lifts, which I guess is also interesting. Chrissy said she didn’t expect to have any milk left because her nipples have been removed and sewn back on twice after having ‘lift augmentations’. But the body is an amazing thing, and none of her kids have had any problems latching. Although Chrissy was quick to point out that she also supplements her kids feeding and that no mom should stress about how their baby gets fed.
Chrissy Teigen is opening up about her breastfeeding journey with daughter Esti.
While speaking with PEOPLE about her work with Cord Blood Registry to encourage parents to store newborn stemcells, the mom of three, 37, shared she’s been “so lucky” when it’s come time to breastfeed each of her three kids — Esti Maxine, 9 weeks, Miles Theodore, 4½, and Luna Simone, 7 next month.
“I was so lucky because Luna and Miles latched immediately. Esti latched immediately. If anything, it was like me that was like, ‘I need to produce this,’ ” she said of the experiences. “I love pumping and I love trying to make as much milk as possible.”
That said, Teigen shares that she “supplemented with all three children” and hopes moms “don’t drive yourself crazy over that.”
“I’m surprised I have a drop of milk. I’ve done the lift augmentation twice. The fact that my nipple came off and was sewn back on, and I still have milk is incredible to me,” she says.
“I mean, Luna and Miles are thriving, and they’re great, and they were fed, and the most important thing is a fed baby. I used to be so scared, like, ‘Oh, my God, they’re not getting milk.’ I used to try to order donor milk online and freak myself out about everything. Not this time.”
I’ll admit that even as an inhabitant of the plastic surgery capital of the world, I honestly have no idea how most of these procedures are done. And I apologize but I am not looking up the nitty-gritty for this post because nipple removal is about all I can handle right now. I knew that some breast procedures removed and replaced the nipple, I just didn’t know which one. I am confused, though, because aren’t a breast lift and a breast augmentation two separate procedures? Maybe Chrissy had her implants redone when she had her lift? The important part is that neither procedure affects breastfeeding. That part I did know, but I think it’s good to remind folks.
But some things do affect breastfeeding and maks it difficult or simply not possible. Even if you have had no procedures, breastfeeding can prove a challenge. Chrissy is absolutely right that no one should drive themselves crazy trying to breastfeed a baby if they’re not getting enough food that way. Do what you can and supplement if you choose for whatever reason. These are your choices to make not for others to judge.
Photo credit: Instagram and Cover Images
This post so appropriate right now. I have a newborn baby at home and have low supply issues. I’ve tried all the herbs and even on some sketchy medication to help. My original plan was to exclusively breast-feed, and that is not happening right now. I’ve had to combination feed with breastmilk that I have been pumping (by the way, unlike Chrissy, I hate pumping so much) and with formula. Pumping has really affected my mental health. I decided to stop at month four because I’ve had enough.
I have looked up a breast lift because my breasts have been ruined by pregnancy. They make an incision down the breast under your nipple. Because I have brown skin, I’m scared of scarring so I’m not sure it’s a good option for me. I don’t know what a breast augmentation is and if that is different.
After a long labor and emergency c section, one of the nurses gave me a hard time about not breast feeding my infant. Completely disregarding the IV with antibiotics I was attached to.
Almost as militant as some of the pro lifers
I am in my damn 30s and my mum still has guilt for not breastfeeding me after getting severe mastitis that turned septic and STILL got guilted by nurses for not continuing to attempt!
The doctors were like, get a grip, formula is totally fine, but the nurses made her feel like an absolute piece of dirt. Shocking.
I had low supply and it was so stressful. I had the worst time with breast feeding. I had to supplement to start and then exclusively use formula. My kids are smart and successful and were just as healthy as any of my friends’ breastfed babies. Do what you have to do to feed your baby. Your mental health is WAY more important than whether your baby gets formula or breastmilk.
I had very low supply with both of my kids. With my first one I tried so hard and exhausted myself with nursing and pumping. She was never full until I decided to give her formula. I just didn’t have enough. With my second I went straight to formula and I had a nurse guilt me about it in the hospital to the point that I asked for a different nurse. My second delivery was difficult and my milk hadnt even come in yet.
You have to take care of yourself as well as your baby. My oldest is now 11, straight A student, in theater and plays club soccer. Formula did not hurt her. My 7 yr old is the same. Reading above average, plays club soccer, karate, basketball. Fed babies are healthy babies.
MISSM, please be gentle with yourself. The only thing that matters is that your baby is fed. I had challenges breastfeeding too, and pumped and used formula. My teen is healthy and wonderful. Yours will be, too.
Agree. Babies need to eat. Doesn’t matter if it’s breast, bottle, tube.
This, all day. Fed is fed. My 15 y/o wasn’t a natural breastfeeder and I had no idea what I was doing, so after much misery, we transitioned 100% to formula. He is smart as a whip, growing like a weed (2″ taller than me as of today and I’m tall!), handsome, funny, bright and wonderful. His 10 y/o sister latched in the delivery room and breastfed exclusively to 6 months. She is all of the same adjectives as her brother (except taller than me, but I think that’ll happen given time!) There is NO DIFFERENCE in their health or abilities. Feed your babies in the way that allows you to best nurture and care for them and yourself. Period.
MISSM, my heart goes out to you. It’s a brutally stressful and exhausting time with a newborn and you want so desperately to do everything right but this new human. I also found pumping torture and had to stop earlier than I wanted because I felt like I was unraveling mentally. I hope you have some support and can give yourself some kindness.
I don’t want to read chrissys thing but my best friend, and my sister, could not feed. So 30 and 20 years ago. Man it was hard. Then another friend could not feed 10 years ago when it should be normal but she was shamed too.. As much as I find chrissy very problematic, this a huge area
Any breast surgery can affect breastfeeding, I think. It is a risk factor. I had a reduction and they don’t totally remove your nipple, I don’t think (unless something bad happens with blood flow and they have to do a graft?). The incision around my nipple is significantly smaller and more…. shallow? than the incision under my breast. There are so many different ways to do lifts/reductions/implants (which are all ‘augmentations’) and depends so much on the surgeon you choose. Happy for her that she can still breastfeed if that is important to her!
I had a prior augmentation before giving birth and all the doctors/nurses/lactation consultants came across as so judgemental, it was in all caps at the top of my file (BREAST AUG). Because they made such a big deal about it I worried I’d not be able to feed at all, but my body made milk successfully and plentifully for 14 months. Maybe more research needs to be done on how much breast surgeries affect feeding because they’re stress almost psyched me out from even trying and it all turned out fine.
This woman gets on my nerves 100%.
Same here!
I tried breastfeeding- I was induced 2 weeks from his due date. NO ONE told me that the instinct to latch comes near the end. I was terrified he wasn’t getting enough cause he would fall asleep. Add in a stomach bug I had before birth that passed to him. I was a 25 yr old living 2 hrs from family and pretty sure looking back that I had post partum depression-I was so traumatized that I never had another kid
We cryopreserved our kids’ cord blood in 1998 and 2001 with ViaCord..
Saving cord blood is a major scam in that it’s just a money making business. Talk to oncologists and other specialists – needing your own stem cells one day is not a thing ( and won’t be).
Stem cell therapy is a thing, but they don’t need to be your own saved from your cord blood.
Absolute predatory business that unfortunately people without scientific education fall for…