Breastfeeding isn’t always sweet snuggles and happy feelings. Sometimes, it downright hurts! Mandy Moore recently shared an update about her breastfeeding journey with baby Ozzie, born last month, and we’re wincing through the screen.
“Trying to cut this mastitis off at the pass. Whew,” the This Is Us star wrote on her Instagram Story today.
Moore, who shares Ozzie and Gus, 20 months, with husband Taylor Goldsmith, also shared a breastfeeding selfie. In it, she appears to be propped up with pillows in bed, as baby Ozzie suckles at her breast. He is wrapped in a cozy blanket as he nurses, and it seems peaceful…at first. But then you can see Moore’s face in the top right corner, and she seems stressed, like she’s just trying to get through it.
Mastitis is one of the most common complications associated with breastfeeding, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Women with a history of oversupply, nipple injury, latch difficulties, or skipped feedings are at a greater risk, and one of the most important treatments is “frequent and effective milk removal.” I had to get on antibiotics, nurse, and pump when I had it, all while dealing with a high fever and extreme nipple pain and sensitivity. The Twin Flames star didn’t share her exact symptoms, but the “whew” says it all. She’s in pain, and my heart goes out to her!
In addition to more frequent breastfeeding and pumping, the La Leche League recommends applying wet or dry heat to the affected area; soaking your nipple in warm water; massaging hard, lumpy areas on the breast; hand expressing milk; change your baby’s position frequently; don’t wear restrictive clothing; and ensure your breasts are soft and comfortable after each feeding.
This isn’t the first time Moore has struggled with breastfeeding. In Aug. 2021, she shared that her breastfeeding journey with Gus wasn’t always “smooth sailing.”
“Breastfeeding is not always smooth sailing (clogged ducts, timing life around feedings, pumping for when I’m at work, etc… ),” she wrote on Instagram. “But nursing this baby boy for the past nearly 6 months has been a beautiful, messy and an oh so rewarding experience I will treasure forever,” she continued.
In August 2022, the “In Real Life” singer shared another update about breastfeeding.
“The journey of nourishing my baby would be equal parts elation and exhaustion,” Moore wrote on Instagram. “The most frustrating and rewarding part of parenthood in the beginning. But the further we went, the better we got. Because everything is a phase. And just having grace for him and for me, was the key. Because we are constantly learning and always will be.”
She added, “We’re always making mistakes (sometimes physically painful ones!). #dearnewparents please have grace for yourself and your baby during those early days. I wish I had done a little more of that.”
Hopefully Moore can show herself some grace now as she battles mastitis!
These celebrity moms got painfully honest about their breastfeeding journeys.
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