It’s officially flu season, and Rumer Willis experienced one of the hardest parts of parenthood: she and her 5-month-old baby Louetta got sick at the same time! The Sorority Row actress, who shares her daughter with partner Derek Richard Thomas, penned an emotional note about fighting the flu alongside her daughter, and shared pictures of her little girl that will make you teary eyed.
“I have been reflecting this week on the strength of Mamas, of this incredible gift of resilience and love,” Willis wrote on Instagram Thursday. “The softness that can come from vulnerability and asking for help. The flu took both my Lou and me simultaneously, and it brought not just symptoms but moments of doubt. Could I manage taking care of her and myself in this weakened state?”
This is something all moms seem to worry about at some point — and something I struggled with intensely when I had two toddlers during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. How can you take care of someone else when you are also sick? How can you function during the crushing worry that comes with a sick little one? It’s tough!
For Willis, the challenging time showed her a new strength. “But in that storm of uncertainty, we discovered an uncharted strength within ourselves,” she said. “The resilience I summoned in the face of a common challenge mothers everywhere deal with truly showed me so much about myself and my capacity.” Willis continued, “As a parent, you sometimes question your abilities, but that week, as the flu raged on, it became clear that I was more capable than I ever thought. That I could be her safe place and I could hold the container for both of us.”
Moms truly are amazing, aren’t they? The model, who praised prenatal nutrition company Needed in her post, went on to say how grateful she is “for the moments that push me and challenge me and show me how much stronger I am than ever I thought I was.” She also wrote about giving herself grace and recognized the privilege she has had for an “easeful and wonderful postpartum experience” and for her “incredible support system of family and friends.”
Willis also shared sweet photos of her baby girl. In one, she’s lying in bed with her baby girl snuggled up to her. She’s in a breastfeeding position, but she looks like she’s sleeping, with her arm resting on a fluffy stuffed animal. In the next photo, she’s wrapped in a blanket with a pacifier, while Willis rests one hand on her forehead (probably checking her temperature and offering comfort at the same time!). In the last snap, a tiny Louetta hand grips her mama’s thumb in a sweet show of love.
Moms everywhere could relate. “My autistic son is 31. He’s nonspeaking and has complex medical needs. I’m his sole caregiver,” one person wrote. “Your words are beautiful and so profoundly true. Our babes are our biggest teachers. You’ll be amazed by your own strength. Sending love and healing vibes to you and sweet Lou! 💜💜💜”
“Hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Take care of my sick daughter when I’m sick! 😷” another said.
“Truly miserable being a big sick person, looking after a tiny sick person,” someone else said. “You can’t fully recover yourself until the tiny person is better. Have a good recovery guys, flu is a beast 😫😵💫.”
Last week, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actress addressed people’s hateful comments on a list of her “bougie” products she recommended to The Strategist. “Attacking me is… I don’t know, I guess I just want to say I have feelings,” she said. “I’m a sensitive human being. I would really greatly appreciate it if you weren’t so nasty to me or weren’t so mean to me and allowed me the space to be a person who has worked, has done things, has accomplished, in my opinion, certain things that I’m really proud of in my life.”
She added in another post, “My life is a gift, I have never been happier and feel more in love than I have ever been. I have the most wonderful daughter beyond my wildest dreams. And my story is only just beginning…”
Before you go, see what these celebrity moms had to say about their experiences with postpartum anxiety.
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