Breastfeeding can be both a beautiful and hard process. It takes time for a mom to learn what works best for body and her baby. Moms might deal with fatigue, dry nipples, clotting, or their baby may have difficulty latching. With breastfeeding struggles comes a whirlwind of disappointment, frustration, and guilt. New moms might feel like they are failing their baby or failing to measure up to their own expectations or the pressures of society.

There are so many opinions on motherhood and breastfeeding, but at the end of the day, what’s most important is a happy and healthy baby. Here are nine celebrities who have shared about the difficulties of breastfeeding.

Tia Mowry 

Actress Tia Mowry took to Instagram to share her struggles with breastfeeding her first child, Cree. She was only able to feed him for three months before switching to formula. With the help of an online community of moms and breastfeeding resources, Tia was able to breastfeed her second child, Cairo, for 13 months.

Tia shared how she pumped every three hours while working 14-hour days on set. When she’d travel for work, she’d even pump extra milk for Cairo. Her body was so fatigued, and at one point, she got mastitis and had to be hospitalized. She encouraged moms not to feel shame about using formula and what is most important is that your children are fed, loved, and happy.

Keke Palmer

After giving birth to her son Leodis “Leo” Andrellton, Emmy-award winning actress Keke Palmer got really candid about her breastfeeding struggles. In an interview with People she explained that while breastfeeding is natural, it’s not always instinctual. 

“I really went through the journey of just trying to figure out how to do that and how to support my baby—how to deal with the pressure of trying to do that right,” she said.

Palmer also highlighted how mothers are not set up for success to be able to breastfeed. She explained how lactation consultants really make a difference in supporting moms along their journeys, but many moms cannot afford them. 

“It sucks that it’s kind of like a luxury,” she said. “They have people saying breast is best, but not everyone can even get support – that’s a mess.”

Jodie Smith

Queen & Slim star, Jodie Smith, welcomed her baby girl, Janie into the world in 2020. During her breastfeeding journey, she took to her Instagram to share about her experience. 

“When I was pregnant, I told myself I would try to nurse for six months,” she wrote. “Now the two-year mark is swiftly approaching and my boobs are deflated and reaching southward, but I wouldn’t trade a minute of this journey for anything in the world!”

Serena Williams

After giving birth to her first daughter, Olympia, the GOAT Serena Williams shared that her coach told her she’d have to stop breastfeeding if she wanted to get back into shape for tennis. She decided to stop breastfeeding at six months.

“It was just emotionally letting go,” Williams said in an interview with USA Today. “I literally sat Olympia in my arms, I talked to her, we prayed about it. I told her, ‘Look, I’m going to stop. Mommy has to do this.’ I cried a little bit, not as much as I thought I was. She was fine.”

Tamera Mowry-Housley

Tamera Mowry-Housley shared on her website about how breastfeeding with her first child, Aden, was completely different than with her daughter, Ariah. Mowry-Housley shared that her son wasn’t latching properly, which caused soreness, calluses, and pain. She was also having a hard time keeping up her supply of milk, which took a huge emotional toll. 

“I wanted so desperately to breastfeed that when it didn’t seem like a viable option, I broke down, but I was determined not to give up,” she said. “I know I’m not the only woman to have felt this way.”

Alicia Keys

Grammy award winner Alicia Keys shared about her breastfeeding experiences with her first son, Egypt. She explained that there was a lot she didn’t know at first and that the process was not instinctual. 

“I think a lot of people think you’re just supposed to have this natural instinct that’s supposed to happen out of thin air,” she said.

Keys took a breastfeeding class that helped a lot, but she still encountered struggles along her journey.

“No one mentioned the whole engorgement thing,” she said. “I remember I was in bed and couldn’t move because it hurts, and there is no way around it.”

Kandi Burress

Reality star and businesswoman, Kandi Buress, shared about the demands of breastfeeding. In a Instagram post, Buress shared feeding her son Ace Wells while her hairstylist washed her hair at an in-home hair salon.

“This #breastfeeding stuff is no joke…” Buruss wrote on Instagram. “He doesn’t care that I have a head full of shampoo. He wants to eat now! 

Kelly Rowland

Breastfeeding can feel like a nonstop process, and singer and actress Kelly Rowland shared the sometimes exhausting journey on Instagram. In her post, she shows a 3 a.m. pumping session where she can barely keep her eyes open. 

She wrote, “Y’all this really just confirms that we ain’t ready for kids…at all- all this breast pumping looks painful asf.”

Halle Berry

Back in 2014, Oscar-award winning actress Halle Berry opened up on the Ellen DeGeneres Show about the difference between breastfeeding baby girls and boys. With her son, Maceo, there was a lot more biting, scratching, and chomping at the boob. 

“When I would put Nahla on the boob, it was a nice little girly suck,” Berry said. “With him it’s like, he’s like, sucking the life out of me!”