The actor was candid about her struggles with low milk supply, revealing what finally worked and reassuring moms that babies eat in all different ways.
Whether you’re a new mom or you feel like you could write your own parenting book, each baby is its own puzzle to figure out, especially when it comes to feeding. If you plan on breastfeeding, you never know how it will go with each kid—it’s always a new adventure, often with fresh frustrations. Maybe your little one won’t latch or your milk supply isn’t where you want it to be. Despite how normal these experiences are, it’s easy to feel down when you’re having trouble feeding your baby, and new mom Olivia Munn made no secret of her recent struggles.
The Newsroom star, who welcomed baby Malcolm with comedian John Mulaney in December, opened up about how she dealt with low milk supply in a recent Instagram post.
Munn said she tried two lactation consultants, three different breast pumps, litres of coconut water and more to try to stimulate milk production. “None of it worked,” she wrote in the post. “I cried and cried, I felt like my body was failing.”
She eventually turned to a supplemental nursing system (SNS), a device that can be filled with either breastmilk or formula to provide your baby with extra nutrients while you breastfeed.
In her post, Munn demonstrates how she would tape the device onto her breast to supplement her breastmilk, something we don’t often see celebrities share and love to see being normalized. Famous friends and fans flooded her comments with supportive messages. “SNS System!” said Alyssa Milano. “I did this with both of my babies and then my milk supply went through the roof.”
Trouble with breastfeeding can feel isolating for many parents, especially as we’re fed conflicting information about breastfeeding and formula. While phrases like “breast is best” have put unnecessary pressure on parents to exclusively breastfeed, the reality is that it’s not necessary or even possible for all moms.
Eventually, Munn said “f*ck it” to judging herself for her struggles. “Breastfeeding is good and so is formula,” she said, showing videos of her happily breastfeeding and also giving her son a bottle.
If you ever doubt yourself for how you’re feeding your baby, take some heartfelt advice from Munn herself: “To the mamas out there—do whatever you need to feed your baby and don’t let anyone make you feel bad about it.” Amen!
