Entertainment

15 Celeb Moms Who've Brilliantly Shut Down Breastfeeding Shamers

EntertainmentPublished Aug 29, 2017
By Kelly Bryant
Tess Holliday breastfeeds in publictessholliday/Instagram

Haters gonna hate, but they better watch out if they direct their scorn at a mom. Moms are famous for deflecting hateful comments from outsiders; in fact, it is practically an art form. We're not quite sure when it became a thing, but it's real -- very, very real -- and it's out there: Mothers everywhere, including celeb moms, are fed up -- especially with being shamed for breastfeeding.

For whatever reason, breastfeeding is still considered a taboo subject. Everywhere from work places to restaurants seems to have a ban on moms publicly feeding their children, as it is wrongfully considered a "sexual" or "lewd" act. 

More from CafeMom: 14 Amazing Photos of Moms Breastfeeding Wherever & Whenever They Want

But that's not the only kind of shame moms get for breastfeedng. Famous mamas like Alyssa Milano, Tess Holliday, and Chrissy Teigen know all about being judged for various aspects of breastfeeding.

Folks will shame you if you breastfeed in public, quit "too soon," or post a photo of yourself in the midst of a milk sesh with your child. But these shamers can go ahead and take a seat or two, because women are expertly clapping back at the insanity of it all.

More from CafeMom: 7 Things I Wish Someone Told Me About Breastfeeding Twins

Read on to find out how famous moms are shutting down breastfeeding shamers one tweet, Instagram post, or interview quote at a time.

1/15
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Tess Holliday
tessholliday/Instagram

Tess Holliday

You'd think a gal could breastfeed her kid publicly at the Los Angeles Women's March without any pushback. But, no, some on the Internet had a tizzy over this photo (which is pretty damn empowering if you ask us) of Tess Holliday nursing mid-march. Naturally, she had something to say about it. "Those saying that I should 'cover up,' you mean when I'm breastfeeding MY baby who was a) hungry & b) screaming because he was overly tired & the crowd overloaded his senses & it was the only way to comfort him?! I will feed my child anywhere I want. Also CA state law protects me to do so. Keep your uneducated opinions off my body," she posted underneath the shot on Instagram.

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Amanda Seyfried
Splash News

Amanda Seyfried

She may have played a mean girl on the big screen, but Amanda Seyfried has zero time for your judgment about how she makes sure her baby is nourished. "Breastfeeding is awesome. Formula is awesome. Feeding your baby is awesome. Not awesome? Judgement," Seyfried tweeted.

The actress followed up that thought with a quote from writer Maureen Shaw: "'Breasts are intended to feed babies. With all our progress on feminist issues, how can such a simple biological imperative remain so stigmatized? In a word: sex. We live in a culture comfortable with exploiting breasts to sell burgers, for goodness sake." Preach, sister, preach!

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Selma Blair
gotpap/Bauergriffin.com

Selma Blair

Selma Blair was never ashamed of publicly breastfeeding her son Arthur as a baby, no matter how much side-eye she received. In a 2012 interview with People magazine, Blair broke it down for everyone. "We all have nipples," she said. "I don't care who I offend; my baby wants to eat. If I can't get a cover over me quick enough, so be it."

More from CafeMom: 14 Amazing Photos of Moms Breastfeeding Wherever & Whenever They Want

4/15
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Jaime King
jaime_king/Instagram

Jaime King

Actress Jaime King took a chill, laid-back approach to her clapblack. When the actress's son James was just 8 months old, King shared a photo of herself nursing the little guy with the caption: "These are the moments a mother lives for. Breastfeeding should not be taboo- and bottle feeding should not be judged- it's ALL fun for the whole family:)"

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Mila Kunis
Xavier Collin/IPA/Splash News

Mila Kunis

As one half of a high-profile Hollywood couple, Mila Kunis thought she had seen it all in terms of public judgment. Then she became a mom who breastfeeds ... in public. "There were many times where I didn't bring a cover with me, and so I just did it in a restaurant, in the subway, in the park, at airports, and in planes. Why did I do it in public? Because I had to feed my child. She's hungry," Kunis told Vanity Fair. "It took us a little back because people actually looked at us in a shameful way, and we were like, 'Oh my God,' because it's so not a sexual act."

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Adele
Headlinephoto / Splash News

Adele

Adele has a bone to pick with the shamers who look down upon those who don't breastfeed their babies, either because they choose not to or their bodies don't produce enough milk. "It's f--king ridiculous, and all those people who put pressure on us, you can go f--- yourselves, alright?" Adele said mid-concert during a show at London's 02 Arena. "Because it's hard. Some of us can't do it. I managed about nine weeks with my boobs ... some of my mates got post-natal depression from the way those midwives were talking. Idiots."

More from CafeMom: 15 Most Obnoxious Things People Have Said to Breastfeeding Moms

7/15
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Chrissy Teigen
Splash News

Chrissy Teigen

Never one to shy away from haters, Chrissy Teigen had a thing or two to say to those who criticized her for wanting to hire a night nurse to help with Luna. Critics essentially accused her of cheating at breastfeeding for it. "A night nurse doesn't replace you waking and feeding at night," Teigen tweeted. "You're up with them. They're helpers and teachers. I am so used to sharing our life that I forget how protective I will be soon. I cannot handle this kind of constant judgment."

8/15
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Candice Swanepoel
angelcandices/Instagram

Candice Swanepoel

Victoria's Secret model Candice Swanepoel perfectly sums up the issue with breastfeeding shamers -- and why they should shut their mouths. "Many women today are shamed for breastfeeding in public, or even kicked out of public places for feeding their children," Swanepoel wrote on Instagram. "I have been made to feel the need to cover up and somewhat shy to feed my baby in public places but strangely feel nothing for the topless editorials I've done in the name of art..? The world has been desensitized the sexualization of the breast and to violence on tv ... why should it be different when it comes to breastfeeding? Breastfeeding is not sexual, it's natural. Those who feel it is wrong to feed your child in public need to get educated on the benefits breastfeeding has on mother and child and [in turn] on society as a whole."

9/15
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Christian Serratos
kishserratos/Instagram

Christian Serratos

Walking Dead actress Christian Serratos kinda couldn't believe the big deal everyone was making about her posting a photo of herself nursing her infant on Instagram. So Serratos clapped back at shamers, "This is my body and my page. So I will post what I want, when I want. Those who disapprove can suck my left tit."

More from CafeMom: 10 Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding

10/15
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Molly Sims
AdMedia / Splash News

Molly Sims

When breastfeeding wasn't working for Molly Sims with son Brooks, who was born with a tooth, she made a personal choice and stood by it, shutting down shamers before they could do their thing. 

"I did nipple shields, nipple guards, supplemental nursing system, it was horrible. He was literally like a vampire on me for three months; it was unbelievable. Cut to: I'm not breastfeeding and I'm proud of it," Sims told Anderson Cooper on an episode of Anderson Live.

11/15
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Olivia Wilde
XactpiX/Splash News

Olivia Wilde

When Olivia Wilde posed for Glamour magazine while breastfeeding, she was pretty surprised at the amount of outrage she received.

"I certainly didn't expect people to be upset at the obscenity of public breastfeeding," Wilde told HuffPost Live in an interview. "I was shocked that there were still people who find it inappropriate because they think it's a sexual thing. I think that says a lot about them. The coolest thing to come out of that [picture] was all these women who took pictures of themselves breastfeeding in public and tweeted them to me and to the world. I thought that was really great, and so I was happy to just encourage their awesome movement."

12/15
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Teresa Palmer
yourzenmama/Instagram

Teresa Palmer

Teresa Palmer is so passionate about empowering other moms, she helped start an online community for them called Your Zen Mama. She also couldn't care less what anyone says about how long she breastfeeds for her kids.

"To me just because [my son] Bodhi's caloric need is being met does not mean I am willing to negate my son's yearning for emotional comfort which is just as real and important a need," Palmer wrote on her blog. "So I happily continue breastfeeding with the addition of food. I am personally really inspired by the idea of letting Bodhi choose how long he breastfeeds." The actress went on to say how disturbing she finds it that anyone would judge a mother for how long they choose to nurse their child. "The social discrimination against woman who breastfeed their older toddler can be immense. I know women who won't feed their two-year-old in public for this reason. From dirty looks, to whispers and nasty comments, it is downright bullying," she writes. The lesson here? Keep your dirty looks to yourself.

More from CafeMom: Mom Turns Her Breastfeeding Journey into Incredible Artwork

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Alyssa Milano
milano_alyssa/Instagram

Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano, FTW. The actress isn't afraid to back down when it comes to breastfeeding debates. Just ask Wendy Williams, who got an earful after making some choice remarks while Alyssa was on her show. 

"It’s so crazy to me how the mentality is so archaic, and people are just not comfortable with women breastfeeding," Milano told Williams. "Obviously, it's because we've sexualized breasts to the point that people can't see past them being breasts. Or boobies. Or titties. Or whatever you want to call them."

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Tori Roloff
toriroloff/Instagram

Tori Roloff

Little People, Big World star Tori Roloff, who welcomed her LO Jackson in May, recently admitted that the toughest part of being a new mom has not only been getting used to breastfeeding, but also the negative vibes others attach to it.

"I also hate the stigma of breastfeeding," Roloff wrote alongside this breastfeeding photo on Instagram. "I still feel awkward in public when I feed my baby. Why should I? I'm providing for my child. J and I have come a long way and we work well together now and I'm proud of that. There are still times that I feel overwhelmed with breastfeeding but I know I'm doing the best I can. We as women just do the best we can and that's all anyone can ask. You do you, mamas. Don't let anyone make you feel insignificant or like you're not doing your best. Breastfeeding is ridiculously hard and it doesn't always work out. Our kids are going to be just fine."

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Pink
pink/Instagram

Pink

We love Pink's no-nonsense attitude to just about everything, especially as it applies to breastfeeding. The singer has been a staunch supporter of normalizing breastfeeding and shutting down the shame. Pink captioned this sweet snap with her LO: "In honor of #nationalbreastfeedingweek2016 I proudly post this photo of a very HEALTHY, NATURAL act between mother and child. Taken in Helsinki by a very supportive and proud Papa."

More from CafeMom: The Real Breastfeeding Support System Every New Mom Needs

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