 Celebrity
breastfeeders - who is, who isn't
There's been a recent boom in celebrity baby births, and A-listers
are showing off more than just their new babies, with stars like Christina
Aguilera and Halle Berry flaunting impressive cleavages, thanks to breastfeeding.
And they're not alone. We take a look at the celebs who are - and the
ones who aren't - breastfeeding their famous offspring. "
Charlotte Church
- The former wild-child singer surprised everyone, giving up her
partying lifestyle to become an Earth Mother since giving birth to daughter
Ruby seven months ago. Still nursing her daughter, the 21 year old says,
"I can't imagine not breastfeeding. I'm not going to preach about it,
but it's better for the baby and the mother, and it's such a bonding thing
as well. I think if you can and you don't, it's ridiculous."
STOP PRESS....Charlotte Church will call on other young mums to consider
breastfeeding after new statistics revealed that only 42% of Welsh mothers
under 20 start to breastfeed compared to 76% of mothers over 30. Read
news story here.
Nicole Richie -
Before falling pregnant with her daughter Harlow, now three months old,
Richie received a lot of negative attention for her severe weight loss.
Since having her baby, however, she is revelling in her newfound, more
buxom figure thanks in part to exclusively breastfeeding. She still watches
what she eats but for much more sensible reasons. "There's just so much
I can't eat because she's sensitive," says the new mum. "I eat really
bland food - chicken noodle soup, vegetables, fish. I had to cut out milk,
no tomatoes, no lettuce. You think you have to cut everything out when
you're pregnant, but you really have to cut everything out when you're
breastfeeding."
Naomi Watts -
The Australian actress is mum to eight month old Alexander, and says breastfeeding
means she can continue to eat what she wants. "In fact, I have been eating
just as much as I was when I was pregnant because in order to produce
breast milk, you have to keep the carbohydrates going. It's so funny,
it feels quite strange to be at a press junket and hard to get excited
about anything else. I'm thinking about when's the next feeding, when
can I catch up on sleep, when do I pump, when do I file his nails so he
doesn't scratch himself?"
Halle Berry -
The latest celebrity to join the Yummy Mummy club made her first
public appearance just six weeks after having daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry
in March. The Oscar-winning actress, 41, showed off her post-baby figure
in a leopard-print dress with a plunging neckline that drew attention
to her 'breast' assets.
Christina Aguilera
- The 27-year old singer recently joked about the size of her 'nursing
boobs' with Ellen DeGeneres on her chat show. She admits that exclusively
breastfeeding her three month old son has helped her regain her pre-pregnancy
figure. "I think they say that when you're breastfeeding, you know, your
weight kind of slims down. It's a little easier," she said, adding, "It's
like a workout within itself. It's very tiring actually and you find yourself
snacking more often."
Helena Bonham Carter
- The mother of two admits to loving breastfeeding, having breastfed
her first child until he was four years old. Speaking four months after
the birth of her daughter, she said, "You know you're providing a real
service. After carrying around your boobs for so long, it's nice to know
they have an actual purpose." The actress also thinks her larger bust
will benefit her when she reprises her role of Bellatrix in the next Harry
Potter film. "The good thing is, Bellatrix has huge breasts, and I won't
need the chicken cutlets this time," she explained. "Like lactating on
a broomstick."
Salma Hayek
- The actress recently caused uproar when she claimed one aspect
of breastfeeding was a myth. After rumours circulated saying the new mum
of one had hired an 'industrial strength breast pump' in a bid to lose
her pregnancy weight, she told Oprah, "Everybody tells you if you breastfeed,
[the weight] is going to come off. It's a lie - it's not true. I'm going
to say something. Except for a couple of exceptions, the only reason people
lose weight like that when they're breastfeeding is 'cos they're not eating
and they're breastfeeding. And this is not good for the baby."
Eva Herzigova - The German supermodel
made the rest of us mere mortals green with envy when, just seven weeks
after having her son George, the model posed for several photos, including
breastfeeding her baby. She says she's nursing George to build a strong
relationship. "So I now have 10 pounds more than before and most of them
seem to be in my breasts!" she joked. "I'd love to keep the extra weight
in this place! Right now, I try to eat a lot of fatty foods, because I
believe this is good for my milk."
Gwen Stefani -
The mum of one is expecting her second child in the summer and
has no doubt that she'll breastfeed again. She says, "I love that I'm
someone special and that I feed him. I'm the milk cow! My theory is that
nursing gives you superhuman powers. How else could I be doing all this
when I'm usually a sleepaholic?"
Jessica Alba
- The first-time pregnant actress recently admitted to being anxious
about breastfeeding her baby, due in the summer. "I've been having dreams.
They only have to do with breastfeeding, which is the only thing I'm paranoid
about, more than giving birth!"
Nicole Kidman
- After suffering the heartbreak of two miscarriages during her
marriage to Tom Cruise, the Australian actress is delighted to be expecting
her first child, due this summer. Although she hasn't confirmed whether
or not she plans to breastfeed, the 41 year old is excited about the advantages
of gaining baby weight. "I'm so happy. I can't ask for anything more except
big boobs. I've wanted Marilyn Monroe curves all my life."
Penny Lancaster
- The model and wife of Rod Stewart breastfed her son for
nearly a year. "For the first nine months with breastfeeding, I kept up
my calorie intake and my exercise routine consisted of pushing Alistair
in his pram. It's only now that I feel I have got my figure back. But
I've done it the right way, the natural way."
Courtney Cox - The Friends actress
and mum of one, breastfed her daughter for over a year. "Breastfeeding
is undoubtedly the best thing you can do for your baby. It took a lot
of persevering through the early weeks because my daughter didn't latch
on properly and it really hurt; but I'm happy I stayed with it because
not only do I have a special bond with my child, but it's easy now and
is also extremely healthy."
Jennifer Garner -
the Alias actress, and wife of Ben Affleck, nursed her daughter for 14
months, saying breastfeeding "gave me peace and a sense of purpose."
Britney Spears -
the troubled mum of two breastfed both her boys for several weeks.
Emma Bunton
- Like her fellow Spice Girls Victoria, Mel B and Geri, Baby Spice
breastfed her son for four months before embarking on the group's reunion
tour.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
- The actress and wife of Michael Douglas spoke openly of her love
of breastfeeding her son Dylan Michael. "I'm going to do it as long as
I can," she said at the time. "There is something so intimate about it.
For that one hour or 45 minutes it's just wonderful. It's wonderful bonding
and you know they're getting all those antibodies."
Adam Sandler
- The Hollywood star's wife is breastfeeding his new daughter,
Sadie. Sandler said of his daughter appetite "It's something else. It's
like a tiger going crazy. The kid doesn't stop eating and sucking away.
Those used to be for Pops. Not any more!"
Julia Roberts
- While breastfeeding her twin babies
Finn and Hazel, the actress had a hard time finding a dress to wear to
the 2005 Oscars because of her enhanced bosom. She eventually settled
for a black gown with scooped neck, but complained, "It's the only dress
brave enough to hold in my breast line. Yes, I'm serious, this is no joke."
Marcia Cross - The Desperate Housewife
called her ability to simultaneously breastfeed her twin daughters, Eden
and Savannah, "a huge accomplishment" adding, "It's not like I'm cooking
- I'm breastfeeding. I feel that's like the best cooking I can do." Although
it wasn't all plain sailing to start with, the actress enjoyed nursing
her babies. "Eden had trouble latching on, but breastfeeding was the most
wonderful thing, so beautiful, so sweet and intimate. I had to stop when
Eden and Savannah were four months old to go back to work, though."
Cynthis Watros -
The Lost actress nursed her twin girls, Emma and Sadie, now 7 years
old. She says, "I look at my body a differently now than I did before.
You look at your breasts a little differently. Before, you get a great
bra, and they're these things that are just nice looking. Now I look at
them and I still think that they're breasts, they're my breasts, they're
great breasts but it's also amazing that I can feed human beings with
them."
Jennifer Lopez - Sporting the latest
trend in Hollywood twins, the new mother caused uproar amongst breastfeeding
advocates when she explained her reasons why she was not going to breastfeed
her newborn twins, Max and Emme. ""My mum didn't breast feed and I think
that was the thing for me. You read and figure out what's the best thing
for them", she stated.
Katie Price (Jordan)
- The former glamour model came under a lot of criticism last year
when a magazine spread showed her bottle feeding her daughter, Princess
Tiaami, alongside a full-page advertisement for SMA formula milk. However,
the mother of three openly claimed she would never breastfeed, saying
only a certain kind of person could handle her knockers "and that certain
kind of person is not a baby. I don't want a baby drinking from me."
Did she or didn't she? (And will she this time?)
Angelina Jolie - The UN Ambassador, and mother of four, is pregnant
with her second (and possibly third) biological child, and already the
gossip is whether or not the actress will breastfeed the newest addition
to the Pitt-Jolie clan. Although she famously blamed her dramatic weight
loss after the birth of daughter Shiloh on breastfeeding, in interviews
following the birth she repeatedly commented on Brad giving the baby a
bottle. Although she could have been expressing milk, many doubt that
she ever breastfed at all. With the baby (or babies) due in a few weeks,
all eyes will be on this mum's nursing habits.
Where to next?
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