Alyssa Milano has become a hero for new moms. The actress isn’t afraid to speak out against breastfeeding haters. She also encourages moms to feel good about their post-baby bodies.
“Thank you for supporting and normalizing breastfeeding. I breastfed all three of my boys and it was such a blessing,” one fan comments on her Instagram post.
Embedded content: https://www.instagram.com/p/BIp1jK_BtxH/?taken-by=milano_alyssa
“I am a fan of you ever since 'Charmed' days. … And now that I am a mother too, I adore you for fighting for our rights to normalize breastfeeding. I am a working mom, and I am proud to say that i have been breastfeeding for nine months now. I am praying that this will last for two years and beyond. God bless you and your family,” writes another mom.
So in honor of Alyssa Milano’s public support for motherhood, here are four reasons why she’s a hero for new moms.
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- She's not afraid to be vocal about breastfeeding.
Being a mom is my life right now. And such a big part of how I treat social media is sharing parts of my life.
Milano’s daughter Elizabella Dylan is now 2 years old, and her son Milo Thomas is 5 years old. There are tons of photos of them breastfeeding. Although she didn’t seek out to start drama, the pictures continue to keep the breastfeeding conversation going. It helps normalize breastfeeding and reminds new moms that it’s OK to breastfeed, despite negative comments from people.
Milano spoke with PopSugar about the impact these images have on normalizing breastfeeding.
"I don't think it was ever a specific decision where I was like 'OK, I'm going to try to be an advocate for breastfeeding or try to give the moms the strength to do it,'" she said. "I just think that being a mom is my life right now. And such a big part of how I treat social media is sharing parts of my life. It would be inorganic if I didn't share that huge part of who I am."
As a former breastfeeding mom, I’ve been in the same position where people didn’t understand my choice to nurse. It’s a touchy topic for a lot of moms. Not everyone is able to or wants to breastfeed. Either way, I respect their decision as I'd want others to respect mine.
- Milano also speaks out against parent shaming.
The mom of two went on to say how important it is for moms to support one another and not judge other women for the choices they make.
"And not just moms but women in general need to support each other, lift each other up and really work together," Milano said. "We have to because the only way we're going to change what's going on in the world as far as sexism goes is to come together," she told PopSugar.
- She's not afraid to defend her choices publicly.
Milano appeared on the Wendy Williams talk show in January 2016 and opened up about motherhood. When the talk show host proclaimed her disapproval regarding breastfeeding in public, Milano stated that, "Biologically, they're not made for sexual things. That's what we've done to them." She went on to say that she’d wouldn’t have a problem nursing her baby on her show at that moment.
- She sends a positive message to moms about being comfortable with their post-baby bodies.
Some moms are able to get back their pre-baby body back in a short period of time, while other struggle to shed the extra pounds. In an interview with Today, Milano encouraged moms to be kind to themselves.
“I do believe that the weight does come off in the right time. I really do. When I gave birth both times, I didn’t rush myself to lose the weight, but eventually it did come off. Sometimes it’s hard work, but to me, it took such a backseat to being a new mother and what that meant and how special and physically demanding that was alone,” she said. She also added that she loves her C-section scar because it’s where her babies came from.
Milano's refreshing take serves as a reminder to go easy on ourselves. This type of positivity is needed because we live in a society that often puts pressure on moms to lose the baby weight, and we’re often the butt of body shaming jokes.
I’ve also struggled with shedding the post-pregnancy weight in the past. I understand feeling frustrated about not seeing any movement on the scale. Like Milano said, it may take some time, but the weight will come off eventually.
Whether you nurse or bottle-feed, deal with post-baby weight issues or not, you can’t deny that Milano’s a hero for new moms. It takes a lot of gall to shut down folks out there who are “still ignorant and backwards” when it comes to nursing. It's also nice to see her encourage moms to not get caught up in aesthetics. Milano stands up for what she believes in and she does it all with class.
