Ashley Graham Opens Up on Why She Opted to Breastfeed Only Her Firstborn

Ashley Graham broke barriers by becoming the first plus-size model featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Apart from her modeling milestones, Graham is a committed advocate for the body positivity movement. She embraces transparency in every facet of her life, openly discussing the challenges and joys of motherhood without reservation.

As a mother to both a son and twins, Graham champions the message that every mom possesses the autonomy to choose whether breastfeeding aligns with their preferences, free from societal pressures or expectations.

In an interview, Ashley candidly addressed the common outcomes of pregnancy that many women may undergo but often avoid discussing openly. The model acknowledged considering the notion of keeping certain aspects private, stating, “Especially with how your body is changing when you’re pregnant, and stretchmarks, and the saggy skin, formula, breastfeeding. Cause there’s also this whole thing with people telling you how to feed your child.”

Ashley opened up about her breastfeeding journey, revealing, “With my first kid, I was like, ‘I can only breastfeed! This is the right way!’ Then I had the twins and was like, ‘I’m not doing this. This is not working here. Both of you want both of these? This is a lot of work.’ So, I stopped breastfeeding when they were 5 months, and I gave them the best formula that I could find... And these little guys are so strong and so happy.”

Ultimately, Graham strongly believes that the decision between formula feeding or breastfeeding should be entirely left to each mom, guided by their personal experiences. She underscored this point, saying, “I don’t think we should be telling people how we should be feeding our kids.”

Continuing to connect with her audience, the model disclosed further about her physical challenges post-childbirth. She expressed, “Your body just fills up with nutrition, and the baby sucks it out of you. And then the baby comes out, and all of a sudden, you’re just fully depleted of everything, so your hair falls out, you get acne, I mean, the weight doesn’t come off.”

Graham delved into the topic, expressing, “I like to represent myself as someone who’s just happy with who I am. And I had a journey, like, it is a journey, body confidence, being okay with who you are is a journey... I don’t ever want to lie.” Her candid sharing of experiences deeply connects with mothers globally, offering them a sense of recognition and understanding. We commend her authenticity for providing support and making others feel less isolated in their journeys.

Previously, Ashley disclosed a confidence-boosting technique she used during a time when expressing self-love was challenging. To overcome this, she adopted a practice of repeating affirmations like “I am bold, I am brilliant, I am beautiful” while gazing at her own reflection in the mirror. This ritual evolved into her preferred method on particularly challenging days, serving as motivation to rise from bed and confront the difficulties.

Despite switching to formula in the case of the twins, Graham is among those celebrities who have challenged the stigma around breastfeeding in public.