Despite her best efforts, Khloé Kardashian recently "had to stop" breastfeeding her 12-week-old daughter True, the 34-year-old reality star revealed on Twitter.
Khloé came clean about her nursing struggles last week after a fan asked her about pumping at work: "I had to stop breast feeding [sic]," she admitted in a tweet, saying that "it was really hard for me to stop (emotionally) but it wasn’t working for my body. Sadly."
According to an anonymous insider who spoke with People, Khloé was nervous to open up about her breastfeeding struggles. It's understandable: No matter how famous you are, it's scary to publicly own up to things that are often perceived as shortcomings. But in an impressive show of support, Khloé's confession was met with an outpouring of love from other moms on Twitter who found her candor super refreshing…
Khloé's daughter, True Thompson, was born on April 12.
The adorable little angel is Khloé's first child with her boyfriend, Cleveland Cavaliers star Tristan Thompson.
Khloé was very open about her pregnancy and has maintained that same honesty as a new mom.
In the wake of True's birth, Khloé told her Snapchat followers that she had trouble getting back into the swing of things fitness-wise.
"It is a struggle getting back into the groove of working out. Mentally, I’m strong, but physically it’s just not the same. My body is not doing what I feel like my mind is telling it to do," she explained in a video posted after her first postpartum workout in May. "So that’s a struggle, but it’s only day one. I need to motivate myself."
And just this past week, she opened up about being "anxious" to return to work for the first time since True was born.
"I don’t know how I’m going to leave her [True] all day tomorrow," Khloé admitted on Snapchat. "That’s freaking me out. But I got to go back to work at some point."
On July 6, Khloé took to Twitter to tell her fans about another struggle she's faced as a new mom: being unable to breastfeed.
The aforementioned insider told People that Khloé just couldn't produce enough milk.
"She always planned to try and breastfeed — and she did — and just followed what worked for her and her body," the source explained. "With a minimal milk supply, she just couldn’t sustain it."
She saw a specialist "and everything" but still had no luck.
A second insider who spoke with the gossip magazine said that Khloé had been "really excited" about breastfeeding and "having that bonding experience" with her daughter.
After she realized that breastfeeding just "wasn't working for my body," Khloé became nervous about going public with her struggles, the second source continued.
She "was worried people would judge her," the insider said, "but then realized she wanted to be open and honest."
Khloé's decision to tell her fans about her difficulties with nursing was a good one, judging by all the positive feedback she's gotten to her tweets about the matter.
Moms from all walks of life have come out of the woodwork to share kind words of empathy and support.
Khloé's struggle isn't all that uncommon: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of moms don't breastfeed for as long as they intend to due to a variety of factors, from lactation issues to a lack of family support.
For her part, Khloé's nursing difficulties weren't for lack of effort, asserted People's second source.
”She was very aware of being healthy and keeping up her supply as much as she could," said the insider. "She ate enough food, she drank a ton of water and she eased into working out, so that she didn’t overdo it."
"Bottom line is that Khloé is such an amazing mom to True," the source concluded. "She’s a natural. And she’s going to stay focused on that and not listen to people who criticize her for any reason."
As she should!
After all, a baby and her mama's health is of the utmost importance. Who cares what everyone else thinks?
Lots of love to you and True, Koko!
