Tia Mowry Shares Emotional Story About Her ‘Difficult’ Breastfeeding Journey & It Shows Just How Amazing Moms Are

August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, and Tia Mowry is opening up about the “difficult” times she had breastfeeding her kids Cree, now 12, and Cairo, now 5. The Sister, Sister star shared a series of intimate photos and an emotional post on Instagram, and it truly showcases the amazing power of moms.

Mowry admitted that she “was struggling to breastfeed” her firstborn son, and ended up switching to formula when he was 3 months old. Thanks to the community she found on Instagram, she “learned a lot more about breastfeeding” from the “huge community of women who were all so supportive and encouraged me to continue on.” This led to her breastfeeding Cairo for 13 months.

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Still, despite the longevity, it wasn’t easy. “Nonetheless, the journey was difficult,” she wrote. “I was pumping every 3 hours at work while working 14 hour days on set, and at times I would have to breastfeed on set as well. And after those long days, I would return home and to breastfeed Cairo.” Being a working mom and a breastfeeding mom is hard! You have to pump throughout the day so you don’t lose your supply, and it can feel so discouraging.

Things were especially hard for Mowry when she had to leave town. “Whenever I was traveling for work, I would pump extra milk so that she would have milk when I was away,” the Family Reunion star said. “My body was extremely fatigued and overworked, and at one point, I got mastitis which is a painful infection of the breast tissue and had to be hospitalized.” Ouch!

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Despite these challenges, Mowry continued on. “But even through the long days, and the hospitalization, I still didn’t give up,” she said. “I continued to breastfeed through the pain, and pushed through. If this isn’t enough to show you how badass moms can be- then I don’t know what else to tell you!” Preach it, girl! Moms are amazing, there’s no doubt about that.

She also encouraged other moms who struggle with breastfeeding, writing that it’s “more than okay to feed your children formula.”

“As long as your children are fed, loved, happy, and supported that’s all that matters,” she added. “Sending my love and support all you superhero moms out there 🫶🏽You got this!”

The photos she shared included several beautiful shots of her breastfeeding, pumping, crying, and being in the hospital.

Many women felt encouraged by her post, with one person writing, “Thank you for sharing this powerful message and giving people a glimpse of the struggle you had to face while taking care of your children. Being a mother is a badge of honor and many people should realize mothers rock and do their thing to make things happen for their kids.”

Someone else wrote, “Breastfeeding is a rewarding journey and a blessing, but the struggle was real. I’m still amazed I did it for almost 2 years. The journey is definitely different for everyone.” So true.

In Aug. 2020, Mowry shared other details about her breastfeeding journey. “#breastfeeding my son Cree was very challenging,” she wrote. “I just didn’t have enough milk and that was okay. However, with my daughter #cairo I was determined to try again and I’m so happy I did. I researched, looked to the #breastfeeding community for guidance and had an incredible breastfeeding consultant. I was able to #breastfeed #cairo for 13 months. Trust me, it was not easy. I had #mastitis in the first few months. Cairo also has a lip tie making it a little challenging. However, we did not give up! To all the #mothers who couldn’t breastfeed. Don’t beat yourself up. The most important thing is that your baby is fed, protected and loved. 💕 #wegotthis”

Mowry shares her two kids with ex-husband Cory Hardrict. The two divorced this year after spending nearly 15 years together. Last month, Mowry told Hello Beautiful that this was the “best gift” for their kids.

“A part of my decision was also for them. For them seeing their mother walk in truth. I feel like it’s a great lesson for them because it was not an easy decision,” she said. “It was one of the hardest decisions that I had ever had to make in my entire life. But if they see that mommy can do it, that mommy, no matter what people say, no matter, even if there’s some sort of doubt, whatever, mommy pushed through. [They can say] my mommy is living and chasing her truth. I want my children to do that.”

She added that it was “the best gift I can give them. I want for them not to live a life that I want them to live, for them not to live a life that everybody else wants them to live or what they think that they should be or live.”

These celebrity moms have shared their journey with breastfeeding as Black women.

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