WWE Star Brie Bella Gets Real About Breastfeeding
Professional wrestler, actor and businessperson Brie Bella is best known for her work onstage (and in the ring) — but her parenting journey has also been getting a lot of attention as of late, especially since the WWE star has been so candid about sharing her struggles.
In a sneak peek for an upcoming episode of Total Divas, Bella revealed that breastfeeding has become quite a challenge for her.
Scratch that: Breastfeeding has become a huge challenge.
“My breast milk’s taken a huge dip,” Bella said in a clip for the show. “I used to have enough where I donate. And now, I’ve realized in the last month that I can’t even keep up with her during the day, so I’ve had to introduce one bottle of formula a day. I’m trying to pump and do all this stuff, but it’s the stress. I hate pumping. To the point it makes me feel bad when I’m doing it because I’m so miserable.”
Of course, Bella’s frustrations are totally relatable, especially if you’ve ever breastfed before. But Bella isn’t just struggling physically and emotionally; she, like many parents, is consumed by guilt.
“The guilt always plays in," Bella admitted in the teaser. "Mom guilt’s the worst feeling in the world."
That said, she did reveal she still loves the act. “Breastfeeding is extremely hard, but I love the bond with Birdie. My body is feeding my child," Bella said. "But at the same time, I don’t want to lose myself. I don’t want to lose my career. I want to balance both, and that’s what I thought pumping could balance, Birdie and my job, but it’s not working. It’s weird how you just constantly feel like you’re failing.”
So where does that leave the wrestler and mom? Well, in the clip, Bella admitted she doesn’t know: “These women make me feel like it’s OK if you don’t want to breastfeed anymore or it’s OK to still balance it. To have other women just be like, ‘You do you. That’s all you have to do,’ is a huge revelation — especially since the decision to breastfeed or not to breastfeed is a very personal one."
As for Bella, we hope she finds the balance she longs for — or at least an arrangement that works for both her and Birdie.
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