What It s Like to Breastfeed When You Have an IBD Everyday Health Menu NewslettersSearch IBD What It s Like to Breastfeed When You Have an IBD One woman with Crohn’s disease shares her experience caring for a newborn. By Natalie (Sparacio) HaydenFor My Health Story Reviewed: August 10, 2022 Everyday Health Blogs Fact-Checked Natalie Hayden in photos with her youngest child, Connor.Courtesy of Natalie Hayden; Canva Breastfeeding has been a unique experience for me. I’m a mom of three with Crohn’s disease, and I fed each of my children differently their first year of life. My youngest recently turned 1. I exclusively breastfed him during his first year, but that wasn’t the case for the other kids. Being a mom with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) adds layers of complexities that are often not talked about when it comes to feeding your child, what’s best for you physically and mentally, and what works for your family. It’s not a black-and-white issue, and the gray area can be overwhelming as you navigate pregnancy and parenthood with IBD. Uncertainty About the Best Way to Feed My Son When I was pregnant with my first child six years ago, I was adamant aboug not breastfeeding. I’ve been on a biologic injection to manage my Crohn’s disease since 2008, and at the time of my pregnancy, I didn’t feel there were enough long-term studies showing the safety and efficacy of breastfeeding while on this medication. I dealt with enough fear and guilt staying on my medication while he was in utero. At the time, I wanted to cut all ties between my body and his in case I had a postpartum flare and wouldn’t be able to provide for him while hospitalized. I ended up nursing Reid during his first three days of life so he could get colostrum, and then we introduced formula while we were still in the hospital. Even though I knew formula was the game plan, it was still emotionally taxing on me. I cried the first time we gave him a bottle and felt like I was failing him. Societal pressure was screaming at me, saying things like ‘you’re taking the easy way out’ or ‘you’re not giving him the best nourishment he could have.’ At the same time though, I was comforted knowing that he wouldn’t need to depend on my body for food if my IBD were to flare. But family members, friends, and even strangers would casually ask me if I was breastfeeding him, and the comment or look or stare after I responded added salt to the wound because it was a constant reminder of the expectations of society that I wasn’t meeting.As a woman with IBD, I have struggled with feeling "less than" because of the limitations of my disease. From trying to While I was pregnant with my daughter, Sophia, I knew I was going to try to breastfeed her. I was nervous and excited at the same time. I saw how my firstborn thrived and was a picture of health after being on formula for his first year, so that helped comfort me. But I wanted to give breastfeeding a shot and was confident that I could do so safely. Breastfeeding was a labor of love, blood, sweat, and tears from the start. I did not enjoy it. The first night home she cluster-fed the entire night, meaning she would latch on to my breast for short feedings multiple times throughout the day. I was bleeding. I was texting all my fellow mom friends in the early morning hours for advice and settled on pumping for most of my daughter’s meals. I would still nurse her, but only once or twice a day. The first few months were grueling but I didn’t want to give up, and at the same time it felt like a lot of pressure to keep up with her feeds. I almost felt like I had something to prove to myself and to others. It felt like a badge of honor to say, “Oh yeah, I’m breastfeeding my daughter.” My husband would feed her a breastmilk bottle in the middle of the night while I pumped and didn’t understand why I wouldn’t just nurse her. After three months, I started supplementing formula and we got into a much better groove. She would easily go from the breast to a bottle of breastmilk, or a bottle of formula, and not bat an eye. I finally felt at ease. Once we hit the six-month mark, I hoped to make it the rest of the year, but the moment my menstrual cycle returned my milk supply disappeared. In a way, it was nice because I didn’t have to make the choice to stop, and I didn’t have to deal with weaning. I wasn’t sure I would ever want to breastfeed again. As women, it can be easy to fall victim to the constant, looming societal pressure, but it’s important we drown out that noise and not allow it to dictate the way we live our lives — whether it’s the way we feed our children or how we parent. How I Became an Exclusively Breastfeeding IBD MomI delivered my third baby, Connor, in July 2021. We were still in the thick of the Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.See More NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Digestive Health Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Latest in IBD Study Shows Depression Affects IBD Patients and Their Siblings New research is the first to show a bidirectional link between inflammatory bowel disease and depression.By Ashley WelchOctober 6, 2022 Despite Rising Cases, Hispanic Americans Face Delays in IBD Treatment Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are still largely thought of as white diseases. 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