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Parenting

07th Dec 2018

Kat Von D asked for breast milk donations for her baby and it’s caused controversy

Amy Nolan

Kat Von D asked for breast milk donations for her baby and it's caused controversy

The new mum posted a video on Instagram explaining the situation.

The makeup artist and her husband Leafar Reyes recently welcomed their first child. Kat shared the happy news on Instagram Sunday night, posting a photo of father and son together.

The baby’s name, Leafar Von D Reyes, didn’t come as a surprise – Leafar Senior had revealed what they’d be calling him during the pregnancy.

Kat has now found herself at the centre of some controversy after she posted a video on Instagram saying she reached out for breast milk donations after the birth of her child when she couldn’t produce milk herself.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

During the first two days of Leafar’s life, his blood sugar count had been low, and as much as I had committed myself to strictly breastfeed, my milk hadn’t come in yet. The pediatrician suggested asking around to see if any friends might have a bit of extra milk they could donate – and if not, I’d have to consider supplementing with formula – something we personally did not want to do. I called my beloved midwife, @losangelesmidwife to see if she knew anyone who might be willing to share a bit of their breastmilk who was on a plant-based diet, as that was crucial to us, and she quickly connected me with @mattersofmotherhood who, without even knowing me, and without question, stepped up and donated a few ounces to us in the middle of the night. Needless to say, Leafar’s levels boosted, and we are now happily breastfeeding at home. Can’t thank @mattersofmotherhood enough for getting us through those rough nights with your donation. This is true community. True sisterhood. True kindness. And I can’t wait to pay it forward one day soon. ? ***UPDATE: just to address a few misconceptions about my caption. First, I’m not shaming anyone who chooses to use formula. Just like I would never shame anyone for the food they ate or anything for that matter. So, please don’t shame me for sharing our personal approach to nursing. Second, I did not starve my baby for his first two days of life. I’m not mad at ya’all who attacked me about it -because clearly you may not be familiar with how breast feeding works and that’s ok! I wasn’t either until I got pregnant! :) but for the first 2.5 days my breasts were producing colostrum (not the same thing as milk) and it’s absolutely normal for mom’s milk not to come in until day 5 sometimes. With that being said, my little one just needed to get through one night’s worth of feedings with supplemented donors milk. And I’m happy to report my milk came in shortly after that! So thanks for all the love and support everyone! Let’s keep it positive! ***

A post shared by ??? ??? ? (@thekatvond) on

She explained that the baby’s blood sugar levels were low when he was born and said:

“The pediatrician suggested asking around to see if any friends might have a bit of extra milk they could donate – and if not, I’d have to consider supplementing with formula — something we personally did not want to do.”

The thirty-six-year-old reached out to her midwife who put her in touch with Morgan Campbell of Matters of Motherhood who, “without question, stepped up and donated a few ounces” for Leafar to use.

Kat was immensely thankful for the kind donations, but her post received some negative attention when people thought she was shaming mums who give their babies formula. She was also criticised for saying that she would only accept donations from women who were on a vegan diet.

Kat has since updated the Instagram post saying that she didn’t mean to shame any mums who choose to give their babies formula. She also asked people to keep things positive.