Why Hayley Hubbard Won’t Be Breastfeeding Her New Baby
Just a few weeks since the birth of her third baby and second son, Hayley Hubbard says she has made the decision not to breastfeed.
"Now, looking back, breastfeeding really amplified symptoms of postpartum depression for me," Hubbard tells People in a new interview. "It was never something that came easy to me or something that I honestly enjoyed, no matter how many specialists we talked to or how well I was producing milk."
Hayley and Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard welcomed baby Atlas Roy Hubbard into the world on Sept. 24, and returned to their Nashville home to greet their other children, 13-month-old son Luca Reed and 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter Olivia Rose.
"Knowing that I would be coming home to two busy toddlers that needed my attention, and a husband that was injured, breastfeeding and pumping around-the-clock seemed even more daunting," Hayley tells the magazine. "I encourage anyone else feeling this way to do the same and to not feel any shame about it. It has been significantly life-changing in the best way for my mental health and postpartum."
Even the new daddy of three says that the change has already had a positive effect on the family.
"We're getting more sleep with Atlas than we did with the other babies since Hayley isn't breastfeeding this time around," Hubbard shares. "We can now share the responsibility of feeding, which is really nice and allows me to have more bonding time with Atlas."
Hayley had challenges breastfeeding Luca when he was born, which she shared publicly, admitting to the fact that he simply required more milk than she could provide.
"He eats probably double what Liv eats, so I've had a hard time producing milk quick enough for him," she revealed last year. "We've had to supplement [with formula] and I think emotionally as a mom, that’s always hard to accept that fact. I’ve tried to be really aware of my emotions and give myself grace and just tell myself I’m doing the best I can."
The Hubbards have said Atlas will likely be their last child, sharing with People previously that they were "looking forward to experiencing that again and then just knowing we're going to be finished. This is our family, and let's grow together."
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