Ileana D’Cruz on her struggle with breastfeeding: ‘I had no idea it was going to be intensely painful…’

Ileana D'Cruz spoke about her worries over breastfeeding and how the lactation consultant, who was supposed to help her overcome her anxieties, left her feeling even more uncomfortable

Ileana D’Cruz welcomed her second child, son Keanu Rafe Dolan, this June. The actress, who lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband Michael Dolan, first became a mother in 2023 when she gave birth to her son, Koa Phoenix Dolan. Now fully devoted to motherhood, she shared her experiences during an Instagram Live on August 30.

In her conversation with Neha Dhupia on the channel Freedom to Feed, Ileana spoke about the difficulties of breastfeeding, which didn’t come easy to her. She admitted that although she had prepared by talking to friends, nothing compared to the reality of it, which turned out to be harder than she expected.

Ileana said, “She did tell me, you know, breastfeeding is really intense. It can be really painful, but she's like, it's the most beautiful thing as well. And she was absolutely right. It was definitely painful initially. And then, you know, you have the other complications that come with breastfeeding... I had no idea it was going to be as intensely painful as it was.”

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However, Ileana confessed that it’s also something that helps form a bond with her baby and called it a ‘privilege’ to be able to feed him. “I don't know, it’s such a, maybe, privilege is the right word. It's such a privilege to be able to feed your child, and the connection that you can have with your baby is really lovely,” she added.

Ileana spoke about her worries over breastfeeding and how the lactation consultant, who was supposed to help her overcome her anxieties, left her feeling even more uncomfortable.

Also read | Ileana D'Cruz's 'life lately' with baby boy Koa; watch video

“At the hospital, we were told, you know, 'Would you like a lactation consultant to come and speak with you'? So I was like, 'Yeah, of course, you know, I'd love to have an expert come and talk to me'. And I just felt so much judgment from this woman. She was like, the first question, she's like, 'Do you plan to breastfeed? Are you going to be formula feeding as well'? And I'm like, 'Well, I plan to breastfeed only, but you know, you don't know what's going to happen'... I'm like, every woman has her own journey. Every mother has her own journey with her child, and you know, what's best for your kid, instinctively,” she said.

Not just this, Ileana also shared how there were conflicting opinions on whether she should pump milk or not. While some discouraged her from doing so, her doctor advised her to go ahead with it because of inflammation.

Though her experience with breastfeeding was extremely painful and the differing voices around her left her confused, she eventually learned to trust her gut and rely on herself when it came to decision-making.