"This Is Not For Me": Amy Schumer Got Candid About Why She Stopped Breastfeeding

Although it was tough at times, Amy Schumer has called 2019 the "best year" of her life. The actress became a mom, an obviously a life-changing event, but also struggled throughout her pregnancy with extreme morning sickness and after as she began to breastfeed her newborn son. She's been candid from the beginning, and during a recent interview, Schumer opened up about why she ultimately stopped breastfeeding with refreshing honesty that will likely resonate with moms who've found themselves in the same situation.

The Trainwreck star and her husband, chef Chris Fischer, welcomed baby boy Gene back in May 2019. By the time her son arrived, Schumer had spent time in the hospital being treated for hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness that can lead to severe dehydration. She was hilariously forthright on her social media platform (and throughout her Emmy award-winning Netflix special Growing) about the process, so it was no surprise that she was just as open about her trials as a new mom. And during a recent interview on Dr. Berlin's Informed Pregnancy Podcast, Schumer admitted that one of her most difficult struggles was trying to breastfeed little Gene.

Schumer shared that she initially wanted to breastfeed Gene, but couldn't get him to latch, even after bringing in a lactation consultant. "Gene didn’t latch and I just didn’t feel that push to make that happen," she said. "Then I pumped for, like, the first month."

Schumer went on to share that she was using a breast pump for awhile but, again, it didn't feel like something she wanted to continue doing. And here's the part that is sort of revolutionary for other moms who have trouble with breastfeeding and pumping: She realized she could simply stop.

"I was like, ‘This is not for me.' I didn’t want to do it," Schumer shared on the podcast. "Some people just absolutely love it and I’m so happy for them, but it was just bumming me out. Once it occurred to me that I could stop, I was like, ‘I’m going to stop.' And then every week I just took away one session of the pumping."

Schumer then switched Gene to formula feeding and never looked back.

As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes, 60% of moms who plan to breastfeed stop before they expected to for various reasons, like sore nipples and inadequate milk supply, for example. And it's actually OK to stop. At the end of the day, fed is best. Just ask Amy Schumer. No mom should feel ashamed or stigmatized or wrong if it's simply not working out for them.

If you'd like to listen to the full episode of Schumer's interview on Dr. Berlin's Informed Pregnancy Podcast, check it out here.