Kate Upton Clarifies 'Context' of Recent Comments on Breastfeeding 'Sucking the Energy' from Her
Kate Upton is setting the record straight on how she feels about new moms each being on their own unique journeys.
The supermodel, 27, recently opened up in a cover story for Editorialist about feeling “so much pressure” after her now-14-month-old daughter Genevieve was born “to be doing all these things, like breastfeeding on the go.”
“The reality, for me, was that breastfeeding was sucking the energy away from me,” she revealed in the feature. “I realized I needed to calm down, to allow my body to recover.”
On Wednesday, Upton shared a photo of herself nursing her daughter, writing in the caption that she wanted to use the post “to take a minute to clarify the context of feeling pressures as a new mother and breastfeeding in the @editorialistmagazine article.”
“When asked about getting back in shape after pregnancy I discussed the major pressures that are out there for new moms to ‘snap back’ right after having a baby,” she recalled. “Every woman experiences this due to the unnecessary and unrealistic expectations that are brought into every household, mostly via social media.”
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Upton — who shares Genevieve with her Houston Astros pitcher husband Justin Verlander — went on to share candidly that she “certainly felt these pressures, as all women do,” after Genevieve was born in November 2018.
“I tried to push myself early to get back to the gym, eat perfectly and try to achieve this alleged ‘snap back.’ But, after realizing how ridiculous these pressures are I quickly gave myself some slack and lived in the moment as a new mother,” she said. “Every woman needs to give their body time to heal and to soak in those early, precious moments.”
Upton explained that she “realized quickly” in her new-motherhood experience “that between breastfeeding, healing, little-to-no sleep, off-the-charts hormone changes and experiencing everything for the first time that those weight-loss pressures are extremely unnecessary, and I decided to turn my energy towards my family.”
“Every mother’s experience is different with every baby,” she wrote. “I’ve learned everyone’s journey is extremely personal and no two are the same. My energy was drained but my heart was extremely full, and I decided to not let others’ opinions and expectations get in the way of my own personal timeline.”
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“In my opinion, enjoy the moments with your new baby and growing family, allow your body time to heal and make sure to go at your own pace. #motherhood #sharestrong,” Upton concluded in her caption.
The mother of one received a barrage of support in the comments, including from Paris Hilton (who dropped in two heart-eye emojis) and fellow model mama Lily Aldridge, who called her comments “Beautiful.”
Upton previously shared a black-and-white breastfeeding selfie in honor of International Women’s Day last year, captioning it, “Will cherish these moments forever 💗 can’t imagine a greater superpower!”
In a separate post, the model shared a throwback pregnancy photo and captioned it, “A world without sexism would be a world where hard work, merit and qualifications are put before gender. True partnerships would be present rather than the constrictions of traditional roles. Instead of being put in a box, everyone is on an even playing field and therefore benefits. This is the world in which I want my daughter to thrive.”
