Ireland Baldwin Gets Candid About Breastfeeding: ‘Kind Of Good At It’

Model Ireland Baldwinrecently gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Holland, with her longtime boyfriend, RAC.

The 27-year-old daughter of actor Alec Baldwin and actress Kim Basinger took to Instagram on August 3. Although it's widely known as National Watermelon Day, it is also known as National Breastfeeding Day, and the aspiring screenwriter wanted to let all of her followers know that she supported whatever decisions they wanted to make, whether it came to breastfeeding or by providing formula, as she has tried both.

On Thursday night, Ireland shared a photo of her holding her baby in her arms, showing her bleached blonde hair. She is continuing her practice of making sure not to show Holland’s face in any photos that she shares on social media, making sure to keep her baby’s face just out of the shot.

“I think yesterday was international breastfeeding day? Regardless of how you chose to feed your baby, a happy, fed baby is all that matters,” she wrote in the caption of this Instagram post. “To be completely transparent, I did not want to breastfeed. I had my own personal reasons for that choice.”

“But it turned out that me and little Miss were kind of good at it!!!” she revealed. “It just took a little time to get there. She was supplemented with formula and still gets formula/breast milk combo! I take pride in my ability to feed her with these milk jugs but I also love that she’s taking well to all of the options!”

She capped off her post with a message to all of the moms out there, adding, “Regardless of what you’re doing, just know, you’re doing a good job!!! In case someone hasn’t told you that lately.” Many fans shared stories of their own experience with breastfeeding in the comments.

Fans all had a variety of opinions as to whether or not formula was better than breastfeeding. “I didn’t want to breastfeed and so I didn’t. My daughter is 25 now and amazing. You said it. Fed is best,” one fan commented. “Breastfed two and bottle-fed two. All 4 are healthy. That’s all that matter,” another follower shared. “Thanks for normalizing that a well-fed baby is most important,” a third fan chimed in.

“You are taking to motherhood with such a calm fierceness- it’s like you were always meant for the role. I’ve been an admirer of your Mom for many years and now I see you looking so much like her it’s amazing,” another follower commented. “Seeing you take to motherhood has been so wonderful, thank you for sharing these glimpses into your life. You are absolutely glowing!”

In a since-deleted Instagram post published around Memorial Day, the model admitted that she has struggled with her first pregnancy. “I really struggled in my pregnancy as many of us do. Not just by puking everywhere. I don’t miss that. As someone who suffers tremendously from health anxiety, pregnancy shifted everything into overdrive,” she explained. “Every thought in my head pertained to hurting the baby.”

“I spent the last 9 months worrying about pulmonary embolisms, blood clots, pre-eclampsia. I read countless pregnancy horror stories and I watched negative birthing video after video until I’d go numb from it all,” she confessed. “I worried I wouldn’t make it through my delivery or something terrible would happen.”

However, when she was born, Ireland revealed that all of her fears “dissolved into nothingness,” adding, ”I know we’re all different and our birthing stories are different, but here’s what I want to share from mine.”

“Nearly everything everyone told would happen, didn’t. The delivery was intense, but I’ve been in worse pain. She was born,” she wrote. “My fears fled. My heart was full. I’ve fallen in love again for a second time. I’ve lost loads of sleep, but I couldn’t care less. I could stare at her doing absolutely nothing for hours. A sense of calm has washed over me since her arrival and that has in turn made me feel rested.”

She ended her post with some important advice for her followers, writing, “Don’t let people tell you how it’s going to be. Life is scary and unpredictable and this process was terrifying but it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done and ever will do. Don’t let people scare you.”

“Just take deep breaths and enjoy being pregnant,” she added. “Even if you’re a waddling, constipated solar system like I was. Because now that she’s out, I stare at her little feet kicking the air and remember what it was like feeling her kick me.”