Lauren Parsekian Shares an Important Message About the Painful Realities of Breastfeeding

Lauren Parsekian is a new mom to her precious baby girl, Story Annabelle, and she's cherishing the ups and getting real about the downs of taking care of a newborn. She and husband Aaron Paul welcomed their daughter just two weeks ago, and Lauren is opening up about her struggles with breastfeeding in an important message to her Instagram followers. The Kind Campaign cofounder and all-around caring human always has a way with words, and this time is no different.

Sharing a new photo of her baby, Lauren wrote, "She is everything. My world. Sometimes I just stare at her and cry over how precious and pure she is." She noted that what people say about nothing preparing you for that kind of love is true. Then, she continued by touching on a subject that doesn't get as much public conversation: the serious pain breastfeeding can cause, specifically related to mastitis, or painful breast inflammation that can cause severe flu-like symptoms. "Breastfeeding. Oh man. While it's been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life, I have developed Mastitis twice within 3 weeks," Lauren shared. "It was the sickest I have ever felt. The pain and aches were unbelievable."

Moms immediately expressed gratitude for this candid caption, and many can relate. One comment reads, "Thanks for the real talk — I had no idea what a challenge breastfeeding would be until I had my little one seven weeks ago. I've been able to persevere but have seen and heard about so much judgment of friends who can't, these women need support and posts like this rather than judgment and fairy tales about how natural and wonderful it is." Sophia Bush, a close friend of Lauren's, also commented, "You have the most beautiful heart, sister."

It's helpful to encourage more conversations about these issues, especially among first-time moms who may be unaware of these possible complications. Feeling a responsibility to share her experience in the hopes of spreading awareness, Lauren said, "If I could give an upcoming mother any advice for this chapter it would be to become well educated about breastfeeding." Read her full post above.