Anna Paquin feels 'guilty and sad' she couldn't breastfeed

Anna Paquin says she feels 'guilty and sad' she couldn't breastfeed her babies.
Anna Paquin. Photo credit: Getty

Anna Paquin has emotionally opened up about not being able to breastfeed her babies in an Instagram post published at the end of World Breastfeeding Week 2019.

The New Zealand-born Oscar-winner says she feels sad and guilty for not being able to breastfeed her children Charlie and Poppy, and it made her feel like "a lesser mum".

World Breastfeeding Week is organised by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), an organisation "dedicated to the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide".

"Am I the only mother who, for a whole bunch of reasons, was unable to breastfeed who feels really sad/guilty/bad about myself during #WorldBreastfeedingWeek?" Paquin said.

"I'm not trying to take anything away from all these amazing mothers. I support you, I advocate for your right to breastfeed your child where and when you need. It's beautiful and powerful. I'm grateful to my mum for breastfeeding me. But it's hard not to feel like a 'lesser' mum."

She added: "Oh and at some point, let's chat about c-sections... and it not 'counting as giving birth'."

Among the replies to Paquin's post was one from Kiwi musician and broadcaster Anika Moa.

"I hear you sister. My boo came out the sunroof and then I could only breastfeed her for two sad, stressful as hard months," said Moa.

"I choose formula so she could gain weight and honestly just to get more sleep and not stress so much. Sigh. You're da bomb girl. I've got twins, so I know all the feels."

Paquin is married to her True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer.

The star of The Piano was recently seen in the first trailer for The Irishman, an upcoming mobster film by Martin Scorsese that also stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel and Joe Pesci.

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