Is Ballerina Farm Over-Glamorizing Postpartum, or Are Women Just Insecure? | Ep 935
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- Опубліковано 16 чер 2024
- Today we're talking about the newest controversy surrounding Ballerina Farm, or Hannah Neeleman, an influencer who sparked debate after posting about preparing for the Mrs. World pageant 12 days post-partum. We discuss whether this type of content is harmful to women and how we should see ourselves in comparison to what we see on social media. Then, what is the "Fed Is Best" movement, and what propaganda are we seeing among those who argue formula is just as good for babies as breast milk? We examine this and reveal the truth about breast milk. We also take a look at a Babylon Bee joke that has even fellow conservatives up in arms and why we all need to learn to take a joke again.
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Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
00:41 Beth Moore recap
02:56 The Babylon Bee's Vivek joke
13:15 Ballerina Farms
28:30 'Fed is Best'
41:44 Benefits of breastmilk
58:35 Encouragement
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Links:
Allie's response to Beth Moore: x.com/conservmillen/status/17...
Evie: "Ballerina Farm Is Facing Major Controversy Over Her Postpartum Beauty Pageant-Here's Everything You Need To Know" www.eviemagazine.com/post/bal...
Johns Hopkins Medicine: "Breast Milk Is Best" www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healt...
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Relevant Episodes:
Ep 934 | Beth Moore Has a Message for Trump Voters | Guest: Steve Deace
• Beth Moore Has a Messa...
Ep 931 | Out: Trad Trend, In: Biblical Womanhood • Lil Nas X: Blasphemer ...
Ep 809 | The 'Trad' Movement Isn’t Biblical
• Why I’m Concerned Abou...
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If it’s attainable for her, let her have it and just be happy for her. If it isn’t attainable for you, that’s OK why can’t we all just be happy for each other
FACTS
Which is exactly Allie's point here. 😊
Exactly what Allie said
I agree and is fun to watch, maybe get a few tips
Boom. Truth!
It’s the woman’s 8th child, she’s a Juliard ballerina and pageant queen. Not someone to compare yourself to ladies lol just watch in awe 💖
Amen. This is why she wins these titles. She deserves it!
Agree!
@@JuniperLynn789sure but does she have to share it all .. nope
She's a billionaire 😂
You just made my point. My dancer wants to make it to Juliard and dances 30 hours a week plus school. She is use to being busy.
Is she telling women they're falling short?
Men will watch professional athletes and be inspired, weak women watch a woman excel and they feel attacked.
Ooh . I like this perspective.
Only, I think often times men watch an inspiring athlete, and just sit on the couch and do nothing. 😂But I get your point.
I want it to be clear that it's not all women; just that this is more common with women then men. Men would never cheer for the body positivity / complaining about standards that we see often among women. You get an exception with progressive men who join in the complaints. Also, there are a ton of down to earth women who kick ass and have enough self-esteem to be inspired or at least appreciate another woman.
I just don't believe that people should be posting their lives online, let alone their children. Also don't understand the whole purpose of pageants other than narcissism. It's super weird to me.
@@Happytown7523 Absolutely. Putting your children out there and making money off them ? It is gross .
@@magyarmainer4692 The other thing is that these people are multi millionaires, and Hannah sometimes shows the crowd of people surrounding her when she is cooking in the kitchen who are there to film and assist with her content-making. There is a guarantee that they have some kind of live-in au pair or nanny that helps her with the children and the father has multiple farm hands, which they of course do not reveal. They are selling a fantasy and feeding off the trendy homestead aesthetic, which seems inauthentic. Just live your live happily in a private way- that's all.
I’ve been following Ballerina Farm for so long that I was really surprised to see her featured on your show as a controversial topic! She is so NOT controversial lol she is so chill. She lives on a farm and has toddlers climbing everywhere and is always pregnant, milking cows and eating full fat dairy treats. She works really hard at everything she does, she has a lot of capacity for it. Her body is healthy because she is a literal ballerina, works the farm, chases 8 kids, so it bounces back quickly. Let her do her thing and continue inspiring others.
Even if that’s the case , not every women bounces back and the issue is making it seem like that’s easy . She is genetically gifted . It’s like when women who use steroids claim to be natural . Your body isn’t natural or normal . She is gifted. I think it just makes every other mom feel less than .. is that her problem .. probably not but it’s something she should be aware of ..
@@Kwildcat13 Eh all I see on social media is posts about how women should accept their postpartum bodies and always dissing women who bounce back. I bounced back fairly quickly losing the weight in 2.5 months but I’m not bragging about it. I worked really hard to watch my weight gain and what I ate during pregnancy to stay healthy. If some women feel bad about themselves its not our fault
She IS in fact super chill. Perfect description.
I think it's ridiculous to expect her to lessen her shine because others are so used to walking in the dark and would be blinded. How about people either see her as inspiration and enjoy or move on if you are triggered by someone else's joy. Gee wiz people. @@Kwildcat13
@@Kwildcat13this is nothing like using steroids. Her body IS natural. Her postpartum course IS natural. It’s just rare. And if women don’t feel good about their postpartum bodies it’s not her specific problem. If that beautiful woman is triggering then get off the internet, no?
I never once thought she was setting unrealistic expectations and I am 22 weeks along with our seventh child… she’s lovely!
Agree!
I agree! She’s so awesome im also 22 weeks pregnant but with my 5th ❤️🙏🏽
One thing people I think forget when they watch her, is that she is wealthy, and has a large staff to help run their businesses, and likely child care. A stay at home mom who doesn't work "outside" the home with multiple children, has a life that looks much different.
Amen!
To be fair I followed her for quite a while and never heard her talk about any help they had except in the meat packing barn. Otherwise she did come across as someone who was full time home schooling, managing a home and farm and helping in running a business without help in most of those areas. I think sometimes her posts are a bit disingenuous but I chose to stop following her. It's easy enough to pick who we follow and walk away if it's not edifying.
This
If she is wealthy this is none of our business 😁💛 Praise the Lord for women like her ! Praise the Lord that she has a unique calling in life and that she is fulfilling it. Praise the Lord that she is succeeding, and Praise the Lord if she has money from her family or whatever.
Praise the Lord for each one of our lives… given by the most high to serve Him! May our tongues glorify him in any circumstances. May we have pure heart in the way we talk about each other. 🙏🏼🙂💛
And what’s she is doing is her own life and set up to fit their needs and dreams of being business owners and being able to stay home in the process. Like anyone would go that route as they progress In their homestead journey. And she’s honest about that most of her everyday meals are not the big ones she shares online. She’s learning and growing in the kitchen and in life just as much as any of us. It’s crazy how much hate she gets and how much air time she’s getting over this. I hope she doesn’t read the comments and just keeps going on with her life. Their first goal was to be farmers. Then she used social media to excel that.
This is why I left Instagram. I was addicted and needed to have realistic expectations for myself. I couldn't stay there.
Same. Even some of the sweetest women who mean well caused me to have such negative feelings about myself.
Same. Even some of the sweetest women who mean well caused me to have such negative feelings about myself.
Same!!
100% true
I still use it but I got rid of a lot of accounts I followed. Now I mainly follow for recipes and crochet. I used to follow Madison vining as well as ballerina farm but I found myself feeling like I couldn't "do it all" like they appeared to. Then I found out they both have help with cleaners and teachers etc that come into their home. Nothing wrong with that but sometimes their posts seemed a bit disingenuous.
My grandma always said that breastfeeding my mom and uncle was the bravest thing she ever did. All of her friends used formula. Props to her!
Amen! I’m a childhood cancer survivor. I had so much chemotherapy that when I became an adult and had my child, I did not get in a drop of milk. So, I did have to feed my child formula. With that being said, as sad as that makes me that I could not breast feed, I will not bury my head in the sand and say that formula was just as good as breastmilk just to make me feel better. There are so very many studies we cannot ignore. That prove breastmilk is not only better for your child and their immune system, but the bond that you get with your child by doing it is amazing as well. I love your advice, telling people to remove themselves from the situation and from being offended by everything and just look at things as they are.
I will say that praise God our daughter is now 26 years old and she has always been healthy, wonderful, and thriving. So God used that formula to serve her well. But considering God literally made us women to be able to feed our own child with our own body, shows me that it is the best thing we could possibly do if we can.
I’m not a fitness chick by any means, but I’ve never been overweight. I live off animal products, fruit and vegetables are a treat. My entire family is obese… when I had my son, I left the hospital 120 lbs. 2 days later, I fit into my pre-baby jeans. I think diet has a lot to do with her recovery, plus she has a job that requires her to keep this appearance! Of course she’s going to look spectacular.
It’s silly for anyone to compare themselves to her, I doubt that even 0.001% of the population had a diet or career that could be compared to hers.
I applaud her for being as incredible as she is, and don’t have an ounce of resentment toward her for showing her life.
She’s also a ballerina and works out intensely all the way through her pregnancy.
@@EmeryShaeyes. And also has a lot of money and resources for help with her home life.
The bottom line is that most of us are not ballerinas. She is able to get back to her barre workouts because she likely was still doing a modified version while pregnant and is able to just pick it back up. Ballerinas are athletes. Not every Mom is an athlete. It doesn't make me feel bad. There are climbing Mom's who continued bouldering and then post partum took baby for a climb in their home gym. This was an olympic level athlete. I am not this. I was walking my neighborhood a week or two post partum. This was fine for me.
Agree!
Well stated. To add to that, I didn't know who she was prior to this
video and I honestly do not care what this lady does. What actually made me sad and disturbed is the amount of Christian women praising her for winning a trophy basically for who can bounce back the fastest. It just goes against everything we stand for in Christ. Outer beauty being idolized like that after birth is simply vain and discouraging coming from women of faith. It makes us look exactly like the world and its vanity.
@@Ana_Cecilia615 agree!
Ballerinas are genetic anomalies. She also has a physically demanding job. She also eats organic healthy food. Thats why she looks like this. A city mum is going to have more pressure on her body appearance and will work much harder keeping in shape than she does.
As a mom of 6 (all are adults now) I can unequivocally say that “breast is best”! I was breastfeeding and/or pregnant for 14 years straight. Breastfeeding throughout many pregnancies and tandem nursing as well. The benefits of breastfeeding are not just for the baby but for the mom as well! I am very thankful that I chose breastfeeding and couldn’t have imagined any other way.
This is very encouraging, thank you☺️
breast is best. Fed is non-negotiable.
This! My 1st child’s pediatrician was so obsessed with breast is best that even though my child was not even close to regaining her birth weight at 3 weeks old he just said to keep trying. My baby was so sleepy and lethargic she wouldn’t even suck hard enough. At 3 weeks I finally paid for a lactation consultant with money I did not have to help me feed my baby. I had a very low supply. Thank God she told me to supplement immediately. I breastfed and formula fed for 7 months. I triple fed for 4 months and my supply was never sufficient to feed my baby.
Fast forward to my 3rd child. I had great supply (finally!) but she wouldn’t latch. She totally rejected my breast 😢 I tried for 2 weeks to see if she would latch and was pumping etc. She did not. I have 2 other toddlers to take care of and I couldn’t be strapped to a pump 24/7 like I was with my first. So she’s been formula fed and thriving. Breast fed is best…. But with a lot of ifs (if you have sufficient supply, if you have healthy breast, if your baby latches, if you have the ability to pump, if you don’t have any illnesses or deficiencies, are on meds, etc.) I think this is why the fed is best movement was born. When people push so much toward one extreme it’s very predictable for the pendulum to eventually swing to the other extreme. I think moms should absolutely try to breastfeed but if for whatever reason it’s not possible then there is absolutely nothing wrong with formula feeding
Amen! People will attack you over that though. Pointing out that breast is actually best brings out the guilt of bottle feeders and they go ballistic. They say they "literally" couldn't breast feed. But the truth is most don't try if ir doesn't come easy. But instead of being confident with their choice, they project their shame and pretend people are judging them when we're just stating facts. It's 2024 and the most hated thing in America is TRUTH.
@Jendian Me too. None of my children wanted my breast. With my 3rd I gave it a try but I quit cause I have to care for 2 others. Lactation Consultants told me to pump but I can't afford to. I needed baby to latch on & nurse directly
Well said.
Hannah from ballerina farm is such a sweet soul.
She is not telling women they have to do anything, she is just sharing her life
Hannah lives a very healthy lifestyle, had an uncomplicated birth, was on bedrest for over a week, and has a TON of people helping her out.
It is not unrealistic for her to be able to start working at 12 days postpartum.(as long as she isn’t straining her pelvic floor or abs muscles)
A lot of women see her recovery as unrealistic because they don’t live a healthy lifestyle and they don’t have the help that she does
That’s almost identical to what our Dula said.
You technically should be on bed rest for 3-4 weeks to let your body heal optimally. I was so grateful my mom was with us for three weeks postpartum - made a huge difference.
You're really not supposed to be up and standing long for much longer then a week bc you can prolapse. You won't even notice until later in life often.
It doesn't matter how easy her birth went she still has a dinner plate size wound inside her body. Pushing too hard is not good for any mother after birth. Hopefully she isn't working too hard.
I also live a healthy lifestyle but it's still not a good idea to be doing too much too soon. There's a rule of thumb my midwives have always said which is 5 days in bed, 5 days on the bed and 5 days around the bed. Of course, every woman is different. But generally being in a beauty pageant 12 days post partum isn't realistic for most women healthy or not. I'm 4 weeks post partum and I know it isn't for me, I'm still bleeding over here lol.
People need to step back and stop being judgmental towards her or others! This is her life, it’s what she’s doing and what she wants in her life! If jealousy or angry about her and her life , you are the problem! Your the one who have the problem and you need to work it out!
Problem is that she’s lying and pretending that it’s all her hard work when it’s not. Her husband is the son of a millionaire, her stove alone costs a fortune. As someone who has experience in farming, there’s no way the farm is sustainable with social media income and those meat box things 🐮
She already had 7 kids and you have no idea what those fourth trimesters were like. She happens to be a titleholder at this moment and has to do certain events. Remember you are only getting access to the HIGHLIGHTS with a fun soundtrack.
She's a billionaire with full time nannies and farm staff. STFU 😂
What's a fourth trimester?
@cherismith5707 The post partum time period when a woman's body is healing from pregnancy and birth
I've never had a friend, neighbour, boyfriend, childcare worker comment on my lack of make up, the way I dress or appearance. I have absolutely had managers at work make these comments. at the same time they are making demands on my time and causing stress that make self care impossible. She has less pressure on the way she looks because she's living this kind of life than your average mum working an office job. She doesn't look like this because she's not eating and spending hours at the gym after working a working a 40 hour week its her genes and living a healthy lifestyle thats physically demanding and eating good food. She eats high fat calorie dense food. Not salads like the rest of us.
“Fed is best gives women who could breastfeed the excuse not to try” bingo. Not being able to breastfeed is different than not even trying.
Thank you! Could we please go back to the “breast is best” motto that was said when I had my first 9 years ago, now with my last I can’t even give away my extra breast milk, because no one really even cares about it anymore. “Fed is best” makes it seem like breastfeeding starves babies.
@@saralynndunkerson2509I would not take breastmilk from someone I do not know and feed it to my baby, as there is no way to verify what the woman may or may not have consumed. I’m all about giving the benefit of the doubt, but not when it comes to the safety of my children.
@@shannontrucks1708 would you put your trust in a formula company who pulled their product from the shelf, leaving millions of families scrambling to find a suitable option? I’d rather trust my neighbors breast milk than the contaminated, unreliable powder from the store. I have fed 8 other babies besides my own children. A cultural mindset change has occurred in the US and it is very noticeable.
Agree!
Encouraging mothers to breastfeed is to discourage them from immediately returning to full-time work. This obviously can't be allowed by the leftists...
I think there are far too many women out there who fall into comparison, which isn’t helpful for anyone. I really enjoy Hannah’s content. I find it beautiful, inspiring and uplifting, and I love her recipes! Whether she comes from money or not is her business. She never claimed otherwise. If people disagree, they don’t have to follow her. Allie, I respect the fact that you are urging women not to fall into this comparison trap. To each their own.
It's hard though because people think she does it all. She did say on a video I watched recently that she doesn't usually cook like she does for videos. Because it takes her 4 or 5 hours for a meal.
I prefer farmhouse on boons content because her meals are realistic and something that you can actually do.
Oh yes, I love Lisa!!!! Her videos are so relaxing to me. I look forward her new homemaking videos each Friday ❤️
@@Sarah-psalm127I think we have seen enough content creators by now to recognize they have help. If she said on a post that she doesn’t cook meals every night, then people should know that.
I really like your take on the “Fed Is Best.” Totally agree. As someone who has worked EXTREMELY hard at exclusively breastfeeding, it’s disappointing feeling like I can’t be openly proud of myself for working really hard because I risk hurting other’s feelings. Obviously I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings but it would be nice to get some acknowledgment instead of people’s comments on their own insecurities. I feel the same way about my positive unmedicated birth. I want to share my story everywhere because I’m proud (again a LOT of work went in to pulling this off!) and I’d like to normalize physiological birth and birth without trauma but am reluctant because many of my friends have negative feelings about their own experiences. Same sentiment for leaving my career to stay home. I’m proud of that too but feel like I can’t openly share why I see so much value in it because others will be jealous or judgmental or maybe feel like I’m being judgemental. Sharing my success feels like somehow unintentionally putting them down-or that’s how I think they may feel. It’s disappointing, especially as someone who is very open about the struggles in my life too, I feel like I need to be guarded on what I share and celebrate. It certainly makes motherhood lonely!!
Kuddos to you!!!!
Proud of you momma!
Congratulations to you, Mama! 🫶💗👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I was able to make it to almost 18 months breastfeeding my daughter and I feel very proud of that!
I totally understand that you worked hard and are proud of those accomplishments (As you should be! That’s amazing!) but is it possible to receive acknowledgement and also hear people’s insecurities? I think that is part of the issue. You want all the acknowledgement but expect the struggling mom to just praise your efforts as she is internally feeling as though she’s drowning in failure and grieving. As a mom who also tried everything I could to breastfeed my babies and pumped round the clock to give them every ounce I could, it shattered my heart to pieces when I had to let that go for various reasons. And it made me feel like complete garbage as a new mom when I went to the store to buy formula to supplement and I asked the other moms in the feeding aisle if they had any recommendations for for formula and they all turned their nose down at me, told me they only breastfeed, and walked away. You absolutely deserve acknowledgment and praise for what you were able to accomplish but the grieving mother, who feels like she failed because she’s been told “breast is best!” yet she is physically unable to give her child that “best” thing, she also deserves compassion and consideration if she’s not ready to jump on the praise train. Just a thought.
Glory goes to God alone for anything we “accomplish”.
In-hospital lactation consultant here and am thankful for this shout out for breastfeeding! Totally agree. My goal is to support every parent with INFORMED consent! Teach people, educate, and then support that educated parent to achieve their goals.
I am 11 weeks PP and my milk has completely dried up, is it too late to make it come back?
Yay! Thank you for all that you do for moms.
@@brookhall8142get a good breast pump (Medela) and take Mother’s Milk tea. Do this quickly! The breast milk dries up because the body doesn’t see you using it. Follow that old adage, “you don’t use it, you lose it.”
As a first time, Mom with a six month old here is some encouragement: When I started my breastfeeding journey it was uncomfortable, even painful because my milk hadn’t come in. A nurse told me my baby was never able to latch and I didn’t try to latch him for three months. I didn’t realize I was allergic to lanolin. My nipples were cracked scabbed over and I had to pump bc of lanolin use. Once my nipples healed and is topped using lanolin. I felt a huge desire to nurse my baby. I went to a lactation consultant, use nipple shields, and now for the past three months, me and my son have been successfully breast-feeding with little to no discomfort for me. the bond between me, and my son through our breast-feeding, journey is some thing I can’t even describe. the joy and happiness It brings me, and the comfort and connection It brings to him is some thing I will value for the rest of my life, it does get better. It does get easier stick in there stay determined and listen to your instincts. Your guilt and your desire and emotions aren’t the first thing that we rely on Jesus is but as a mother, our instincts are there for a reason our guilt is there for a reason society tells us not to listen to it, but we should. You go mama 💛
Congrats on your success and way to put in the work for something you valued! ❤️ I'm 6 weeks pregnant with my third and maybe tearing up a little reading your story :)
Wow!!! ❤ That's hard work. So glad you got to reap the rewards!
Hannah is rich, LDS (works based religion), a Juilliard trained ballerina (what is ballet if not sanctioned torture 😂), a hard-working entrepreneur, has a large family and comes from a large family….take that all together and it makes sense for her to be doing what she is. Very little of her life can be related to by the average person. Additionally, I recall reading the Bradley Method book before I had my first child and Dr. Bradley specifically mentioned ballet dancers as being quite impressive with their ability to recover quickly after natural birth (again…when you’re trained in a torture method so rigorously, your body’s like, we GOT this childbirth!) lol!
Agree!
So true! Ballerinas are tougher than most people think.
A huge part of it is that people treat emotions as something they can’t control. People need to learn to take control of their emotions. This is something I’m personally working on because I let my emotions rule me for a large portion of my life. These days people are under the impression that if their feelings (which change constantly) aren’t affirmed, then those who aren’t affirming them are hateful. That’s not the truth.
Amen!! Completely agree and I'm working on this too!
I'm pregnant for the first time and Ballerina farm is one of my main online inspirations for how a mother should be! there is no controversy
I don't want to sound mean or anything, but still post partum with my 6th, and I saw her video for the first time today, and I kinda laughed a because it's far from being reality for most women. I'm so glad I had my first before all the madness of influencers, it would have brought me unattainable goals!
@@anikagagne8157I agree. Sadly all the online inspiration can also make regular moms end up feeling like a failure for just being normal.
The good news there are a few moms on UA-cam who share what real life looks like with a baby, Kayla Buell is one of my favourites. She shows you the struggles of a baby who refuses to sleep and the not so glamorous day to day life for a mom with a newborn.
@@anikagagne8157 agree!
You haven’t experienced birth or post partum yet, hun. How it should be” is not be attainable or realistic for most women , as you may yet experience 😅
My issue with Ballerina Farm is primarily theological. I'm not God so I don't know her heart, but I do know what her religion teaches, and it's exhausting, depressing, and ultimately fruitless. I was born and raised Mormon, (and was a devout member for 25 years,) so my heart aches to see anyone just working working working SO hard for what will eventually be a dead end. She's amazing. Her life is beautiful. You'll get zero argument from me on that. But it will amount to nothing if she doesn't give her life to Christ fully and completely, no longer relying on the false works of the LDS church to save her. Don't be jealous of people with dreamy lives who do not know the God of the Bible. Ache for them like Paul does in Romans 9:2 and pray earnestly for their salvation.
Wow! Spot on! My heart aches for Hannah and those who have this false understanding of Who God is! 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Amen!!! My thoughts exactly.
My love to you,I hope You come back to the fold.Heavenly Father loves you
Amen to everything you said! Wish Allie would’ve said this too, because this really is behind the heart of the matter and the root of why Ballerina farm does/posts what she did.
Thats just none of your business tho? You don’t live that standard, she does. I love our church and it is INSANELY pro-woman. Almost to a fault. Again, how’s that even relevant? Like for real? Mind your own 💀💀💀
I love Ballerina Farms account but i do not envy getting out 12 days postpartum to be in front of people doing a beauty pageant. I think she’s just uniquely herself and pushing herself to get through it like an athlete. I’m sure she will look back on it and see the good in it but also the hard part of it. Amen to your comments Allie. I’m 65 and I remember how hard the first month was after giving birth. Ugh!
I think that she's just a very blessed person and we can just be happy for her that she's so blessed.
I used to take ballet lessons and I am naturally thin. I think that when you have the genetics and then spend all those years training seriously as a dancer it really does keep you slim and trim.
Less pressure on her than the woman who have to go back to an office weeks after giving birth.
"Ballerina Farm" is a full-time Homemaker who thrives off her own homestead and farm. Therefore she is eating more natural/ healthier and she has mentioned many times that she still dances and works out. Her full-time ranch staff also allows her the freedom to pursue pageants and hobbies. I think she's an inspiration and every woman/ family is different. I don't think anyone should be accusing her of over glamorizing anything to be honest. Usually the people who find issue with this are having a hard time acclimating to staying home or first time motherhood; or miss their corporate lives. This woman has done nothing wrong.
Anyone who gives a negative criticism of Hannah from ballerina farms needs to get a grip. Any grown adult should be able to see someone who is able to do things they can’t and recognize that that’s great for that person, and you aren’t less than because you aren’t just like them.
Breastfeeding advice from a breastfeeding veteran...keep it simple. If you do not NEED to pump DON'T! I see so many sahm pumping and then saying they aren't making enough milk or it's too much work. That's just a bunch of unnecessary stress. If you want to build a stash of milk for the future wait until you've established your breastfeeding well.
And let me tell you, I used formula with my first and breastfed my next five babies. Formula feeding is SO MUCH WORK! And bonus, like was said here, you're the only one who can breastfeed your baby which allows you to get more rest because you HAVE to sit or lay down. 😉
Yes, perfectly explained
Agreed 100% it’s way more work to pump! I nursed 5 babies, each for up to 3 years.
Yes! I never understood the "pumping for convenience" angle and sincerely think people are lying when they state this 😂. Unless you are going to LEAVE your baby for long periods of time consistently or have some other issue- there is so much less work and more sleep to be had BF on demand. The marketing is so predatory, and it makes me mad. I see too many people quit breastfeeding all together because pumping is so much work in the end and they don't even know NOT doing it is an option as well. So wild.
@@theresefrancis9283 I think getting moms to pump is probably a formula company plot to make moms think they don't make enough milk. It is predatory.
The only way I could successfully pump was with an industrial pump rented from hospital.
The Christians that are questioning Hannah need to actually question their own covetousness. Comparison is a fruit of this type of thinking. Looking at what your neighbor has, instead of focusing on your own heart and fruit. Hannah is successful because she’s following her course not anyone else’s.
She's not Christian...she's Mormon I think ?
One does not have to covet someone in order to be disturbed by this scene. I'm alarmed at the amount of Christian women who have exposed their vanity in this. I didn't know so many Christians supported beauty pageants. It seemed like an obvious no, we are different than the world and want to encourage our daughters away from vanity. It disturbs me that postpartum recovery is a competition, and someone won a trophy for it. At minimum, I didn't expect to witness this many Christian women inspired by that. I don't feel this story needed any attention from these Christian podcasts. I would have never known who she was if not for these episodes about it.
It's not covetous to call out someone with great influence who is setting a bad example and giving young, impressionable women false expectations about the reality of childbearing.
So I suppose every young boy should try kill Giants with a slingshot since David did it in the Bible? Should David not have excelled because it might make young boys think they should be able to do it? Such silly logic, of course I don’t think all women should do what she did, Hannah has never once set an expectation for anyone else. She literally has never told anyone to live how she does.
If you curl your hair, eat cupcakes, watch TV or participate in anything in life that isn’t actually useful, guess what, you are participating in vanity. I don’t like beauty pageants myself, but I would be a hypocrite to say that type of vanity is worse than many other forms Christian’s participate in. Vanity basically means “useless or unfruitful” so if you’ve rooted out all uselessness in your life, and are perfect by all means criticize one person for doing a worthless thing in the midst of much service to her husband and family.
Breast is best for the baby.
It is extremely rare that a woman actually cannot physically breastfeed. Often breastfeeding issues are caused by lack of education (because our parents are not as familiar with breastfeeding, or because the hospitals or lactation consultants are not helpful or available), by interventions (separation from baby for whatever reason without lactation assistance, for example), by mental health reasons (sexual assault victims, or extreme postpartum depression), or by medications that the mother is taking that will go through breast milk to baby.
And for those reasons, if necessary, I am so glad we have healthy formulas available, and mothers should NOT feel shame for feeding their babies!
Breast-fed is best. Formula-fed is an excellent alternative if necessary.
We can be objective about what is best for our child, while also not feeling guilt or shame for trying our best even if that means formula.
Allie, thank you for your take on “Fed is best”! This is coming from a mom of 3 who has always had terrible supply issues. I fed my first two as much breast milk as I could make and the rest formula. This time around, I discovered Human Milk for Human Babies! I have been able to feed my 6-month-old 100% breast milk FOR FREE her entire 6 months so far! If you’re a mom with an oversupply, please look into donating to babies in your area. If you are an underproducer, please look for milk donors! It’s been one of the biggest blessings of my life!
Yep. Had an oversupply and donated to the hospital for preemies specifically. It was great to hwlp
Yes this! There are women who are dying to give their milk away instead of wasting it, why pay for formula?!
I don’t mean to sound dumb, but is the milk tested for safety? I gave my daughter some donor breast milk when she was in the NICU, but the hospital supplied it and it had been tested.
That's fantastic!
I'm very anti covid Vax, I had supply issues with my 8th baby. I had to decide to go breastmilk or formula and decided to use a good version of formula over breadtmilk because I couldn't verify if the women donating brestmilk had had the Vax or not.
I think where Moms get discouraged is not realizing that babies cluster feed often. They will basically "ACT" unfed or hungry or like youre producing nothing when in reality theyre just working overtime periodically (and more than youd expect) to increase your supply as their needs increase. My Mom had no idea babys cluster fed and told me thats why she always quit nursing her babies after a few days. Nurse and nurse often, every time the baby asks for it. Even written literature on cluster feeding will make it seem less rigurous than it is, but dont be surprised if the days theyre cluster feeding to increase your supply if you feel like youre constantly feeding them. Its just a phase though! Any tough time your baby throws your way our new routine or habit they have, just wait a few days because it will change again.
Yes, I only realized with my second that you basically are always nursing for the first few weeks
Excellent comment. True from beginning to end.
Absolutely. And it can die off until the next growth spurt as well. Babies are smart and if they feel the impending need for more milk, they will initiate cluster feeding. People need to realize they WILL be strapped to a chair nursing on and off for 40 min feeds sometimes depending on the baby. If they are sick, teething or feeling unwell they will also feed more often. There is so much awesome info on breastfeeding, and I could go on for days on how cool it is lmao.
🎉 yes!!!
Anyone who’s followed Ballerina Farm for long enough knows that she’s super chill, but busy. She likes minimal lifestyle and cooking from scratch. Her life is attainable,but takes hard work and consistency. Plus, many hands make light work, and she’s got that covered! I truly enjoy her content.
For the young women upset at Ballerina Farm (Hannah? I don’t follow her), think of it like this - I bet there are talents and gifts that you have that Hannah does not. Appreciate how she can inspire you but also be grateful for the wonderful things YOU can do.
I think the jealousy these women spit out like vipers is so disgusting. Has anyone ever thought about how much physical training she puts into her body?? To look like that after having 8 kids is not easy! I saw some of her workouts and thought ok WOW, that's inspirational! Could genetics play a role? Sure! But 90% of that is the HARD work!! I also know that I will most likely never live the way she does in that aspect or own that much land or have that many animals (we like micro homesteading with just a few things) but I love following people like her who challenge you! Good for her for having that support, love and care around. Good for her for being able to have what she has. So many jealous women acting like snakes. How much better would marriages be if they'd just take example from women who do BETTER than they do.
So much of the dance community has eating disorders. When she is back in her regular clothes immediately, that tells me she did not lose the baby weight. It tells me she never gained baby weight to begin with. That's unhealthy.
@@RCGWhoyou clearly don’t follow her or her diet. In order to look this way, and have 8 kids you really think someone has a food eating disorder? Your comment makes zero logical sense. In order to bounce back that fast you have to train and eat REALLY well.
@valeriya105 When I had babies it was both recommended and understood that it was natural to gain at least 27 lbs. Don't know what is recommended today. I gained 30 to 40 lbs all 5 to term pregnancies. Fitness shouldn't eliminate all weight gain. The lack of discussion of eating disorders here is stunning. Quick Google search:Studies have reported prevalence rates of eating disorders in dancers that range from 7 percent to 45 percent. The New York Times has an article titled Eating Disorders Haunt Ballerinas. I'm not a subscriber so I can't read the article.
As far as feeding babies goes, I believe that there is judgement and stigma on both sides. I have breastfed/pumped milk and used formula and I felt judgement from people on both sides. Suffering with PPD on top of all of that made it even worse.
My husbands grandmother had her baby in the late 40’s. She was put under extreme pressure by the nurses at the hospital to feed her baby formula because it was in vogue at the time. She swatted them away and breastfed. She was always a rebel 😂
I love her! I think she's so inspiring! I have a beautiful home, homeschool 4 children, cook most meals at home from scratch, am pregnant with baby #5, and eventually want to have a farm. That's my dream. Watching her to me is inspiring, not because of any jealousy issue, but because I aspire to do similarly. She lives the life I feel called to parts of, and she does it well. I love that she doesn't flaunt her wealth, that they keep their lives simple, and that they work incredibly hard. I don't ever expect to win Mrs. America. I wouldn't want to. I'm thankful for the life I have, and I think it's silly to 'problematize' people for living differently than you. (My home is old- built in the 1890s & imperfect, not an esthetic home, but it's beautiful to me.)
I think the problem comes in when you actually try to emilate her. Because she's said in her own videos that she only really cooks that way for videos. It's unreasonable to think you can do it all. I'm a mother of 8, pregnant with our 9th, and do a lot of the things she does. It's also our dream to have a homestead. If you don't realize this isn't her real day to day life It's easy to feel discouraged because your not keeping up. Not a jealousy because of what she has but because the false reality can make a women who is trying very hard feel insufficient.
Great take Allie. 2 of my 3 kids were NICU babies and were unable to breast feed due to lengthy stays in the hospital. I am sad I was unable to. But God blessed me with their life and I am forever grateful.
I'm pregnant with my third child. My OB gave me a big folder full of info on why breast is best, a script for my free breast pump, and a rundown of the golden hour after birth and how newborns want to nurse during that time. I'm glad her office is so supportive and encouraging of breastfeeding!
That sounds like a wonderful OBGYN office. ❤
As a mother of 3, I am acutely aware that this beautiful mom will have a lot of support. Whether that's friends or family and her own children chipping in. One thing you have to remember is that this woman is a veteran mother and she was clearly fit,slim and healthy before having her child/children. Being a ballerina means that she has a lot of discipline. So timekeeping, hard work and and physical care are going to be second nature. But can every mum say these things of themselves?
We should work to improve ourselves but not be depressed or jealous because someone else can do more/do it better.
I will say a lot of moms do get shamed regardless of what they do. I agree breast milk is best and made specifically for baby. I BF my baby for 7 months. Then we supplemented and she began eating solids. Next baby I will try a different approach but we gotta uplift and encourage each other. The last thing a mother going through PP wants to hear is she isn’t doing enough. Most important thing is praying over your children and training them up the way they should go. I will never shame a mom who chooses to exclusively BF or chooses formula.
Mother of 5 here - I've had nearly every problem you can have with breastfeeding. It CAN be done. Many times the problem is not you. I wish I'd had the resources i have now that i had with my first baby. She had a severe tongue and lip tie and i had no idea until years later, i thought i was the problem and i felt so much shame. I wish i had more experienced help. I've since successfully breastfed a cleft lip baby, had a terrible time with another severe tongue tie, and finally had one "good" nurser. My fifth baby had another severe tongue tie, but now i know what to do and the difference is night and day.
What did you do when you had the second tongue tied baby? How did you make that easier? I just had my first baby and she was severely tied, we went through a lot to be able to breastfeed!
Have you looked into MTHFR, it’s genetic. Those are signs of this condition. It runs in my family and I had a tongue tie. If you haven’t, you might consider it. Many blessings!
I've had really positive breastfeeding journeys, but I have an incredible appetite (when BF) and my baby weight DOES NOT fall off. Just being chunkier for a year while I breastfeed my babies (despite eating well and being active) is a little hard on me, but I am thankful for my supply and the privilege to sacrifice in this way for them.
I don’t think fed is best is about the equality of breast milk and formula. It has to do with life and death--formula is ok if baby is becoming dehydrated from poor milk supply. Every mother is encouraged to try to breastfeed by both postpartum nurse and pediatrician. There is a lot of shame with formula feeding in the modern age.
I am currently enormously pregnant. I find Ballerina farm inspirational. I'm hopeful I too can be in Miss World pagents someday soon 😂😂😂 Women need to relax.
I admire Hannah and her family. Despite being married to a man from a wealthy family they decided to make their own livelihoods far from what they had born with. They are thriving and enjoying their family life in the farm and those who are attacking them are just jealous because they don't want a woman with 8 children works with her husband in the farm , taking care of her family of 10 including herself and at the same time she can do things that she aspire with like joining a beauty pageant. I don't mind if she has a staff in the house which she really needs because of her big family and she didn't claim that she does everything.
If I'd believed "fed is best" when my first daughter was born 11 years ago, I would have quit when I ran into problems. Multiple. Problems. I remember bawling my eyes out thinking "I can't do this." I nursed her for years after that and it got way easier. I made it because I knew that breast milk was superior and held that dear to me. ❤
Women need to teach young Moms (if they'll listen) that breastfeeding is one if those best things in life that may be hard won. I know so many women persevere through many trials to be able to breastfeed. You must be brave enough to navigate supply issues, latch issues, engorgement, sore nipples maybe cracked ripples (early intervention is a must!), tongue ties, mastitis, thrush, etc I had a friend that had enough milk for 3 babies and had to wear towels in her bra as nursing pads. But these women soldier through it and are glad they did in the end. Every woman is entitled to have a quitting point, but they must go in prepared for a possible fight. The benefits are many: it's premixed, premeasured, sanitary! No bottle washing or sterilizing. No extra expense. You get happy orgasm like hormones that make you feel all maternal and help you go back to sleep at night!!! The baby gets perfectly designed food with antibodies. The baby has mustard poops instead of gross brown and green wretched smelling poops that formula produces. The bonding. No temptation to prop a bottle and walk away. It forces you to take rest breaks and slow down and be in the moment. The list goes on.
Very well said, Allie Beth! I didn't know about Ballerina Farms. I absolutely love your take- and you my sister, HAVE THE CORRECT PERSPECTIVE! Perspective is everything!
This story reminds me of when Maria Kang posted a picture of herself in tiny shorts and a sports bra, looking super fit, as she posed with her three boys with the ages on the picture, (3 years, 2 years, and a baby under 1 year), and the picture said "What's your excuse?"
There was a lot of controversy over it. Personally, when I first saw the picture, my first honest thought was, "Wow! What is my excuse?" And of course I knew what the answer was- "I love sweets, I love food, I love sugar, I love junk food." 😄
That was the truth. As I looked more into the story, I heard other perspectives, and I understood why some women felt bad. There were times I felt bad watching a recipe video, and the woman just so happened to be a beautiful, diligent homemaker, that seemed to have it all together, and there I was not feeling my best.
Looking back, I was pregnant with my fourth child, was weak with morning sickness, and really, I should've just clicked on a video that gave me the recipe, which focused on the food, and that the video wasn't about the person. Because at that time, I was physically weak and emotionally down, and my choice of the video didn't help me or my three little ones that needed their mom.
Back to Maria Kang- so I listened to her because I wanted to know her thoughts on the controversy. I took her response in a very encouraging way. It took her about 8 months to lose the baby weight, and it was something she diligently worked at, which I think is pretty attainable, if someone were to be diligent at anything for 8 months.
Perhaps someone may not fit into a size 3 after 8 months, but whatever the case, whatever their body shape or size, 8 months is enough time to make and see progress, no matter who the person is. Now 12 days, likely not gonna happen for most people. But if the woman is blessed in that way, then she's blessed. And the truth is, we are all blessed. Maybe not in all the ways we wish- but if when we are feeling bad and naturally comparing ourselves in our mind (or purposely comparing), what if instead we focus on everything that is right, right now, and give thanks to God for it...
Back to what you said on Ballerina Farms- if we feel bad inside, it's only a matter of time of when someone will make us feel bad. So it is best for a person to not consume content that makes them feel bad, because it's not in their best interest, nor the benefit of their loved ones.
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life" Proverbs 4:23.
It would yield so many benefits and blessings, if everyone really tried to focus more on their own life, and began to be really diligent to overcome.
"Who can understand his errors? Cleanse Thou me from secret faults" Psalm 19:12.
Someone feeling bad could be a season a person is going through, so then that makes them more vulnerable to certain content. Or it may be in regards to a struggle they have dealt with, which has been a life long battle. Or feeling bad can be seen as a revelation (so to speak), that they have to work on something in their own life, so that they may be "satisfied from himself/above" Proverbs 14:14, and enjoy "the fruit of their own hands" Proverbs 31:31.
God bless you, Allie- for being bold to speak up, for not being partial, and for being balanced (i.e. not emotional or heated when giving your view of things😍).
Our utmost for His highest! Our best for His glory!
~ Oswald Chambers
I had my baby at 44. I about lost my mind. It was the hardest thing ever. I wish I would’ve had more information but it was very overwhelming.
First time mom? Just wondering
Yes I was. At 44 I wasn’t going to have another one.
@@lamariquita_ did you do ivf?
@@henrythecat3094no I did not
@@lamariquita_ what a blessing
Every woman's body, DNA (genetics), physical lifestyle, health history, diet, inspiration, upbringing, etc., is different and should NEVER be compared. I love watching Ballerina Farm (Hannah) because she is living a kaleidoscope life as a homesteader, a classically trained, former professional ballerina who continues to work in the dance studio (even during her pregnancies), a pageant queen, and works as a hands-on farmer, and a businesswoman with multiple thriving businesses. Even if we cannot achieve all that Hannah has, she continues to inspire tens of thousands of women all over the globe to do whatever it is that we enjoy and do it to the best of our ability unto the LORD, with joy in our hearts.
A kaleidoscope life! I love how you put it. That’s exactly it. I enjoy watching her too :)
Why has the internet made us feel that it's all prescriptive and not descriptive? Perhaps we can be grown adults and appreciate just watching the parts of someone's life that they allow us into without feeling attacked or singled out or judged. Idk. Just the thoughts of a curvy gal who grew up in the cocaine skinny style 90s who learned to just not pay too much attention to other people's business....
I’ve been following her for a couple of years, mainly because of her cow content. We hope to own our own family dairy cow someday. Also she just has a peaceful presence online that is enjoyable to watch. I enjoy watching her and her family immensely. When watching her experience this postpartum, it made me feel incredibly sorry for her. That seems like a miserable place to be postpartum; I’d want to be in bed. As I’m typing that Allie says the same thing 😂. I am so grateful that I get that rest time as I approach my own postpartum season but golly she is a peach to watch. She’s also expressed previously as an avid consumer of her, that the past few months she’s been “wearing many hats.” And it was clearly a stressful time for her; I think she’d being pretty candid for her outlook and lot in life.
I can speak from experience that the postpartum period is worlds different when you aren’t drugging you and your baby. Even pitocin, which is given as a hemorrhage prophylactic to every birthing woman in a hospital, can really mess with your postpartum hormones! When I birthed undisturbed at home, I felt amazing afterwards. Healing and rest are import at regardless!
Agreed, I felt so good after my homebirth vs hospital and I swear it was the pitocin that makes the difference. I will say that I was concerned about her being so active after birth but she is a ballerina so I’m sure her pelvic floor is strong and shouldn’t allow a prolapse 🤷🏻♀️
My issue with "fed is best" is that it implies that people are telling you to starve your baby. No one is saying that, therefore "fed is best" is not an argument. If you can't breastfeed, don't beat yourself up for it. But breastfeeding is superior. We need to stop lying to women.
My breastfeeding journey for my first bub born in April took an unexpected turn with infant allergies! It was SO hard, going through elimination diets to try and figure out what my baby was allergic to, I would say... maybe one of the hardest mental and emotional challenges I’ve ever undertaken in my life. There were several times where I doubted that I was doing the right thing and wondered if my baby with his particular sensitivities would be better off on formula because maybe he’s just so allergic to so many things that it’s not physically possible for me to figure them all out and eliminate them all. I did exactly what Allie said and set a goal of reaching 6 months and when we reached that I also made some progress with deducing more of the allergies and also the ability to get allergy testing done at this age helped a lot too (allergies to dairy, soy, egg, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seed, chicken, beef and sunflower seed + I eliminated wheat/oats and foods containing salycilates to try and help cure my babes terrible eczema triggered by the allergies). To say my diet is restricted is an understatement. BUT I am sooooo glad I didn’t give up because it turns out, all the formulas I could find contain seed oils so my baby literally would have been allergic to ingredients in all formulas due to his seed allergy. We have 3.5months to go until we reach one year of breastfeeding and my eyes have been opened to a whole world of food allergies and what it’s like to live with allergies that I never knew about before. The process has made me the healthiest I’ve probably ever been in my life plus it forced me to significantly upskill in the kitchen so that’s a wonderful silver lining. Our next appointment with the allergist is in March and I’m hoping my bub may have outgrown some of his allergies but we will see how we go. All this to say, formula is not always the easy option that it is made out to be for everyone. Yes for some babies with allergies hypoallergenic formula can be a good option but if I had given up breastfeeding my babe would have probably suffered big time so I’m very thankful that I’ve been able to continue to breastfeed him in spite of the challenges. My mum jokes that my son is getting the best milk around organic grass fed allergen free etc. 😂
As a mom who ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks postpartum & my milk never came in - I 100% agree with you. Breast milk is so much better than formula. I wanted to breast feed my twins so badly; however, it just wasn’t in the cards for me. So I am beyond thankful that there was something available as a substitute, but I wish it hadn’t worked that way. Not to mention it was so expensive!
So breast is the best option, but as long as they’re fed then let’s take the win 😊
Yes I agree , not every women can or even enjoys the exhausting process of breast feeding too . I think we can’t go back to shaming women over breastfeeding in general either .. I was so jealous of my friends who got to breast feed , I didn’t have a choice , cancer .. and my milk wouldn’t come in to even try on my other breast . It was exhausting trying . It took hearing fed is best for me to be ok .. I still put myself down as a mom and I shouldnt ! The expectations on women are just insane anymore .
Absolutely! We know that “breast is best”but there is also a time and place to embrace “fed is best”.
@@Kwildcat13 same here. I did everything I could to give both my children as much as I could pump. With my daughter I pumped and supplemented for about 3 months. I felt like I was always pumping and it was exhausting. At that point we didn’t have the hands-free pumps so I hit a breaking point when my daughter was crying but I had just started pumping. I either had to keep pumping or let her cry. And that wasn’t the first time that happened but it was a wake-up call to me that what we were doing wasn’t working and wasn’t worth it. It shattered my heart to have to make that decision and to know that breastfeeding wasn’t going to happen. And other moms around me made me feel worse, like I wasn’t trying enough, like I hadn’t tried that one thing they knew could fix it, but I had. Then someone said “fed is best” and I finally felt like I could breathe. It still was painful but I felt peace.
Donor milk is also an option! People don't know about it, but it is supposed to be the next explored option before even considering formula. BUT hospitals don't make as much money and are paid off by formula companies and often don't inform the mother or refuse to offer it at all. Hopefully people realize they can donate breastmilk and help other moms in similar situations.
I breastfeed all 4 of my children. Shoot, im still breastfeeding my 6 month old. I know when i started breastfeeding my first, everyone in my family looked at me confused, as to why i was going this route. It was a learning experience for me with my first, but after him i got it down easy, and my body just knew what to do. And i can see why it was consider low income because that formula is expensive. Breastfeeding is definitely hard work, but i personally love it.
I BF my baby for 4 months and she was failure to thrive in the 2% of her weight class. My dr was so supportive and sent to a wonderful LC. I struggled for weeks to get more milk and to get more weight on my baby. We finally made the choice to switch to formula. My baby was thriving and gained weight and ate and was satisfied. Looking back the stress of hearing “failure to thrive” made it really hard for my body to respond. Also my anatomy does not lend to an easy journey for my babies to latch. I got mastitis 3 times in 4 months and was so sick. Lots of hormones and exhaustion leads to moms switching over to formula. Frankly I am thankful I had the option. I do think it can be supplemental. It does not have to be all or nothing. I believe a lot of ppl get this wrong.
Yes supplementing can be a huge relief! With my first I had no problems with pumping enough at work, but with my second I could never pump as much as he would eat. Supplementing took so much pressure off and I made sure he got every drop of precious liquid gold I could get lol.
"Fed is best" doesn't mean that formula is best or comparable to breast milk. It means that it's okay to switch to formula if a woman struggles to breastfeed to the point where both her and her baby's health are impacted negatively, sometimes even dangerously so. How many mothers force themselves to continue trying because they were pressured into breastfeeding at all cost? I've personally talked to a few. So yes, sometimes, "fed is best".
Fed is required
I think we need to start with “breast is best” and encourage women to do all they can to breastfeed or exclusively pump or do whatever they can to give their child as much as they can. But if a woman has been through it all and has done everything she can (within reason) then I think it’s perfectly okay to move on to “fed is best” because, speaking from my own many personal experiences, there is a lot of shame from the “breast is best” camp when a woman gets to the point where she has to make a decision for what’s best for her baby. Even people who may not be in the “camp” but just breastfeed because it works for them, when they find out that I ended up using mostly formula most of them immediately make a judgement and treat me like a pariah. So maybe we need to change the stigma around women who tried everything but for whatever reason had to make the decision to rely on formula and grieve the loss of the ability to breastfeed. And also, not throwing out all those tricks and tips because 1) they probably already tried it, and 2) they don’t need that extra mental and emotional pressure to reopen that wound and question all their choices.
Due with my first any minute (40 weeks!) And found this to be such an encouraging episode. Thank you!
Loved your coverage of all of that. It felt like a conversation with a friend you totally trust. Good job at being truthful and gracious.
I have been following Ballerina Farms for quite some time now and find her to be incredibly inspiring. However, we need to remember that social media accounts are the “highlights” of real life. Having gone through 4 postpartum seasons myself, I know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain when your body is trying to heal. So even though she shared the beautiful side of the pageant, I know how strong she must have been to get through that week. She is an incredibly strong mama, very inspiring, and should be getting encouragement and cheer from fellow mamas.
As a parent, I don’t appreciate when my children’s abilities are compared to other children’s abilities, because every child is so unique and beautiful. We need to give each other that same respect as well. ❤❤❤
I don’t have a problem with Ballerina Farm doing something unrealistic postpartum. My argument would be that I just don’t think it’s a moral thing to do in general. I’m a Christian so that’s where I’m coming from and I can just disagree with her. I remember when she was competing for her title before she won that she was participating in the usual swimsuit competition and her husband and young sons were there. So I just unfollowed her because I was just like I don’t agree with her life choices. I think it’s wrong to do that. She seems to be okay with immodesty and I didn’t want that in my feed. I think she is very beautiful obviously talented and has a lovely life. Also she isn’t a Christian so I shouldn’t be surprised that she lives that way. I just am not interested in watching because it does become support with how insta and UA-cam work. Your views are your votes in a way. I do enjoy her cooking reels though and have no problem watching them from time to time.
She is a Christian but okay. 🙄
She is a Christian.
This whole episode was essentially about not being offended by everything or not coveting. Really good stuff!
I love that you tried carnivore. I started watching Ken Berry and his wife Neisha and my husband and I did it. My husband felt so much better and had more energy. My inflammation went way down and so did my mental fog. I also got pregnant three months into it. I did stop carnivore after being pregnant because the restrictions were too hard with the cravings. But I commend you for trying it and the biggest things carnivore and keto people talk about is LISTENING to your body!! You listened to your body and saw that this not the season for you to do this, you chose your baby and their health! Well done, good on you. ♥️ Hope you try it in the future. Just a tip from someone that’s done it, yes there is more cooking involved it’s very hard to eat out on carnivore. But I have found that this diet is easier for men and more sustainable for them in the long run. Women need to eat more fat than men and for me, I love cooking and food and it was too restrictive for me long term. So what I have found works best for me is more Ketovore like Neisha Berry. Carnivore but with low carb veggies essentially. But currently I am in my third trimester and I’m not perfect on my diet, but the best thing you could do in the meantime is watch your sugar intake and keep processed foods to a minimum, 80:20 as you always say. Sorry that was long but I hope that was encouraging and maybe even helpful Allie. ❤
I used to follow her but stopped because I felt convicted to stay away from LDS influencers. Not that she talks about her "church" a lot but i see so many Christians falling into the trap of thinking either a) LDS is just another protestant church or b) she's such a nice person I think Jesus is ok with that... Both false and both dangerous. Now she might be a perfectly nice person but Jesus said there is "none good, not one". We should put aside all the other issues and pray for the salvation of those in the LDS Church. Pray they come to saving faith in the one and only Jesus Christ of the Scripture and not the book of Mormon Jesus that was created by Father God and mother "god".
Thank you for saying this. Good points here.
I think she’s awesome. She’s not saying any other women have to be like her. She’s just living her life and serving the Lord how she is lead or called to.
How is making money off her children and her body serving the lord exactly ?
@Kwildcat13 how does she make money off her body and her children? She’s not a prostitute. And she doesn’t pimp her kids out or enslave them. She is literally just showing people clips from her day to day life and how she serves the Lord as a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, etc.. Please seek some Godly counsel if you are feeling jealous or upset at how this woman is living her life.
She's not a Christian. She may be serving her lord, but she's not serving THE Lord.
She has support that most of us don’t have. I say good for her. I wish that we as a society would be more inclusive as a family that God intended us to be, and be more supportive and helpful to moms. With everyone working a set schedule it’s hard to even take care of our immediate family.
I encouraged my best friend to attempt to breastfeed her second child. She said the idea of it “grossed” her out. I told her to “grow up”. When you CANNOT breastfeed, that’s one thing. When you CHOOSE not to, that’s another. It’s not about you; it’s about your baby. Breast truly IS best when you are ABLE to do so.
How exactly is saying grow up ok ? You’re not a great friend . Supporting a women who feels awkward is best . That sounds like zero support to me. Honestly wouldn’t a friend who supports like that .
Your friend might have something called D-Mer. Some women have an unpleasant physical reaction when their milk lets down. It can make them feel anxious, nauseous or like they want to crawl out of their skin. It is especially common in women who have been sexually abused. Look it up, it's a real thing.
@Kwildcat13 There are actually verses in scripture like "faithful are the wounds of a friend". Good friends don't just empathize, they also tell you your blind spots and help you grow up if need be.
I actually heard one woman say she didn't nurse because she doesn't like milk and milk is gross. But bottle feeding is also milk. And your dislike for drinking cows milk has no bearing on feeding your baby the only thing they actually can eat.
LOVED your take on "fed is best". That phrase has annoyed me because, as you said, it's the bare minimum! I'm 8 months PP and exclusively breastfeeding and it's HARD. But it's so worth it for me because I'd rather give my son the best nutrition possible. I feel like there is a lot of misinformation about formula being equal to breastmilk and because of that there are many women who choose their own convenience first. That's totally fine for any woman to choose to do that, but let's not pretend that both options are equal in nutritional value. Thank you for articulating so well the same feelings I've had about this. ❤
My mom gave me formula and I turned out perfectly fine. She was a wonderful mother and I’m proud of her. It was her choice ✨💜
@@Steppingheavnward her statement is not an attack on your mother. It's just the facts.
Oh goodness! I love this topic! I have four children, and the trigger for women in our liberal society runs deep. They have reasons they are not having children and when they see people having children and thrive they are literally offended.
I'm 4 days post partum with my 4th baby and this type of stuff doesn't offend me or make me feel bad at all 🤷♀️ the stuff Ballerina Farm is doing at 2 weeks post partym is definitely not my reality lol but that's ok. You do you!
I totally agree with you Allie, if someone struggles with negative thoughts from comparison they need to log off social media and seek the Lord instead.
I wasn't able to breastfeed because of the medication they put me on after birth because of developing severe pre-eclampsia during labor. I still mourn losing that ability. I will likely feel guilty forever because of it. He's 10 months old now but was born 5 weeks early....
Is your baby happy and healthy? It's not your fault you had to take medication. You did the best with what were given. I couldn't breastfeed all my 3 boys, now 18, 16 and 13, all happy and healthy ❤ your beautiful baby will be the same ❤
Pre-eclampsia can turn into eclampsia and you can die from it! For sure your baby is better being fed with formula than having a dead mom. Don't feel guilty!
I was also unable to breastfeed my now two year old due to birth complications, but she is happy and healthy and that is all that matters! It’s about doing what’s best for your baby, and in this situation for you it happens to be formula. It’s alright, little mama! You’re doing a great job. The fact that you’re concerned tells me you’re doing fine.
Don't feel guilty!! Im SURE you love your little guy sooo much ❤❤❤.
I'm so sorry❤ I hope you find peace with the scenario you walked through. When your life is on the line, it is out of your hands. Let God lift your feelings of guilt from your mama heart.
I’ll push back a little with Alley on this one. Breast is best but don’t judge if someone is formula feeding. Sometimes it’s good enough. What is best is to let the woman alone after telling them what the benefits are. I had to formula feed after severe severe postpartum anxiety and depression with my first two . Talk about judgment from all corners and those in my family. No one understands why someone might have to formula feed unless they have been down this scary mental path and sometimes, the reason their anxiety and depression is out of control is based on breastfeeding, which is was in my case.
She validated the cases like yours near the end of the video and said if it's affecting your mental health so bad she doesn't judge you for it. She admitted that there are circumstances where it's necessary to stop and that's OK. Her beef is with those that don't even try, even though they could breastfeed.
@@3ate4 which actually may be a very small percentage of women (we need stats). I think most probably don’t breastfeed bc of mental health or work issues.
@@mrs.b3902 indeed I know a lot of women that it truly didn't work out and they were sad about it
Well said on the fed is best. I was only able to nurse the three of my children between two or three months. And then after that I did what I feel was next best, which was homemade formula using raw cows milk and other ingredients. My children were closely monitored by my pediatrician and they thrived on the formula to the point I had my pediatrician ask for all the ingredients so she could look into them herself. The recipe is from nourishing traditions. ❤
I completely agree with you that if social media makes you compare yourself or feel bad about yourself, that's a YOU problem. As someone who's had all of my babies at home too, i can honestly say that you are on such a high that it's hard to remember to rest and recover. I was doing way too much too soon after baby #1 and i paid for it health-wise. For all of my other babies, i rested as much as possible for that first week and i recovered so much better. She's also in amazing shape as a ballerina and farmer so it's probably easier to bounce back for her
Allie, when you talked about twilight births… I was shocked when I learned one of my best friends, who is 3 1/3 years older than me, was born this way! He was born in Indianapolis in early 1970. His mom has told me about being “put under” for John’s birth and I was just stunned by this. Before hearing this I didn’t know this was a practice. She woke up later and was handed her first born. She was fully awake for her other three kids.
This is my honest opinion. I have started my own Instagram about starting a homestead. I have noticed that when chaos and turmoil envelope me I go silent on instagram naturally. Not because I am trying to hide it from the world, but because I do not have the time to sit infront of a camera and cry or document the messes. I have children that are vulnerable in those moments so they need more love, my husband and I need time to discuss and fix the problems. But I find it very easy while making dinner, hiking with the children or gardening to capture and post it because my nervous system is at rest and the children are usually occupied. So know this, that woman does cry in a closet, milk is probably spilled at least 10 times a day and maybe she doesn't feel as energetic to be Mrs. America 12 days after baby. But that is the life she chose. They do have money which makes anyones life easier. But money does not mean that there aren't hardships. Just like I usually only post the good because that is what I have time for, I am sure she and many influencers are doing the same.
Words of conviction and biblical affirmation that are much needed for so many!! Thank you!!
With my first I was a young Mother at 19. I still tried to breast feed. I think lactation consultants are becoming more commonplace, but still in general I think doctors don’t help with enough info about breastfeeding. The first three weeks of breastfeeding are the HARDEST! Also, so many still don’t understand how tiny a newborn’s stomach is etc. Now having breastfed my two youngest past 2 years old, breast is best and gets way easier after the first month or two!
I agree “breast is best”. I also know that formula can be an appropriate choice. I’m 6.5 weeks postpartum with my first baby. I struggled a ton with breastfeeding her. I had severe pain and low supply, despite meeting with four different lactation consultants for multiple appointments, having her tongue tie clipped, trying medication, trying pumping, etc. I so badly wanted to breastfeed my baby, but it was taking a serious toll on my mental health. After 4.5 weeks of struggling, my husband and I decided to exclusively formula-feed our baby. I felt sad and disappointed, but also relieved. It’s so nice that feeding my sweet baby is no longer stressful for me. I’m sharing this in hopes that it will encourage another mom who is where I was ❤
Wonderful advice! You always have such a great perspective that you share with your followers, what a gift from God!
Allie, You display such majurity here, wisdom and more importantly right biblical godly perspectives! 👍 on point
I've been blessed with close friendships. The women I find most encouraging are those who don't feel threatened by others' success. My postpartum experience was definitely not like the ballerina😂
Thank you for today's encouragement.
54yo grandmother❤
Loved this episode! I do follow Hannah on social media because not only do i also make sourdough and homemade mozzarella but because she has a very calm and gentle presence in that setting. While her full lifestyle is unattainable for most, there is value in her content. We absolutely do not control the feelings or reactions of others and when we fully accept and recognize that, we can enjoy the experience of sharing our journeys on these public platforms and possibly being an encouraging factor for even just one person to make a positive change in their own life. ❤
It’s not a random person, on the internet, whom you do not know, to make you feel good, bad or otherwise, about yourself. Can grown ups start acting like grown ups?? Monitor yourself and handle your own feelings.
It is true that it’s not realistic and attainable for most, however for her it is. Which is fine and okay and as Allie said we shouldn’t center ourselves and our emotions around every post we see and if that’s the case step back from it. Hannah is not responsible for every individuals feelings about her, her life, and her post. Many times people attack happy people because they themselves are not happy.
Breastfeeding my first daughter did not get better consistently until she was about 4 months. I wanted to quit so many times. It was so hard in the beginning. I had mastitus twice in the first two months. It was just hard. It got better as time went along, and i am so glad i kept going. It is so worth it. With my second daughter, she latched on great from the start and never had issues. All babies are different. Sometimes, it might be easier. It is so worth it to breastfeed. I breast-fed my first until she was 17 months and currently breastfeeding my second who is 7 months. Keep trying keep going mamas.
When I had my first child, I had every intention of breastfeeding. I struggled so much during that journey and called it quits at around 8 weeks. I saw several lactation consultants and I was on the triple feed schedule (breast, bottle, pump) which was so brutal. My nipples were torn up, bloody, and I was in so much pain both physically and emotionally. I remember calling a consultant and when she answered the phone I couldn’t even speak because I was so distraught. I felt like I had failed my baby. Even with that rigorous schedule I wasn’t producing anywhere near what my son needed. So, I resigned myself to formula and let my body heal. When I had my second, I tried again and when I noticed that my supply was still nonexistent, I didn’t stress over it. Now I’m pregnant with my third and I want to try again. I honestly feel a little traumatized from the whole experience but I know it’s worth the effort. Interestingly, my mom also struggled with her supply and had to supplement with all 5 of her children. I wonder if it’s a hereditary thing. I’m hoping that this third time my experience will be better. I agree breast milk is superior and I hate that we’ve spent so much money on formula, but for those who genuinely struggle, stay strong and don’t let this eat away at you if you know you made the effort.
It’s not that Hannah set unrealistic expectations about her body, because lots of women bounce back. Genetics play a HUGE role in that. I think women (admittedly, like me) were more like “girl, get back in bed so your uterus and body can heal and bond with your newborn baby.” Not to mention, she took a newborn on a plane so she could attend a beauty pageant in Vegas? Like, okay. You do you, but that’s just cringe.
Btw, I LOVE Hannah. I think she promotes great values, but she could’ve chilled with the silly pageant.
End: I love the scripture🙌 Thank you so much for the passage ❤
THANK YOU for your very reasonable perspective on the healthy boundaries that people have to draw, when it comes to how some people feel about other people’s lives on social media. If you cannot stop drawing comparisons with other people’s standards, and if you feel envious and sad about your life when you follow these “super people”, then shut down social media and find the power to be thankful and grateful for your own life. Simple!
While I agree that “Breastmilk is optimal” and a woman who can breastfeed she absolutely should. “Fed is best” can be helpful in the right context.
As a new mom, I found myself surrounded by naturally minded breastfeeding moms and I wanted to do the same.
But it wasn’t working. I met with 5 different lactation consultants. Everyone and their mother seemed to have advice about what I was doing wrong. I was getting only a few drops per feed and my baby stopped having wet diapers by the time we got home from the hospital, but I felt so pressured to keep trying.
People kept telling me not to give formula, that my milk wouldn’t come in if I gave formula. So I harmed my baby and my own mental health. It was only when the last lactation consultant sat down with me and told me “Fed is best in your situation. You are not doing anything wrong. We need to think about other options” that I felt like I could give formula.
That being said, when the formula shortage happened in 2022 and I was driving from store to store in search of formula and only finding empty shelves, I was incredibly angry at the women who chose to use formula out of convenience rather than necessity.
We had 4 consultations with LLL and my son wasn't having wet diapers and lost several ounces, and the LLL in the hospital kept telling me he would eat when he was hungry. I asked for formula, it took them two hours to get around to giving it to me, but he sucked it down. The final LLL said that my son was just lazy at 4 days old. I pumped for 4 months, but I never got more than enough milk for one day at a time. If he ate 6 oz bottles 6 times a day, that's all I could pump no matter how many times I pumped. He had problems with GERD and I kept trying to pump until finally my mom said, "You've tried everything but formula. Why don't you try it and see how he does?" He was like a different baby from that point on. My second child was adopted and I can't tell you how many "well-meaning" people told me I should have pumped myself full of hormones to breastfeed him. Both my boys are fine, both are smart and healthy. I remember all the judgment from sanctimommies at churches and mom groups. When they get married and their wives have kids, I'm going to support whatever gives their wives peace of mind.
The issue I have with "fed is best" is that poor, uneducated moms who really can't afford formula will default to bottle feeding without even trying. Since the 70s, both the medical and natural communities have been trying to re-educate and change the attitude toward breastfeeding to get women in poverty open to it. We're going backward, which will cause women to bottlefeed by default without giving breast a solid go.
Currently 1 day post partum and if she heals that quickly and is up for it, GOOD FOR HER. It’s her body her choice. Women need to stop comparing to each other. If she makes you bitter, thats a YOU problem sis. She probs had a a natural birth at home and didn’t tear. She’s Allgoods. Happy for her that she can dress up and feel that beautiful that soon after having a baby. It’s wonderful!!
I love Ballerina farm as a young housewife and aspiring mother and homeschooler. I also love pageantry, so I find her content very inspiring!
I read some of the comments on her post about competing at Mrs. World after being 12 days postpartum and I found them disgusting. She never said that other women have to look or be like her.. she's simply showcasing her lifestyle. It's sad how people can't be genuinely happy when someone is doing well.
I love this - so timely. Going on 4 months postpartum and EBF here. We had a natural home birth but difficult time getting breastfeeding off to a good start in those early weeks. We stayed with it and everyday it is a choice to stay EBF because of the quest to consume more nutrients. I think I am eating & drinking more water than I did when I was pregnant, and it's a conscious choice and discipline, as when the days are busy and I skip a meal, snack or don't drink enough water my supply tanks. Can I suggest? - EBF is best! The bonding with my son is unmatched and he has not been sick or unwell - I believe due to the natural choices our family has been able to make, PTL!
My question (and it may be off base) is whether those with supply issues are eating and drinking enough. If you have an ED, are simply eager to lose the baby weight, or just get busy and forget to eat, you're not going to produce enough milk.
@@RCGWho it can be all those reasons and more.
@@TeaCantrell I'm just wondering if it is mostly calorie intake or something like hormone imbalance?
@@RCGWhoI think calorie input is a large part of it in my experience to produce breast milk yes. There is also difficulty with the anatomy/structure of the breasts itself that differ from woman to woman that also cause disruptions also. I haven’t looked into hormonal imbalance issues causing lactation issues, and with those I have known (including myself) who have struggled with lactation, it hasn’t been due to imbalanced hormones, usually it’s been addressed with supplementation and a balanced diet with lots of hydration. 🙂
@TeaCantrell I always noticed a big difference in supply between when I snacked or missed meals vs when I ate a healthy meal (both quality and quantity of food). And water is a big yes.
I’ve never danced ballet but have always followed it. Many ballerinas have babies and almost immediately look fit and return to dancing soon. She’s not unique for a ballerina. They are incredible athletes.
Ballerina has got lots of stretch marks on her belly, she didn't hide them. She works her butt off on that farm, she is still young so she might have more energy. She is also an athlete because ballet is a hard sport. That's why she looks this good. I moved from the city on to the farm and my strength improved tremendously. City life makes us too comfortable.