Heather Rae Young this week shared some of the joys and struggles of being a new mom, including the difficulty of breastfeeding her 3-week-old baby because of his tongue, cheek and lip tie.
“In the beginning I had a lot of tearful nights because I had to get up at 3am to feed him and I felt so down,” she admitted on Instagram Monday.
“I’ve been in mommy hibernation mode for the past few weeks but got some fresh air with my lover today,” wrote Young, who is married to HGTV star Tarek El Moussa, at the beginning of a lengthy caption along with a picture of the she is sitting outside with her son Tristan.
She continued, “As I promised, I want to talk to you guys about my breastfeeding journey because it has definitely been a journey!! I thought…. I’ll just put him on my chest and feed him anytime.
HEATHER RAE YOUNG DETAILS TWO WEEKS AFTER WELCOME SON’S ‘TERRIFIC’ BIRTH EXPERIENCE: ‘I WAS IN SHOCK’
Tristan, 3 weeks, is Heather Rae Young’s first baby. She married Tarek El Moussa in 2021. (Heather Rae El Moussa/Instagram)
The Selling Sunset star went on to explain that Tristan had a tongue tie, cheek tie and lip tie, which made it difficult for him to latch onto her breast and suckle. The newborn also had jaundice.
Young said the condition was “detected very early thanks to my incredible lactation specialist and @tonguetietribe, they are literally baby fairies.”
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Tristan used up so much energy eating that he lost weight, she explained.
“We’re now two weeks away from fixing his tongue tie and he’s locking in so well on the left side and we’re still working on the right side with non-traditional positions that were shown to me by the baby fairies,” said she , who recommends a lactation specialist to mothers who choose to breastfeed.
Heather and Tarek announced they were expecting their first child six months after their wedding. (Todd Williamson)
She said while there’s not “a lot of time to take care of yourself,” she suggests breastfeeding moms focus on “nutrition and hydration.”
Despite the stress, she said: “I really love breastfeeding. I love the skin to skin connection and think it is such a beautiful bonding experience. It might be hard and challenging right now, but it’s such a special experience to share with our little boy and we’re working together to make it easier like we’re a small team.”
Young shares Tristan, 3 weeks, with husband Tarek El Moussa. (instagram)
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Tristan is Young’s first baby and she is a stepmom to El Moussa’s two children – Taylor, 12, and Brayden, 7 – who El Moussa shares with ex Christina Hall.
The couple announced they were pregnant last summer.