IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

'Fed is best': Former Bachelorette Jillian Harris had to stop breastfeeding

Former "Bachelorette" star Jillian Harris struggled with producing enough milk, which created stress for her entire family.
/ Source: TODAY Contributor

While former "Bachelorette" star Jillian Harris is sad about deciding to transition son Leo, 6 months, from breast milk to formula, she is also not willing to be shamed

“People used to say ‘breast is best,’ and now they’re saying, ‘fed is best,’” Harris, 37, told Us Weekly. “It’s controversial, as you know.”

Jillian Harris
Jillian Harris was conflicted about moving on from breastfeeding.Michael Stewart / WireImage

Moving on from breastfeeding "is so sad, but it does make life a lot easier,” Harris told the magazine.

Harris, who hosts "Love It or List It Vancouver" on HGTV, said she exclusively breast-fed Leo for five months, and at first, had no problem with milk supply. “It was amazing for me," she said.

But as her job became busier, her milk supply dwindled, she told the magazine. And that translated into stress for the new mom. “We were doing lots of traveling and I had anxiety about the amount I was producing,” she said. “I was beating myself up over the fact that I should be trying harder.

Never miss a parenting story with TODAY's newsletters! Sign up here

“I was always stressed and I was always saying to (fiance Justin Pasutto), ‘I have to pump, I have to pump. Nothing is coming out! I’ve got to go! Now I’m late! Now the baby is crying!’ Justin eventually was like, ‘Babe, maybe we should just go straight to formula.'"

The decision wasn't easy. "I still struggle with it," Harris admits. Still, she says, “it made life so much easier for us as a family. I have to hand it to moms who breastfeed for two years and have multiple kids.”