Ashley Iaconetti is having a candid conversation about breastfeeding.
"I'm not breastfeeding," the Bachelor Nation star, who welcomed son Dawson with husband Jared Haibon in January, wrote in a March 22 Instagram post. "I know myself well enough to know that I'm a better mom and therefore Dawson is a happier baby because of this decision. I had a gut feeling during my pregnancy that this would be best for us."
After a rough pregnancy Ashley knew her body "needed to be only mine again" and "needed a break." As she put it, "It didn't need to learn to do something new again. Growing a human was enough for this year."
Looking back at Dawson's debut, Ashley recalled how she "felt 'normal' again" almost immediately after she gave birth and how she'd feared she'd never feel this way again.
"I didn't want my body to have to struggle again if breastfeeding didn't come easy, which it so often doesn't," the Bachelor in Paradise alum continued. "I knew the frustration that could come with that challenge wasn't going to be good for my soul. Dawson deserves the best version of me."
For Ashley, that meant formula. "I knew that formula feeding would allow for less middle of the night sleep interruptions and that getting as much sleep as I could would help with my mental health in the delicate postpartum period," she added. "I knew that quality sleep and Jared being able to share feeding duties would lead to increased patience, alertness, calmness, and energy for me. And it truly has. I'm fortunate to say that over the past 7 weeks there have only been a few days I've felt tired. It's made this huge life transition easy to adjust to."
"I'm lucky that this decision was so well supported by my inner circle," Ashley continued. "Jared and I were both formula fed from the start and we know plenty of other healthy adults and babies who were formula fed. Happy to report, Dawson has 100% of the time been excited to slurp down a bottle. I think breastfeeding is beautiful and I'm in awe of the women who choose to do it. I just know the choice I made was right for our family."
After reading her post, several of her fellow Bachelor Nation stars took to the comments section to praise her for her message.
"Love you Ashley!!" Jade Roper wrote. "You are the best momma!" Added Jen Saviano, "Ashley! This is amazing & so refreshing to read. Whatever brings out the best version of you is always going to be what's best for baby—what a great mama."
Ashely has always shared her journey with her followers. Before Dawson, who was named after Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Titanic, arrived, Ashley documented both the highs and lows of pregnancy, acknowledging that it's "not often picture perfect."
She told E! News in July, "I've been very raw and open ever since I've been on TV and I think I should continue with that. Plus, I think other people would like to hear about these experiences."