Motherhood is one of the most amazing journeys we may go through, but it can sometimes be filled with judgement and uncertainty.

I speak with actress, singer, entrepreneur, and mom Ashley Tisdale about her journey through motherhood and how she navigates the ups and downs of motherhood.

Here’s what we discuss:

• Her journey to choosing formula-feeding her baby and why she chose @Enfamil
• How she combats judgement as a celebrity mom
• How she balances her mental health, worries, and anxieties as a new mom
• What she loves most about watching her 6-month old, Jupiter, grow and develop
• Tips for fostering development in infancy
• How to look at the big picture when it comes to motherhood

Tune in to hear an amazing conversation from an inspirational mom.

00;00;08;28 – 00;00;28;13

Dr. Mona

Welcome to this episode! I am so excited to welcome a celebrity guest onto this podcast who is also a singer, actress, and new mom to talk about infant development and motherhood. Ashley Tisdale is joining me and I’m just so glad we’re here together. Thank you so much for joining us today.

 

00;00;28;15 – 00;00;29;12

Ashley Tisdale

Of course. Thank you.

 

00;00;29;12 – 00;00;37;00

Dr. Mona

So much. I’m so excited to hear about how you’ve been doing as a new mom. And if there’s anything at all that I can help you answer.

 

00;00;37;03 – 00;01;15;12

Ashley Tisdale

Yeah. I mean, I’ve been doing great as as any new mom would. You know, I think the biggest hurdle so far has, I’ve talked a lot about. I did not do well with breastfeeding. Jupiter did not latch from the very beginning. So, unfortunately, we did not go that route, but I was so thankful, and, I just wanted to obviously partner with Enfamil to share my experience, but to also just let other new moms know that there are other options and to not freak out when something isn’t working.

 

00;01;15;15 – 00;01;32;14

Ashley Tisdale

And so I’ve been so thankful for Enfamil to inspire, because it obviously has helped Jupiter so much though. I was just really, really grateful to have found them. And weirdly, I was on it myself when I was younger. So crazy how things just work out. Yeah.

 

00;01;33;03 – 00;01;56;00

Dr. Mona

And you look amazing. And you’re amazing, I love it. This is so great. You know, I agree. And infant development, how we feed our babies is so important to me. And it’s equally important to enfamil neuro pro. And because of this, I’m just so excited to partner with them to share my advice and insight on how you know you can support your baby’s growth, how other people can support their baby’s growth.

 

00;01;56;12 – 00;02;16;02

Dr. Mona

Wherever I can. As an infant developmental expert. So I’m just so excited to have this opportunity to talk to you today. Ashley. What has been some other major changes you’ve seen in the last six months? Maybe in you or in Jupiter or development? What is excited you as a new mom? Getting to see, you know, you’re a beautiful daughter, developing in different ways.

 

00;02;16;05 – 00;02;40;15

Ashley Tisdale

I mean, it’s just really awesome to see her reach her milestones. It’s so funny. Like, me and my husband are not sports fans, but I feel it’s like seeing your favorite team win a goal or, like, winning because we were sitting there when she finally rolled over. She was doing it in her crib. And you could see like progressively she was practicing and practicing and practice and were like, oh, it’s going to get there soon.

 

00;02;40;15 – 00;03;01;12

Ashley Tisdale

It’s going to get there soon. And just one morning we’re like watching the monitor and we’re like, she’s almost there. She’s I was there. I guess I was like, if only this kid knew what we were doing down there. It was like, I don’t know. It’s just like the best moment ever. And it’s like just even starting solid, like seeing her do that, you’re just like, oh my God.

 

00;03;01;12 – 00;03;21;12

Ashley Tisdale

And you’re like, taking Sony pictures and videos. And so, I mean, it’s been such an amazing time. She’s such a great little baby and she’s just growing. And as just, you know, she’s thriving, which is so great. And she’s just so cute and, and she’s just been awesome. It’s been great.

 

00;03;21;15 – 00;03;37;17

Dr. Mona

Yeah. I love following you. I love seeing her pictures and her videos. She is adorable and she’s thriving and it’s so nice to see. And are you thriving too, as a new mom? Like, in terms of how you’re feeling with everything? I know we talk about, you know, babies, milestones, but how are you feeling as she grows?

 

00;03;37;17 – 00;03;45;22

Dr. Mona

You know, she hits all of these amazing milestones. Do you also feel like you’re also growing as a mom and hitting milestones in your own life? As a mom?

 

00;03;45;24 – 00;04;04;18

Ashley Tisdale

Yeah, I feel like the first three months you’re kind of exhausted and you’re just, like, trying to figure everything out. So that was really a blur. And you still have like, a little bit of baby brain. And now that she’s six months old, I feel like I’m finally getting a little bit of my footing. Obviously, now that starting the solids is like, okay, well, now what do we do?

 

00;04;04;18 – 00;04;34;17

Ashley Tisdale

And I’m like back into researching and finding out all of that stuff. But it does make me feel good. Like I think like I said, like the biggest hurdle was the feeding in the very beginning. And it is really wild how things just work out. And I have anxiety and I manage it really well. But, it’s like a perfect example of how it’s so important to be present with your child and to be in the moment and to realize when something isn’t working and to not get in the way of that.

 

00;04;34;17 – 00;04;50;17

Ashley Tisdale

Because I could have easily been like, well, no, this is how it is. This is what we should be doing the best one and or best option. And it’s so important to to be like, this is not really working out. And to find, you know, that there are better options out there or other options out there for you.

 

00;04;50;20 – 00;05;12;01

Ashley Tisdale

And so once that happened, it was just like, oh my gosh. Like, I just felt so great because it took out a lot of the guessing. Like with breastfeeding, you have to like make sure there’s a certain amount of diapers to like, make sure that she’s getting fed the amount properly. And then it’s like, oh my gosh, this kid just knew me.

 

00;05;12;01 – 00;05;33;13

Ashley Tisdale

Like, I don’t have to worry about that because using like inspire, I’m able to like, know how much she’s getting through the bottle. So it was just like a real stress reliever for me. And so I think that, like one stat, you know, happened. And she was like perfect and great and thriving with feeding. I was just like, it just took a lot.

 

00;05;33;13 – 00;05;52;01

Ashley Tisdale

I mean, it’s a huge part of it. And I think that, you know, becoming a new mom, it’s just really stressful. It’s a lot of pressure. And then like to be the one feeding from your body. If I give it to anybody who can do it, that’s amazing. But for me, it was just a lot of pressure from myself of being okay.

 

00;05;52;01 – 00;06;09;20

Ashley Tisdale

And also I need to make sure that I can make every feeding and like it was just a lot going on with me and it didn’t feel right for her and it didn’t feel right for me. So I’m just so glad that we connected me and Jupiter and realized what was the better option for us. And obviously, you know, starting solids.

 

00;06;09;22 – 00;06;29;16

Ashley Tisdale

I took a class in starting solids. And so I felt really good about that. I feel like knowledge is power. And one of the things that I learned was that, you know, it’s really just about practicing up until the year, and that she’s still getting her nutrients from her formula. So, it takes a lot of pressure off of, oh, she’s eating enough of the solid.

 

00;06;29;18 – 00;06;39;08

Ashley Tisdale

Oh, well, she’s just like, you know, trying it out. She’s trying new things. We’re looking for allergies, and we’re just like, she’s just practicing right now, but she’s very good at it.

 

00;06;39;10 – 00;07;00;11

Dr. Mona

I love it. No, I it’s so great seeing that. I absolutely just love seeing her explore food and use that spoon already. I’m really into all that stuff too, because it’s just, it’s nice to see them accomplish all of these milestones that they are capable of, and you are right on that. Sometimes our own worries, our own anxieties, our own insecurities, which are totally validated, right?

 

00;07;00;11 – 00;07;16;14

Dr. Mona

We have these feelings as moms. They can sometimes get in the way of just letting them be right. That obsession little. How much should they be taking in terms of breast milk or even formula? How much should they be eating? And then you’re kind of worrying about that so much that you miss what’s actually happening in front of you.

 

00;07;16;16 – 00;07;37;12

Dr. Mona

And I, you know, that’s one thing that I like to educate moms about. And dads too. But hey, your child is giving you some signs and cues and you got to do what works best for you as a mom and what also works best for your baby. And you gave the example that breastfeeding was not working out. And I also, by the way, I am still so pro breastfeeding, but I’m also pro formula.

 

00;07;37;12 – 00;07;56;08

Dr. Mona

I’m also, hey, decide what’s best for you. Because I ended up doing formula also and I don’t look back and say, oh my gosh, I didn’t do breast milk, right? And I don’t think anyone ever really, you know, as time goes by, you can look back and say, well, maybe I missed out on the opportunity, but you’ll look at your kid and you’ll be like, this child is thriving.

 

00;07;56;08 – 00;08;12;03

Dr. Mona

Like it was really just a decision that was made that now really means, you know, does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? And I think that commonly gets so bogged down, especially in new parents, into the moment without looking at the big picture, right. Like, oh my gosh, oh my baby’s not doing this. Well, what about the big picture?

 

00;08;12;07 – 00;08;23;06

Dr. Mona

Do you feel that way on like development also like do you feel like you were also researching. Well what’s normal with development? What should I be doing to engage with Jupiter, or did you feel like it came naturally to you?

 

00;08;23;08 – 00;08;47;00

Ashley Tisdale

I mean, I have an at the bump that kind of helps me along my journey through pregnancy. I used it and also through motherhood, so I just kind of know what she should be doing and where she should be at. And it’s funny because I got a book, called Mama’s Day from I do a lot, and it was basically like, what type of mom you’re going to be like the action, mama?

 

00;08;47;00 – 00;09;07;24

Ashley Tisdale

Or like the go with the flow mama and or the Type-A and like, I am very Type-A in my life, but when it comes to Jupiter, I actually more go with the flow. Like, I don’t want to put too much stress or pressure on, you know, like, is this happening? Right? Like, we do the best that we can, we help them with everything that they should be, you know, help with tummy time.

 

00;09;07;24 – 00;09;26;08

Ashley Tisdale

Like, you know, I knew to do that obviously from the bump. And so therefore I was like okay. Like every day like I know she’s frustrated, but she needs to get past that. And so that’s obviously going to help her with the rolling over. And like I said, I think the best is being present. I meditate in the morning and that kind of helps me stay grounded.

 

00;09;26;11 – 00;09;43;20

Ashley Tisdale

And I think that she’s also teaching me about patience, in my life. And so I really just try to be in the moment with her and not get to overwhelm them with where should she be at at this moment? Because I know that I’m doing everything that I need to be doing.

 

00;09;43;20 – 00;09;59;15

Dr. Mona

You know, I love that, and that’s exactly how you’re going to find joy. And also that’s where that child is going to thrive. I mean, again, you are present with her. You’re learning about her. You’re centering yourself. I just love that you do that. I think it’s such an important key. How many minutes do you meditate every morning?

 

00;09;59;15 – 00;10;02;17

Dr. Mona

Is it like increasing time or what is the time at right now?

 

00;10;02;20 – 00;10;21;00

Ashley Tisdale

I mean, it really just depends on how my morning is. So it’s like a work. It’s like I can only squeeze in a certain amount, but I use the Expectable app actually for that one. That also helped me through pregnancy, but also has a motherhood. And honestly, like the her meditations are amazing because I’d be like, that’s exactly what I need to hear today.

 

00;10;21;06 – 00;10;39;22

Ashley Tisdale

It’s like so great. It’s also great. Just like right after you have the baby. Like there is a whole like section of just, you know, the first couple weeks. And I was just like, this is speaking to everything that I’m going through. And so it really comforting to have and yeah, I feel like it’s just so great.

 

00;10;39;22 – 00;11;04;03

Ashley Tisdale

And it makes me happy and grounded. And I think that that’s so important for, you know, obviously our baby are you know, I think that it’s important to take care of yourself. It’s important for you to look at that as being something that is helping you, which will ultimately help the baby, you know? So if you’re grounded, that’s going to be even more helpful for her.

 

00;11;04;06 – 00;11;23;11

Dr. Mona

Absolutely. And, you know, in the infant years, we’re we tend to focus more on development than behavior. You know, behaviors like people think in the toddler years, we’re going to be dealing with tantrums. But setting that foundation now with behavior comes from us also like you’re doing Jupiter is six months right. Yeah. So I just love the first six months.

 

00;11;23;11 – 00;11;41;10

Dr. Mona

And then now you’re going to enter in my opinion one of the most exciting next six months, which is that six months to a year. But that first year is just full of so much excitement. I mean I think it’s exciting. I have a 21 month old. I think every month is exciting. But and that first six months to a year, they’re learning about the world.

 

00;11;41;10 – 00;12;03;14

Dr. Mona

They’re learning about, you know, how things are fascinating and how you’re so funny and how your faces are so funny. And it’s like, just so endearing, like you said, to just see them reach those milestones and they’re learning about the world through you. Some things I always like to talk about at, like, this age, you know, like the six month kind of milestone, which I think you’re just doing so great with is exploring foods again.

 

00;12;03;14 – 00;12;20;16

Dr. Mona

I’m so happy that you have already started to do feeding and that soul feeding, and she’s going to thrive so much by exploring different textures and learning that you’re not going to force her, and learning that you’re just going to allow her the freedom to play essentially with her food. And I think that’s just so awesome to see.

 

00;12;20;23 – 00;12;28;16

Dr. Mona

And I know she probably does like, some independent play already, like in terms of, like playing on her own. Playing with you.

 

00;12;28;19 – 00;12;29;09

Ashley Tisdale

Yeah.

 

00;12;29;11 – 00;12;46;16

Dr. Mona

So cool. I mean, I love that you do that. I see, you know, and as a working mom, like, you’re obviously busy and it’s so important for the babies. You know, I think we think that we have to be with our baby in their face 24 seven, that that’s the only way they’re going to feel loved or that’s the only way that they’re going to thrive developmentally.

 

00;12;46;23 – 00;13;00;13

Dr. Mona

But really, they need a lot of idle time, too. They need time to just chill with their toys and figure out, well, I need to figure out how to get to that toy. Let me roll over to get it. So much of development happens without us in their face all the time.

 

00;13;00;17 – 00;13;30;01

Ashley Tisdale

I don’t know, I noticed, I find that she is practicing more in her crib than, you know, like, that is where I’ve seen her do so much stuff. And it’s also really great because that can be very stimulating, you know, being around everybody, you know, just like obviously outside and seeing our dogs. And so it’s like when she goes down for a nap, sometimes she’ll wake up in the middle of the nap and have like the little sleep break, and she’ll be kind of like rolling over and doing her thing on her tummy.

 

00;13;30;01 – 00;13;43;12

Ashley Tisdale

And she’s like, now starting to kind of perk up. You could start to see that she’s like learning how to push up to crawl type of thing. So it’s like she works out so much stuff in that crib. I mean, half the time she would make dinosaur noises.

 

00;13;43;12 – 00;13;45;01

Dr. Mona

Just like it’s like.

 

00;13;45;01 – 00;13;54;05

Ashley Tisdale

Her imagination starting, you know? And it’s like, it’s so awesome to watch the monitor because I think it’s so important that they have those moments themselves.

 

00;13;54;07 – 00;14;11;18

Dr. Mona

Absolutely. And you’re right that it’s just a flat space for her to explore. And, you know, I think there’s such a balance of, you know, doing, carrying them and doing all that, physical attention, but also just letting them be like you did with the feeding, like you do with so much. And I just think that’s such an awesome skill that’s going to serve both of you.

 

00;14;11;18 – 00;14;32;05

Dr. Mona

So well into the future. I mean, I see toddlers, right? Toddlers do have independence and they want to be independent. And starting this in those infant years can really help. So that is just so awesome. I love hearing it. Is there anything that makes you anxious on how to keep her engaged or you don’t? It doesn’t seem like you feel worried about being in her face all the time.

 

00;14;32;08 – 00;14;33;05

Dr. Mona

No, no.

 

00;14;33;05 – 00;14;46;24

Ashley Tisdale

I think that, you know, she’s one of those babies that when she wants to engage with you, should look at you. And if she doesn’t want to engage with you, it’s one of the signs that I kind of found out early on is that when she looks away, it’s like, okay, I’m done. You know, like.

 

00;14;46;24 – 00;14;47;24

Dr. Mona

I’m not engaging with.

 

00;14;47;24 – 00;15;05;09

Ashley Tisdale

You. And she’s like that, you know, with obviously toys, if she’s like into a toy, she’s into it. But then when she’s done, she kind of looks away. So it’s like really just like reading and learning their signs and their cues. And, that’s just something that was like really important for us to learn. It’s confusing at first because you’re just like, oh my God, they’re crying.

 

00;15;05;09 – 00;15;22;09

Ashley Tisdale

And like, what are they crying about? And a lot of it, what we learned, we actually did use a sleep trainer. It’s funny because like how I think of sleep training is that they’re training the parent. Oh, totally. For a baby knows what to do. But yeah, it’s it’s really the parents that are, like, getting in the way.

 

00;15;22;10 – 00;15;23;25

Ashley Tisdale

Me like she needs something.

 

00;15;23;25 – 00;15;24;22

Dr. Mona

Yes, yes.

 

00;15;24;27 – 00;15;29;09

Ashley Tisdale

No they don’t. They’re just like, you know, kind of coming down from like their little cortisol jump.

 

00;15;29;09 – 00;15;30;01

Dr. Mona

And it’s like, yeah.

 

00;15;30;08 – 00;15;49;29

Ashley Tisdale

It’s just so many things that I learned through that, which was really awesome. And the babies need sleep, you know, like they need sleep. You know, they might have their little sleep break and they might like kind of, you know, fuss around and cry. But then Jupiter has been very independent from the start. Like she could hang out in her crib for her naps and like, she’s always been a good napper.

 

00;15;50;01 – 00;16;12;04

Ashley Tisdale

I mean, we have been blessed. Like, I honestly know that it’s not every day that babies are like that because I have friends that are like, my baby won’t go down for a nap, and it’s so hard, and she’s great at that, and she’s also great at sleeping through the night. So and if she does wake up, she knows how to get her back to sleep, which shows me that she is very independent and we’re letting her be independent.

 

00;16;12;04 – 00;16;32;15

Ashley Tisdale

So I think that’s all, you know, obviously everyone has their feelings about sleep training and stuff, but I really do feel like babies get confidence when they’re able to put themselves down to sleep. And, I think that she like I said, it’s just I’m so proud of her and everything that she does. But I think I could just tell from early on that she was like a pretty independent lady.

 

00;16;32;15 – 00;16;35;22

Ashley Tisdale

I’m independent myself. So, you know, she’s a for me.

 

00;16;35;24 – 00;16;40;05

Dr. Mona

And maybe you’re a good sleeper too, I hope. I don’t know, but I see.

 

00;16;40;07 – 00;16;44;12

Ashley Tisdale

But my eight hours of sleep obviously don’t get that anymore. But yeah.

 

00;16;44;12 – 00;16;57;16

Dr. Mona

My son got my sleep genes too. And I’m like, my husband’s like, if anything, just please let him get your sleep. Genes, please. I’m like yes. And he did. And so it’s it’s helpful. Oh, I love it. I want to hear more about your feeding journey. I know you said that you did. You know, you ended up doing formula feeding.

 

00;16;57;22 – 00;17;18;02

Dr. Mona

Tell me a little bit more. Did you feel, you know, there tends to be, like, social guilt laid on new moms when it comes to their feeding decisions. And that includes breast or a bottle that includes peri baby weaning. Anything that we do as moms get scrutinized. And you’re also in the public eye. So I don’t know, did you feel like you got that weight when deciding to move to formula feeding?

 

00;17;18;02 – 00;17;22;27

Dr. Mona

You know, how did you overcome any guilt that you had? Or did you feel very comfortable with that decision?

 

00;17;23;00 – 00;17;47;05

Ashley Tisdale

I think I just felt very comfortable from the moment that I chose the decision is that obviously, you know, I thought I was going to breastfeed, and so I was pumping and I was like creating milk like crazy. So it wasn’t like that wasn’t working. It just wasn’t working for her. And I think that, of course I was like sad being like, oh, I can’t believe this didn’t work out when I’m able to produce milk.

 

00;17;47;05 – 00;18;08;01

Ashley Tisdale

And that all worked out. But I think that for me it was just like like I said, it’s so important to be present and knowing that it wasn’t working for us and how she just like once I gave her the bottle and I gave her and family was just like the best. It to me was like I said, that’s the biggest hurdle as being a new mom.

 

00;18;08;01 – 00;18;27;08

Ashley Tisdale

And I felt so much pressure just trying to figure out the breastfeeding that like once I went to the bottle with her and she was just like, totally great. I was like, oh my gosh. Like, I just felt so stress relieving. So there was never any like, guilt there was never any oh my gosh, what are people going to think?

 

00;18;27;08 – 00;18;47;02

Ashley Tisdale

Like? I was just like so excited to scream from the roof. Like, guys, there’s other options out there and like to not feel guilty and I think that, you know, there’s obviously joy and people sharing their pictures of them breastfeeding with their babies. And I obviously wasn’t having that experience. And so I really wanted to be like, you know what?

 

00;18;47;05 – 00;19;02;29

Ashley Tisdale

There’s other moms that aren’t having the experience and that’s okay. And we’re having just actually as great a as an experience is that by being with the bottle, I think there’s like this thing where people think, well, oh my gosh, like it’s really about like how you are there with the baby. It’s like, well, I’m able to do that too.

 

00;19;02;29 – 00;19;14;12

Ashley Tisdale

And she’s so happy. Like literally the first time feeding her, I was like, had those, what is it the plastic like, it’s like for your when you’re.

 

00;19;14;12 – 00;19;15;25

Dr. Mona

Trying different nipple shield.

 

00;19;15;28 – 00;19;33;17

Ashley Tisdale

Yeah. So like, oh my god. Now I’m using a shield. And it just felt like what is happening. And she was just like so frustrated. And so I didn’t like that. I said to Chris, I was like, I don’t think this is how it was to be like, this isn’t right. And so even though I was so new to everything, I knew it wasn’t right.

 

00;19;33;17 – 00;19;58;25

Ashley Tisdale

And so I think that once I made the decision, it was the best decision that I made. She gets all of her key nutrients through and from inspire. And there’s omega three, DHEA and lactoferrin. And I just was like, you know what? I was grown on Enfamil. She’s totally fine and it’s great. And I just wanted to share that, you know, especially because I did have a lot of, you know, people.

 

00;19;58;25 – 00;20;25;03

Ashley Tisdale

DM me and they were saying the same thing, that that breastfeeding didn’t work out for them. And they were so excited to see that I was sharing my experience because it made them feel less guilty. And I was just like, yeah, like, let’s not put guilt on ourselves. We’re doing the best that we can. Like, let’s stop, like beating ourselves up if something’s not working out, like, let’s just like, you know, celebrate that there are other options out there and that the baby, you know, it’s all about them.

 

00;20;25;03 – 00;20;29;17

Ashley Tisdale

It’s all about like, what’s best for them. And they’ll tell you what’s best for them.

 

00;20;29;20 – 00;20;55;06

Dr. Mona

And like you said, there are so many great options to feed your baby. So we talk about obviously breastfeeding and then formula. Some people do both. Some people just do formula. Some people do, you know, only express breast milk. There are just so many ways and I agree, you know, I am a board certified pediatrician. I actually am on my way to hopefully become a lactation consultant because I want to provide resource for moms who want to do whatever they choose.

 

00;20;55;06 – 00;20;59;10

Dr. Mona

And I’m so glad to hear that you didn’t feel that guilt that weighed on you for.

 

00;20;59;17 – 00;20;59;21

Ashley Tisdale

A.

 

00;20;59;21 – 00;21;20;28

Dr. Mona

Long period at all, or even even so. I also didn’t feel that guilt because I see children in my office thrive in both ways, right? I see formula for babies and I see breastfed babies. And it really comes down to what the mother wants. It really does. I mean, if a mother loves breastfeeding, enjoy it, but if a mother is not loving it and like you said, the nipple shield, for me, it was the pumping.

 

00;21;20;28 – 00;21;40;08

Dr. Mona

It made me so depressed and so upset, like I was missing out on that time with Ryan because I was just so focused on, well, now I’m attached to this thing like, this is taking away time for me to rest when I can be rested for my son and play with him and engage with him. So it is a choice that every mother will make.

 

00;21;40;14 – 00;21;57;16

Dr. Mona

And I think we also get so focused on only looking at what we’re putting inside a child’s body. And although that’s important and that’s why we have brands like Enfamil inspire, you know, to help support that immune system and support, you know, all the things that we need, for our nourishing, you know, the nourishing bodies of these little babies.

 

00;21;57;22 – 00;22;19;27

Dr. Mona

It’s also the environment, right? Like you, I know, are giving Jupiter the most amazing experience by being a loving mother. And it’s not even just about things. You know, people think that we need all these things. It’s so much more simple than that. It’s the love that we give and that love can be given. Whether you do breast or formula, it’s the attention to the environment with developmental activities.

 

00;22;19;27 – 00;22;41;01

Dr. Mona

How are you engaging her? Are you reciprocating sounds when she makes sounds, are you showing her how things work? You know, rattles and crinkly toys. These are all the things that build our children’s brains and make them feel loved, right? So it’s not just breast or formula, it’s truly. What is the big picture here? And I obviously can tell that Jupiter is loved.

 

00;22;41;01 – 00;23;00;23

Dr. Mona

Ryan is loved. It’s not because, you know, oh, we made this choice. And only breastfed babies can be love. No, every baby’s loved. It comes from the environment that we put these babies in. And I want that message to be out there because there is a lot of guilt. I mean, I still get, you know, moms messaging me like, please, Doctor Mona, you need to help me get through this guilt that I can’t breastfeed my baby.

 

00;23;01;00 – 00;23;17;00

Dr. Mona

And I really say I’m like, it’s going to come to you at your own time. You’re going to realize maybe months down the line, maybe tomorrow. Wow, this was the best decision I made for my family. And it doesn’t matter what anyone else did, because my baby is thriving on their own, on curve or their own developmental trajectory.

 

00;23;17;00 – 00;23;33;26

Dr. Mona

And it’s such a beautiful thing. And I again, I love being able to connect with you on this. Just as a, you know, you’re your mom, you’re a working mom, you’re obviously a celebrity. And it’s really cool to talk to celebrities that are like us. You know, we sometimes feel like, oh, they don’t understand, but I know you do.

 

00;23;33;26 – 00;23;42;28

Dr. Mona

And I can tell from your Instagram and obviously from this podcast that you really do get it and it just means a lot. But, you know, I’m sure you’re helping a lot of people by sharing your story.

 

00;23;43;09 – 00;23;45;06

Ashley Tisdale

Thank you so much. Thank you.

 

00;23;45;18 – 00;23;52;12

Dr. Mona

Is there any other questions you had about Jupiter or about development or anything? I think we were able to talk about so much, but not sure if you had anything else.

 

00;23;52;13 – 00;23;57;04

Ashley Tisdale

Yeah, I think we. Yeah, I feel like we went over everything. I think I feel really good about it.

 

00;23;57;11 – 00;24;12;01

Dr. Mona

Yeah. No, I’m very happy. I want to thank you again for joining us today. It means so much that you could take time out of your day to talk about development and motherhood. And I hope to have you on again in the future. Hopefully.

 

00;24;12;03 – 00;24;14;06

Ashley Tisdale

Yes. Thank you so much. Thank you.

 

00;24;14;09 – 00;24;19;02

Dr. Mona

Thank you for tuning in for this week’s episode. As always, please leave a review.

 

00;24;19;05 – 00;24;22;06

Dr. Mona

Share this episode with a friend, share it on your social media.

 

00;24;22;08 – 00;24;30;02

Dr. Mona

Make sure to follow me at PedsDocTalk on Instagram and subscribe to my YouTube channel, PedsDocTalk TV. We’ll talk to you soon.