Jenna Elfman chat about her 'happy guy,' Story Elias

Actress Jenna Elfman, 36, spoke with Us Weekly about her ‘happy guy‘ — son Story Elias, 5 months. Here are the highlights:

Her favorite part of motherhood:

Carrying him everywhere — honestly, that is my favorite thing. I take him to meetings, carry him around the house to do chores or put him in the Baby Bjorn and go shopping.

On her busy bee:

He’s so social! He loves to look at people, and he’s very friendly.

On food and getting out of the house:

They say six months before you introduce solids, but he’s really eyeballing my food. For now we’ll stick to breast milk. We bring it in the bottle, because we’re out and about so much. He can hold his own bottle now! I keep my Storksak diaper bag stocked at all times, ready to go.

Source: Us Weekly, January 7th issue, p. 57

Comments

I love to carry my son too, my sling is probably my best-used baby item. Story is adorable.

- Pam on December 31st, 2007

Story’s a cute little guy! That said, I don’t quite understand her comment about feeding Story with a bottle of expressed milk when out in public. Jenna, you CAN breastfeed in public, you know!

- Annoyomus on December 31st, 2007

Yes, she CAN breastfeed in public, she can also choose not to. Just because we can legally and sometimes comfortably breastfeed in public doesn’t mean nursing mothers have to. I, too, was more comfortable using a bottle in public, and sometimes at home. There is nothing wrong with nursing in public, but there is also nothing wrong with bottle feeding in public.

- To Annoyomus on December 31st, 2007

to me, when celebs say stuff like that, it doesn’t do a bit to help your average breastfeeding mom. i think pumping just to be able to bottle feed in public is ridiculous. it’s uncomfortable and time consuming and i find it sad that anyone feels that they have to do it.

- Linda on December 31st, 2007

Two questions:

1) Why should Jenna feel any sort of responsibility to maneuver her statements so that they help “your average nursing mom?”

2) How is saying that Jenna pumping so she can bottlefeed in public is ridiculous any different than someone saying breastfeeding in public is ridiculous? NIP moms are the first to complain when someone criticizes them, yet they have no problem criticizing not only moms who don’t breastfeed, but moms who do and choose not to broadcast it to the world every chance they get or go about it differently.

Just curious.

- Christina on December 31st, 2007

I really hate the fact that we women are so hard on ourselves! For goodness sakes, she is expressing her own milk to feed her child when they’re out in public. Where’s the problem with that? Jeez, I guess by the same rationale, everyone with a flat stomach and nice physique should wear a bikini, right? WRONG because some women are just naturally more modest than others – same with breastfeeding. Believe it or not sometimes modesty does/should prevail!! Some women may actually feel uncomfortable whipping out their breast in public. I know I would – of course a “I didn’t pump enough milk, and my baby’s still hungry” emergency would be a different story. But if Jenna is saying that her son hangs out with her a lot and she is prepared with his milk, then I don’t see how anyone can find fault with that!

- Chicki on December 31st, 2007

if I was a celebrity I wouldn’t breastfeed in public either, there is always a photographer around who would be dying for a boob shot.

- Anonymous on December 31st, 2007

Gracious. . .what r u guys, teenagers? Why does the average breast feeding mom care about whether or not Jenna Elfman, or any other celebrity, breast feeds in public or not. If you’re mature enough to have a baby, then you’re mature enough to make your own decisions about whether to breast feed in public or not w/o worrying about what celebrities say and what they do regarding their children. Do what you feel is best and most comfortable for you & your child and she’ll do the same for her & her child. Geez, some of you get so wound up about the silliest things!

- Taylor on December 31st, 2007

LOL I agree Taylor. I just knew someone would complain about that. Breastfeeding is a very controversial topic around here and there have been some heated debates about it.

- Renee on December 31st, 2007

I’m sorry but why should jenna or any other celebrity care about being an example to average moms. They raise their kids the way they want too, and they don’t owe us average people any explanation, whether it’s if they decide they wanna breastfeed but not in public, or not breastfeed at all, or have c-sections, or whatever decisions they make, it’s their kids and their bodies and they don’t owe total strangers any explanation.

I’m not even a real jenna fan, but I think if she doesn’t wanna breastfeed in public and have paparazzi take pictures of her, so what who cares. There’s plenty of moms that breastfeed, but don’t wanna do it in public no big deal. As for story, he looks just like jenna IMO

- gabriella on December 31st, 2007

::shrug:: i think breastfeeding needs to be normalized in this country and pumping just to leave the house is contrary to that ideology. i have the right to think it’s ridiculous (and i do.)

and, fyi, jenna has posed nude so the fear of having the public *see her breasts* would be a bizarre reason to pump, imo.

- Linda on December 31st, 2007

Linda- ITA! In fact, that is actually what I was trying to say. I wasn’t trying to criticize Jenna at all. Basically, I wish women wouldn’t have to be uncomfortable about breastfeeding in public. In fact, from what I have heard NIP in public is considered perfectly normal and not at all immodest or something to be ashamed of in several parts of Europe.

It makes me sad to think that U.S. women who choose to NIP still have to put up with people staring at them, making rude comments, etc. I greatly admire celebrities like Maggie Gyllenhal who choose to NIP.

All of that said, however, I realize that ultimately it is Jenna’s choice.

- Annoyomus on January 1st, 2008

Linda, you are still judging her. She isn’t thinking about what other American women are thinking. She is thinking about what’s best for her child and her routine. Would you really go up to her face and fuss at her for not breastfeeding in public? Probably not…Why are you so concerned with what Jenna does? At the end of the day..yet again…it’s not any of our business. I doubt you would appreciate some stranger in your business when you are not doing any harm to your child

- Renee on January 1st, 2008