Heidi Klum Says Lou Is 'Very Attached' to Mom

Courtesy Heidi Klum

Heidi Klum will be be spending this Valentine’s Day apart from husband Seal as she attends Fashion Week in New York City. The 36-year-old supermodel and Project Runway host will hardly be going it alone, however.

In a new interview with Extra!, Heidi revealed that she and new baby Lou Sulola, 4 months next week, are a package deal!

“[She is] great,” Heidi explained. “I mean, it’s a little bit hard because she’s very attached to me still.”

“She doesn’t drink from the bottle. That’s a little bit of an issue right now!”

In addition to Lou, Heidi and Seal are parents to Leni, 5 ½, Henry, 4 and Johan, 3.

Source: Extra!

Comments

of course she is!! you’re her mother and she is still a tiny baby!

- Blackrose on February 5th, 2010

Wow she is cute! Love this family! (And I am sure it is difficult having three other little ones who need you too!)

- brannon on February 5th, 2010

These celebrities don’t have a clue about parenting and the needs of an infant. Heidi does not seem to have her priorities straight.

- desiree on February 5th, 2010

I had the same problem with my oldest son when my maternity leave was up, he wouldn’t take the milk I pumped in a bottle. It was a very difficult few weeks for my mom who was watching him until he learned. Good luck Heidi.

- Brandi on February 5th, 2010

What do you mean she doesn’t have her priorities straight? She’s a working mother (for one) and two, she’s doing the best thing she can for her baby and nursing her. She is saying she doesn’t go anywhere without her.. so .. what exactly is the issue here?

- Allison on February 5th, 2010

My ten month old daughter is still stuck to me like glue. In fact, I just ordered a new mei tai carrier for her, because my arms are getting cramped from holding her all the time!

- mrsh on February 5th, 2010

I agree with Allison. Heidi has done nothing wrong. well at least not this one…Heidi has a very high profile career plus she has 4 kids, that is a demanding life and she does such an amazing job. I think some times people are jealous.

- Isabell on February 5th, 2010

I too agree with Allison. What’s the big deal? And, for all you know, Heidi may wish for her to want to bottlefeed because she doesn’t have enough milk for her.

- Hea on February 5th, 2010

I agree. I too plan to breastfeed, but hope my baby will take a bottle as well, just to have the option. And I am unemployed, so I can only imagine having the schedule of Heidi Klum!

- Liz on February 5th, 2010

some babies just don’t take to a bottle. no need to judge her when we don’t know her!

- liz on February 5th, 2010

Hea

If she is breast feeding regularly she will have enough milk. How do you think babies survived years and years ago? Nature produces enough milk.

- anna on February 5th, 2010

@ Anna
Actually sometimes you can feed your baby breast milk and it still doesnt fill them up.
There is nothing wrong in what Heidi said. She is a working mother. Some people on here feel that as soon as you have a baby, your life has to stop. Well sorry to disappoint guys, but some people do have a life that doesnt fully revolve around their child.

- Laydacris on February 5th, 2010

anna – That’s not always true. There is a small percentage of women (2-4%) who won’t produce enough no matter what. It’s called “primary lactation failure.” Years and years ago, their babies simply wouldn’t have survived.

- mrsh on February 5th, 2010

anna – A lot of babies did not survive and some were given to wet nurses. My mother had to eventually start to give me the bottle because she couldn’t produce enough milk to keep me satisfied. I stopped putting on weight. It’s happens. Sometimes your breastmilk is not enough OR you may have different problems nursing.

A bit OT but; I have a relative who can’t nurse because it makes her breasts bleed and pains her a lot. There’s something wrong with her lactiferous ducts. She tried but her baby vomited blood – not milk. That’s why all her babies have been bottle fed and they are amazing kids today. A friend of mine just began bottle feeding her four month old because she couldn’t take it anymore. Baby is way more happy and actually sleeps through the night.

For some women it’s really painful and for others there’s just too much discomfort that it’s just not “worth” (I’m preparing to get jumped now) the tears and struggle. Mom needs to be able to be happy too! That’s not to be too selfish and nobody should feel guilty about that.

- Hea on February 5th, 2010

i don’t see anything wrong with heidi’s statements…lots of mothers only bottlefeed their babies, or do half-and-half (breast and bottle), just as lots of mothers only breastfeed. additionally, many mothers pump their milk to be bottlefed later (rather than formula.) for a working woman with three older children who need time with their mother, i don’t think bottles are indicative of not having her priorities straight!

- noam on February 5th, 2010

Hea – I had the same experience as your relative. Once my daughter started vomitting blood, my doctor actually told me I should stop and try pumping instead. That lasted three days, then my depression/anxiety disorder/OCD came back with a vengance, and my medication isn’t ok’ed for nursing mothers. So, that was it. We lasted 5 days and my daughter is doing great. She has a mentally stable mother and is very happy and healthy.

- mrsh on February 5th, 2010

My four and a half month old twins will not accept a bottle. Which is fine since I’m always able to nurse them, but with both of them nursing it can be a little… smothering to know they won’t take anything else. Especially when I’m very sick. But, I’d rather this “problem” than them refusing the breast anyday!!!

- Jean on February 5th, 2010

Some babies are just more clingy than others. My brother was VERY clingy. He never wanted to be put down. My mother couldn’t use the bathroom without holding him….let alone do anything else till my dad got home from work. It’s usually more common in boys than girls, but generally some babies are just clingier/needier than others.

- Mia on February 5th, 2010

WOW Jean nursing twins i can only imagine…GREAT JOB!!!!

I nursed up to almost 1 year and water was served in a sippy cup

My little one is 2.5 this month and its the first time since she was born that we are apart for more than a few hrs (went with her Nana on a 8 day vacation) and i must say iam enjoying myself bc i realize how stressful those years were this is like a vacation for me even tho i have 2 older kids and i work

- Simone on February 5th, 2010

My daughter is 15 months old, and has never had formula, she only had breastmilk and then started on Goat milk at 14 months old. BUT, from 3 months on, when I went back to work, she had 2, sometimes 3, bottles a day of breastmilk.

- Jen on February 5th, 2010

Anna, it is not true that there is always enough milk! Especially once the baby gets to be 3-4 months. My daughter stopped gaining weight when she was about 3 months even though I only nursed her and didn’t give formula. Eventually after a few weeks I had to start giving formula + solids. Some babies need solids earlier than others.

- Amy on February 5th, 2010

Life does change when you have a child, especially a very young child. You do have to change your priorities especially the first 6 months. A young child needs a primary caregiver (mother) they attach too. She has enough money, she does not need to rush out and show off her body two weeks after the baby is due. There is a really good reason, women in developed countries get maternity leave for 1 year or so. I realize that in the US women don’t have that privilege and look at the world through that reality. I am not saying that she is not allowed to work, but really having all those nannies is not in the child’s best interest at all.

- desiree on February 5th, 2010

Desiree, do you think you could handle her schedule? I suppose you think you are a better mother than her too, which is no way to think considering you never met the woman. And if you’ve never met her, I highly suggest you get off your high horse. It seems like people always have something to complain about nowadays. It’s not like she’s abusing her children or leaving them home alone or anything horrible like that. If she was doing that, you could complain all you wanted. But seriously, you sound jealous and judgemental.

- Nina on February 6th, 2010

I love what Heidi said! Obviously Lou is very much a mama’s girl!

- CelebBabyLover on February 6th, 2010

You know, babies can also be bottlefed with EXPRESSED milk. AT any rate, it is no one’s business is it. We don’t know what happens behind closed doors, and we certainly don’t know what is going on with a woman’s breasts, or any bit of he rbody for that matter. It never ceases to astonish me how people can read a small post and judge away like they’re privy to every single detail. Pettiness truly is ugly.

Anna, googling “lactation problems” will enlighten you. No mum who is crushed because she can no longer breastfeed needs to be given extra guilt or grief, it is hard enough as it is. Children did die, children still die in underdeveloped countries when mothers don’t have a support group of other lactating mothers and their own milk supply isn’t enough. Not everyone is so lucky as to be able to view it as ancient history but we are privileged in our resources in terms of information and help. There’s no excuse not to use them to become better educated.

- Jamie on February 6th, 2010

Desiree, you do realize that they have three other children right? You are acting as if she is the worst parent ever. Also, why is it the woman’s job to stay home.Why do you care how many nannies she has? It’s their money, their children , their lives.

- lee on February 6th, 2010

mrsh – I’m glad both you and your daughter are doing so good!

erica – Exactly. And with the fine formulas we have today and clean water there really isn’t a problem.

- Hea on February 6th, 2010

What’s wrong with Heidi working if she wants to? I don’t see how this means her priorities are messed up at all. She’s a supermodel, she has to work while she still can. I agree with Laydacris. Her life does not have to stop because of a baby, nor should it. The kind of judgment/jealousy (under the guise of ‘caring’ about poor, poor Lou)that comes out whenever there’s a post about this woman, I swear. I think in the later years Lou will look up to her amazing mom more, simply for the things she has accomplished, rather than if Heidi just chucks it all away to stay at home and stare at her.

- GiannaG on February 6th, 2010

Breastmilk/formula should be baby’s primary diet until age 1. If that isn’t filling them up at age 4 months, they need more of it. Breastfeeding is very painful for many, MANY women at the beginning; women need to stop acting like it’s this rare thing for it to be painful. It’s not.

- Alee on February 6th, 2010

I see nothing wrong with Heidi’s statements either… if she were a stay at home mom, I might probe some more as to why she needed baby to take a bottle, but then you have to remember she has a total now of FOUR YOUNG children… and it might be nice to be able to hand baby off when hubby is home just to spend time giving the other ones their baths or reading them a story… and pump.

But the fact is… she’s a working mom with a demanding schedule… and while it’s fine if baby wants to hold off eating longer than normal because she wants it straight from the tap, it can be frustrating for a mother who worries about her baby eating often enough.

I totally understand what she’s saying… she wants to be able to work and know her baby can be given a bottle by the nanny while she’s at work, so baby doesn’t have to be shuttled around with her to the workplaces… Remember, she doesn’t just do the tv show, she still models and goes to events.

- Kat on February 6th, 2010

“Some people on here feel that as soon as you have a baby, your life has to stop. Well sorry to disappoint guys, but some people do have a life that doesnt fully revolve around their child.” Ah, thanks for this.

Well, I think you all agree that she’s doing great, some complain about nannies but she’s taking her kid with her because she knows she’s attached, some complain about breastmilk but she can pump the bottle is just the way to give it to baby, everything is great!

- Alice on February 6th, 2010

Desiree, I’ve never gotten the notion that Heidi’s priorities weren’t in order. Actually, far from it.

Once I went back to work, I pumped and my sons were given breast milk through a bottle. When I was with them, I nursed.

- Liliana on February 6th, 2010

awww my first was like that..would not take a bottle

- cassie on February 6th, 2010

Personally I’m willing to give up my “life” to devote myself to my babies when they are young. They are only young once and it flies by. The most important and influential age is 0-3 years. But to each their own as some women need to work to support their families. I’m thankful that my husband has a job where I can stay home and let my babies cling to me.

- Lorus on February 7th, 2010

I think what Desiree was trying to say was that Heidi made a couple of comments that seemed as if she didn’t understand what infants are supposed to do if they are bonding properly. For example she said, “I mean, it’s a little bit hard because she’s very attached to me still.” She wouldn’t have said “still” if she truely realized that at the baby’s age she SHOULD be very attached and continue to be very attached for quite some time. Too many children, I fear are not attaching properly to their mothers because of work schedules. It’s good that she keeps her close because it does enable the attachment. But it’s normal and very desirable! Also the fact that she said “She doesn’t drink from the bottle. That’s a little bit of an issue right now!” made it seem more like she wanted the extra freedom that comes with that, rather than a low milk supply issue. The situation would be more dire if the baby was hungry for lack of breastmilk and if that were the case, she wouldn’t be traveling. She would be at home working on the issue. Which logically says she wants the baby to take the bottle for convienence issues. Which a lot of women do, but to those who thought it may be low milk supply, the evidence does not point in that direction. I for one think it is sad when mother’s lives don’t “revolve around their children” as one commenter posted. It’s sad to have a child, have the CHOICE to raise them yourself, and then give them to nannies and daycare to raise while you pursue your own interests. Sad. But judging Heid’s remarks, it doesn’t look as if she’s doing this at all. She has her baby with her and not a nanny. If anything she may feel pressure to explain why she’s so attached to her baby because most celeb moms entrust their little ones to nannies while they are out and about. I think it’s great she is able to and does takes her along.

- Elizabeth on February 7th, 2010

I’d like the correct a few misconceptions here, as a well-trained and experienced breastfeeding specialist (not IBCLC, but may pursue that down the road).

2-4% is not an accurate rate for physiological inadequate milk supply. More like 1% or less. The overwhelming majority of mothers who “run out” of milk due so because a) they think they have a low supply when they actually do not, because there are expectations for breastfeeding are different than the reality (i.e. “I know I don’t have enough milk because my baby wants to nurse every hour and a half!” – perfectly normal, but our bottlefeeding and formula culture has overridden our knowledge of what sucessful breastfeeding looks like…

or b) “mismanagement” of breastfeeding, i.e. bad advice and/or implementation of ideas that are not compatible with breastfeeding (scheduling newborns, denying “comfort nursing”, detached parenting styles, etc). I’m not blaming moms. There is just A LOT of misinformation out there. If 2-4% of women cannot breastfeed, then the several Scadinavian countries with breastfeeding rates of 99% would not be possible.

When I work with moms having supply problems past the initial “learning-curve” period, i.e. 3-4 months out, it’s almost always an issue of not offering the breast enough, usually coupled with baby sleeping long stretches at night and/or being encouraged to self-soothe during the day. Babies nursing every 2-3 hours round the clock very rarely have moms with supply problems. But I do see it in moms who nurse/pump only maybe 4 or 5 times a day and then either not at all at night or once during the night. Simple supply and demand.

Solids, in most instances, are best reserved for the middle of the first year, i.e. around 6 months. A typical 4-month-old should NOT be started on solids. Numerous studies document this.

And to say that formula-fed babies and berastfed babies are “no different” belies either a complete ignorance of 50 years and millions of dollars worth of the best research, or a denialist attitude based in fantasy, LOL. The evidence is CLEAR: Formula fed babies have an INCREASED RISK (not a guarantee on an individual level, but, as in, we look at 1000 babies in both camps and how many are afflicted with whatever condition) of DOZENS of health problems throughout their ENTIRE LIFETIME. We know now that infant feeding choice can affect even cardiovascular problems 60 years down the road!

Science is proving every day that the initial laying down of fat stores and the biochemical determination of metabolism (which starts in the womb and continues throughout the first year or so)is affected deeply by things as obscure as chemicals in our environment (and yes, even in breastmilk – many are unavoidable, as they are in our water and air). The difference between formula and breastmilk, on a molecular level, is ASTOUNDING. they are not even in the same ballpark. One is a living substance, full of enzymes and immunities and substances for every organ in your body, and the other is an artificial replica missing thousands of components.

Let’s be honest about the differences and help moms who really want to breastfeed overcome their challenges with expert assistance, not downplay a major health decision.

- Laura on February 7th, 2010

sorry about the typos – trying to deal with kid bedtime stuff around here and a million distractions

- Laura on February 7th, 2010

Laura – Breastfeeding studies have been fraught with confounding factors. You simply can’t account for the difference in who breastfeeds and who doesn’t, sociologically. It’s great to be pro-breastfeeding, but please acknowledge that the “studies” really aren’t the end-all be-all on breastfeeding. This debate is stupid, I’ll respect your right to feed your child the best way for you, but there is really know need to say that formula-feeding moms (many of us do it because WE HAVE TO!) are “LOL in denial.” Yeah, just rub it in our faces some more. You’re right, I’m sure my poor daughter will seem be ill and stupid compared to your so-superior breastfed children!

- mrsh on February 8th, 2010

mrsh- I can’t really understand why anyone would “have to” formula feed, it’s a choice and for working mothers choosing to pump and exclusively give their infants breast milk is a very challenging choice, but a choice nonetheless. I know many mothers who have succeeded doing this.

And the notion that there is no difference between formula and breastmilk is completely inaccurate. Breastmilk is the perfect food for an infant, the food that was intended for an infant to take exclusively. Formula is a processed food, mixed up a laboratory. It seems like every few years, the scientists who create formula realize oops- there’s another ingredient in breastmilk that we forgot to add into formula!- which is why you see DHA & ARA so heavily promoted in formula these days- naturally-occurring components in breastmilk that have amazing health benefits that were left out from formula for years. There is no way to replicate the mother/baby specific antibodies that come through breastmilk.

I have no judgment on people who choose to formula-feed, everyone’s circumstances are different and breastfeeding is a huge job, a full-time job when you have a newborn. It takes a lot of work and a big commitment that not everyone is cut out to make. I was formula feed and I have grown up to be a fairly healthy, educated person. I have a 16 month old who still breastfeeds and has never had a sip of formula and I am very proud of that. However, formula feeding is a choice.

- Jennifer on February 8th, 2010

Jennifer – Well, I had to because I take a psychological medication that is not okay for nursing mothers. Without it, I would not be here. So, for me, it’s a choice between breastmilk and my sanity (and life).

- mrsh on February 8th, 2010

So, yeah, I “chose” not to continue breastfeeding in order to save myself and my daughter. I stay home with a high-needs baby and take care of her. I KNOW how much work a newborn is, breastfed or not. I just wish more lactivists would think about what someone might be going through before putting them down. I didn’t quit because or was “too hard,” I quit because I had to, for my life and my daughter’s. And yes, I’ve been told by breastfeeding moms that, “Maybe I just shouldn’t have had her,” if I knew I my medication wouldn’t allow me to breastfeed. How very understanding.

- mrsh on February 8th, 2010

Lactivists !!!! Thats hysterical. Never heard that. Love it.

- moose on February 8th, 2010

Jennifer: many women HAVE TO formula-feed because their bodies simply do not make enough milk.

I was formula-fed and am completely healthy. My mother could’ve breast fed, from what I know, but chose not to after trying for days. It’s a painful thing and I know this now having friends going through it. It’s painful, your nipples are raw, your breasts can get hard and one woman compared them to bricks. It’s drastically different, like many things, with each woman. I HATE when women and mothers judge each other for their choices. Breast feeders vs. non-breast feeders, stay-at-home moms vs. working moms. Get over it and get along! It’d be such a nicer place.

- Erin on February 9th, 2010

Jennifer- In additon to what MRSH said, some women are literally physically unable to breastfeed. For example, for some women, their milk never comes in. Also, if a woman has breast cancer and winds up needing a double masectomy because of it, obviously she will not be able to breastfeed.

My point is, for some women, breastfeeding really isn’t an option!

- CelebBabyLover on February 9th, 2010

Laura and Jennifer, thanks for some great points and throwing FACTS into the debate. Of course there are women who cannot breastfeed, but the number of women who say they don’t have enough milk plus the science of how many really do not just does not add up, which does indeed point to how much misinformation there is about nursing out there and how to handle supply and demand.

- babyrama on February 10th, 2010

Laura I’m dying to know which countries make up ‘several Scandinavian countries’, since there are only 3 (4 at best if you count Finland and not everyone does).

If you want to know why 99% supposedly breastfeed (and I highly doubt that number going by my large collection of Scandinavian friends who don’t breastfeed), try looking at the fact that they get 18 months plus of fully paid maternity leave (of course they also pay around 60% income taxes for that privilege). Then look at the socio-economic makeup of the various countries in comparison to ours. There’s no way that your claim could scientifically prove that 99% of American women could provide adequate milk supply.

- Jennifer on April 2nd, 2010