Keke Palmer Shares "Difficult" Breastfeeding Journey With Her and Darius Jackson's Son

When it comes to parenthood, Keke Palmer is getting a few things off her chest. She is a mother, after all.

The Nope actress, who welcomed her son Leodis Andrellton Jackson in February with ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson, recently shared insight into her breastfeeding journey and how the experience tested her strength.

"I think my breastfeeding journey was also very empowering because it was so difficult," Keke told Essence in an interview published Aug. 21. "And I wanted to give up at so many different points, but I just kept pushing myself and kept trying to figure it out."

The 29-year-old explained how this postpartum experience helped her find herself again.

"The relationship I had with my son during that process empowered me to get back up and do things for myself again," she shared. "In the midst of trying to work out and do things that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do—like going to the Met Gala—I was able to say, 'You know what, I'm gonna get out there and experience everything again, and I'm still gonna be there for my boy.'"

Overcoming the challenges of breastfeeding, Keke noted, gave her the opportunity to step into her power.

"That kind of resolve built so much confidence and so much strength in me," she said. "I just got this overwhelming sense that I can do anything."

And now, the Hustlers actress is unapologetically herself.

"There were so many things I was always trying to change before," she explained. "But now, my being enough for my son has let me know that I'm enough in the world."

This isn't the first time in recent months that Keke has offered words of encouragement to other moms struggling to feel like themselves after having a baby.

"Do you, new moms," she encouraged parents during a July 10 interview with The Cut. "Do you. Girl, if there's one person on this earth that loves you for sure, it's that baby. Be happy, because there's no love like it. Somebody loving you like that, hell, who cares?"

Now, that's advice worth taking.

But if you want more inspiration, keep scrolling to read what other celebrities have said about their breastfeeding experience.

"I think my breastfeeding journey was also very empowering because it was so difficult," Keke told Essence in an interview published Aug. 21. "And I wanted to give up at so many different points, but I just kept pushing myself and kept trying to figure it out."

She added, "The relationship I had with my son during that process empowered me to get back up and do things for myself again."

The Game alum, who shares son Cree, 12, and daughter Cairo, 5, with ex-husband Cory Hardrict, opened up about her struggles with breastfeeding. "When I had Cree, I was struggling to breastfeed him," she wrote in an Aug. 10 Instagram. I was only able to breastfeed for 3 months before having to switch to formula. And during the second time, I found that I was able to breastfeed Cairo for 13 months." 

She continued, "Nonetheless, the journey was difficult...if you are struggling with breastfeeding, I want you to know that it is more than okay to feed your children formula. As long as your children are fed, loved, happy, and supported that's all that matters."

In a carousel of Instagram pictures, the former Victoria's Secret model shared a photo of herself breastfeeding her and Jason Statham's baby girl, Isabella. 

In May 2022, Ashley Graham shared a photo of herself feeding her twin boys, Malachi Ervin and Roman Ervin, at the same time. She captioned the post, "double fisting (peep the whacky tan lines)."

In March 2021, the Victoria's Secret model shared a pic of herself on Instagram breastfeeding her baby girl, Tuulikki Joan Daly. A couple of hours later, she shared the same photo on her Instagram Story, writing, "Find it interesting the amount of dms I get from men who get offended when you post a photo breastfeeding... Like, why is the most natural thing so offending to you? Breasts literally excists [sic] so we can feed our children [red heart emoji]."

The Twilight star opened up about breastfeeding her 20-month-old daughter Bodhi Soleil Reed Somerhalder in an Instagram post in 2019. "To be honest, I have no idea how long her and I will be on this journey together. I follow her lead, and she tells me exactly what she needs," she wrote.

"little bear," Kehlani tweeted in 2019, along with photos of her and baby Adeya.

"On a lighter note.... @acrebaja was bomb," the actress shared on Instagram while kicking off 2019, after welcoming her second child, daughter Banks. 

"Feeding time for the little munchkin," Robin Thicke's girlfriend wrote by a video of her feeding their daughter Mia. 

The actress breastfed son Grey, writing on Instagram in 2017, "BREASTFEEDING=JUDGEMENT FREE ZONE!"

The Hills alum and mom of one told her Instagram followers in 2016 that her sister, Casey Loza, is "always capturing me in moments. #momonthego."

The actress is all smiles as she snaps a selfie of her feeding her little one.

The model mom of two encourages other moms to share #breastfeedingselfie pics.

The Bravo star astutely pointed out in 2016 that "this #breastfeeding stuff is no joke."

The actress shared this photo in honor of daughter Elizabella's first birthday in 2015. "Happy Birthday, my beautiful Elizabella. You've taught me that my heart has no end. You were the missing piece to my soul. Thank you for choosing me," she wrote.