The Bachelor alum Ashley Iaconetti has revealed she's chosen not to nurse her newborn son Dawson, and her husband Jared Haibon has shared his opinion about it.
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"We're sleeping -- not through the night, but [about six hours]... But I'm not breastfeeding," Ashley, 33, told Us Weekly in a joint interview with Jared on Wednesday.
"So that has made everything a little bit easier. That has been a nice way for my body to just take a break, and [Jared has] been doing more than 80 percent, honestly, as other parts of my body heal."
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Ashley, who shared how she's still sore and emotional after giving birth, said while they work together to raise their infant throughout the day, Jared has been "amazing" and lets her sleep in until 10AM.
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Jared, 33, chimed in with, "She went through nine months of pregnancy. I can do 70/30 right now, you know?"
Ashley explained that she opted not to breastfeed "knowing that I was probably going to be a better version of myself for [my baby] if I'm as well-rested as possible and because the past nine months have been so hard on my body."
Ashley said she wants to have all of her focus on Dawson.
"[I didn't want] to have any sort of struggle that distracted me from being my best self," Ashley explained. "I've had so many people say that they tried [nursing] for a very short period of time, and it just stressed them out so much."
"And I was like, 'I don't want to stress myself out -- more than I have to -- during this huge life change.' It's been really good for us so far."
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Jared clarified how the decision has been really good for "him," meaning their son, and Ashley added of their newborn, "He loves his bottles. He's never given us an issue with eating. He slurps it down."
Ashley expressed concern over how her decision not to breastfeed will "go over" with moms on social media, but Jared assured Ashley that she shouldn't feel "ashamed" of feeding their baby formula.
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"I'm not [ashamed]. I just worry about the crazy people -- the people who are so opinionated on it," Ashley explained, referring to the mommy-shamers out there.
And Jared said he's already seen the comments and criticism about it online.
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"I've seen people strongly comment about what they think we should -- specifically what Ashley should or should not do. And listen, we are doing everything that we think is best for Dawson," Jared insisted.
"And he is thriving," Ashley added of Dawson.
"He's doing really well," Jared agreed. "And that's all that matters."
Dawson, Ashley and Jared's first child, was born on January 31.
Ashley and Jared were living apart before their son's birth, with Ashley preparing to deliver in Virginia at her father's hospital and Jared working at the couple's coffee shop and lounge in Rhode Island, which opened in December.
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After about seven months of trying to conceive and Jared undergoing sperm analysis, the couple revealed during an Amazon Live session in July 2021 that they were expecting their first child and the baby was due on February 10, 2022.
Jared wrote on Instagram at the time how he appreciated his pregnant wife so much and thought she looked beautiful even when she felt sick.
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"Ashley has been a trouper and I love her so much. Last night, she threw up five times throughout the night. It's been a very sick month for her," Jared revealed.
"I feel terrible because there's not much I can do except the occasional runs to the store for chocolate cake or to 7/11 for Slurpees. I love her very much, she's a strong woman and I know Ashley is going to be an incredible mother."
The pair then announced in August 2021 that Ashley was pregnant with a baby boy and they already had a name picked out for him -- a name Ashley had been sold on for about 20 years.
Ashley and Jared got married on August 11, 2019 at United Congregational Church Newport, RI, followed by a reception at Rosecliff, an oceanfront Gilded Age mansion in the seaside city.
Ashley has said in the past she would be happy to have up to three children.
The couple met in 2015 on Season 2 of Bachelor in Paradise, and they engaged in an on-again, off-again confusing romance on the show that simmered into a friendship in which Ashley largely pined for Jared as he dated other women on Season 2 and Season 3 of BIP.
Jared admittedly realized his feelings for Ashley and wanted what he couldn't have when she sparked up a romance with Canadian firefighter Kevin Wendt on The Bachelor Winter Games.
Jared eventually won Ashley over and the couple confirmed they were dating in May 2018.
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Jared then proposed marriage to Ashley and they got engaged the following month in Mexico while the fifth season of Bachelor in Paradise was filming.
Prior to their appearances on Bachelor in Paradise, Ashley competed for Chris Soules' heart on The Bachelor's nineteenth season and Jared found fame on Kaitlyn Bristowe's edition of The Bachelorette for Season 11.
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