Nara Smith opened up about the pressure she placed on herself after giving birth and how motherhood eventually taught her to be less rigid about feeding choices.
The 24-year-old influencer discussed her postpartum struggles while promoting a new campaign with baby formula brand Bobbie. The project played off Smith’s reputation for making things from scratch, but it also reflected the anxiety she once felt.
Nara Smith opens up about postpartum pressure, breastfeeding and learning to give herself ‘grace’
Smith said she had always tried to breastfeed her children, but she once viewed using formula as a personal failure.
“There was this belief within me, which didn’t stem from anywhere in particular. It was just me being hard on myself and feeling like I failed if I used formula,” she explained to PEOPLE.
Her outlook changed after her milk supply decreased and eventually stopped.
As Smith had more children, she became more comfortable with different feeding options. She said she learned that breastfeeding, combination feeding and formula could all work depending on what her body and circumstances allowed.
“Giving myself that grace was something I really learned along the way,” Smith said.
That experience also shaped the Nara Smith Bobbie campaign.
In the promotional video, Smith struggled to create the “perfect” formula herself despite her well-known cooking and DIY skills. The concept eventually brought Ashley Graham into the story with a Bobbie delivery.
Smith said she wanted the campaign to address the pressure mothers often felt to make every postpartum decision perfectly.
“I feel like when it comes to motherhood, there’s so much pressure of it being perfect and being the right way and only being one way,” she said.
Her own first postpartum experience had also caught her off guard. Smith said she did not fully expect the bleeding, physical changes or delay before her milk came in after her first pregnancy.
She said she learned through experience rather than feeling prepared from the beginning.
Over time, raising four children with husband Lucky Blue Smith helped her trust her instincts more and overthink less. She also credited him with supporting her emotionally and helping during difficult postpartum moments.
Smith ultimately said new mothers should trust themselves and remember that they could change course when something stopped working.
“You’re in control, and you can do whatever your heart desires and whatever your gut tells you to do,” she said.
