Mandy Moore perfectly describes the ‘messy, rewarding’ experience of breastfeeding

In honor of National Breastfeeding Week, lots of moms are opening up about their breastfeeding journey, and Mandy Moore is no exception. In a sweet Instagram post accompanying a gorgeous black-and-white photo of her little family, Moore perfectly describes her own breastfeeding experience.

There are so many highs and lows to breastfeeding for so many parents—especially during those early weeks. And every single person’s experience is entirely different, which is somehow both really cool and really isolating.

“Breastfeeding is not always smooth sailing (clogged ducts, timing life around feedings, pumping for when I’m at work, etc… ) but nursing this baby boy for the past nearly 6 months has been a beautiful, messy and an oh so rewarding experience I will treasure forever,” she wrote alongside a slideshow of photos of her breastfeeding her son, Gus.

(It’s the shot of her nursing him on the set of This Is Us as “old Rebecca” for me. LOL.)

“It goes without saying that #fedisbest and I’m grateful to my body and the tremendous support I’ve had around me (especially in the beginning days and weeks when I had no clue what I was doing) for allowing me this time to nourish my sweet guy. #nationalbreastfeedingweek.”

It’s so important to be open and honest about breastfeeding, because it helps normalize it and de-stigmatize it. But more than that, it can help other new parents who are struggling and feeling exhausted, emotional, and helpless. Because none of us know what we’re doing at first! And it’s OK to struggle. It’s also OK to give up and decide it’s not what’s best for you and your baby after all.

This isn’t the first time Mandy Moore has been candid about breastfeeding. In July, she shared photos of a mountain-climbing expedition she took part in, and among those were pics of her pumping. On top of an active volcano mountan. Yep, she DID THAT. And we love her for it.