'Stressed' Bruni stops breast feeding baby

The pressure of the French presidential election has put Carla Bruni under so much stress she has stopped breast feeding her baby daughter, it was claimed.

The angst-ridden First Lady is suffering from a ‘real psychological shock' at the brutality of the insults levelled at her husband during his campaign, a French magazine reported.

Where's the glow gone? The magazine says that behind all the smiles, the intense abuse while on the road has taken a toll on Carla Bruni. pic/getty images

The former supermodel is ‘crying frequently' and ‘lashing out at friends' as the intense battle for the Elysee Palace reaches its final week, the magazine said.

It added: "Her easy-going nature of 2009 has gone. Today even her sleep is disturbed, which is forcing her to take better care of herself and as a result to stop breast feeding little Guilia, which she wanted to do until she was eight months old."

‘Frail and fraught'
The magazine said friends of Bruni had revealed her frail and nervous state as this Sunday's election day looms, with Nicolas Sarkozy trailing in the polls.

The magazine said, "The violent verbal attacks her husband is being subjected too seem to be a real psychological shock for the First Lady. Not used to the dealings of the political world, Carla has discovered the unprecedented brutality that he is the target of. And she is reacting like she has been skinned alive, devastated by the smallest insult or criticism of her president husband."

The magazine reported that her family is also worried at seeing Carla so beaten down by the effects of the campaign.

Bruni said in an interview in March that all she wanted to be was ‘an asset' to her husband as he campaigned to be elected for another five-year term.

She said, "I'm there right by his side whenever he needs me and I support him 100 per cent."