Furious mothers have hit out at fashion designer Karen Millen after she said it was ‘selfish’ to breastfeed a child after they reach six months old.
Millen, who is in her sixties, was forced to apologise after causing a storm with her comments on the Vanessa Feltz show on Channel 5 on Wednesday – in which she claimed children are developing ‘attachment’ issues from excessive breastfeeding.
Taking to her Instagram account, she clarified her comments were ‘not on the subject of breastfeeding’ in general; but rather about children being nursed when they reach the age of three and older.
Nonetheless parents who choose to breastfeed have been left insulted by the fashion designer’s comments – insisting their children have benefited from being nursed past six months and taking aim at Millen for her ‘unhelpful’ comments.
Georgia, a 30-year-old mother who lives in south east London with her partner Chris and two sons, has branded Millen’s comments ‘crazy’ over a suggestion that breastfeeding mothers are ‘selfish’.
During an appearance on Vanessa Feltz on 5, Millen, who sold the fashion brand bearing her name in 2004, said: ‘There’s no benefit, is there, for a child to breastfed past six months?’
NHS guidance recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life. After that, breastfeeding should continue alongside solid foods for up to two years, as long as mother and baby are both happy.
Millen added: ‘I think it’s quite a selfish thing, on the mother’s part… I just think, that’s not good, emotionally, for that child. I mean, what does that child do later in life? The attachment, like you say, it becomes an addiction and an addiction for that child too because they only know the boob. It’s just not normal, is it?’
Georgia, 30, from south east London, has hit back at fashion designer Karen Millen over comments she made about breastfeeding children past six months (Georgia pictured nursing her son Teddy)
Rosey Davidson, a mother-of-three, has also hit out at Millen’s comments and called for a conversation around breastfeeding
Millen appeated on Vanessa Feltz on 5 on Wednesday and suggested there was little benefit to breastfeeding a child beyond six months
Mother-of-two Georgia breastfed her eldest son, Teddy, two-and-a-half, until he was nine months old, while her youngest son Otis has just stopped nursing at seven months.
Speaking to MailOnline, Georgia, who posts about motherhood on her TikTok account Getting Ready with Teddy, said: ‘When I found out I was pregnant, I said I’d try breastfeeding for six weeks and see how I get on. They say the first six weeks is best because that’s when you produce ‘liquid gold’.’
The term ‘liquid gold’ is used to refer to the first milk produced by a mother during pregnancy and just after giving birth. It tends to resemble a gold or yellow colour and is high in nutrients for the infant.
Georgia continued: ‘I really fell in love with [breastfeeding]. Not only was it so easy and convenient but it was also such a lovely bond to have.’
After seeing Millen’s comments about how nursing can affect the development of ‘attachment’ of children, Georgia posted a clip on TikTok showing Teddy running around with a carefree and independent attitude.
She said: ‘Kids are naturally drawn to their mothers, whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding because that’s your mum.
‘There have been times in Teddy’s life where he’s been a little bit clingy but there are no attachment issues. He’s a happy and healthy boy.’
After the first six weeks of breastfeeding Teddy had gone well, Georgia decided to try and continue nursing until he was a year old – but at around nine months her milk dried up.
‘It was just a complete natural stop. I’d seen things about kids not wanting to wean off the boob so I was a bit worried about how he’d be with it.
Georgia and her partner Chris have two sons, Teddy, who is two and a half, and Otis, who is seven months old
Georgia said the idea breastfeeding mothers are ‘selfish’, as suggested by Millen, is ‘crazy’ considering the sacrifice women make with their bodies
Georgia (pictured with Chris while breastfeeding Teddy) says she planned to nurse her eldest son for a year but stopped naturally at around nine months when her milk dried up
‘But we went cold turkey and he could not care less,’ she said, joking: ‘I thought, ‘this boob has fed you for nine months’!’
By the time Georgia’s milk had dried up, Teddy was eating three to four meals a day, to the point where he ‘didn’t need’ to be nursed so much anymore. Now, she says Teddy is an ‘amazing eater’ with a healthy appetite.
Speaking about Millen’s comments, Georgia said: ‘I think the word ‘selfish’ was one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard.
‘It’s one of the least selfish acts you can do. It takes a toll on your body, you go through cracked nipples, leaking.’
She added that breastfeeding mothers have the added responsibility of getting up for night feeds.
‘I think going on national TV and saying that will have an impact on new mums who might be impressionable,’ Georgia argued.
Referring to the debate around breastfeeding versus bottle feeding, she said it’s up to the mother, but that ‘perceptions are changing’ as the conversation is put into the spotlight – and comments like Millen’s are not helpful.
Rosey Davidson, a UK-based mother-of-three and paediatric sleep consultant, breastfed all three of her children, now aged 12, eight and three.
Speaking to MailOnline, she described her complicated relationship with breastfeeding.
‘I loved it and hated it in equal measure,’ she said. ‘It was deeply personal, physically demanding, sometimes joyful, sometimes frustrating – which I think is the case for many women.’
She added: I’ve always tried to be realistic and non-judgmental in how I talk about it.’
Addressing Millen’s comments, Rosey said: ‘Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and to share their personal experiences of infant feeding.’
She suggested Millen’s verdict ‘doesn’t reflect the science’ around breastfeeding, which ‘promotes bonding and attachment through the release of oxytocin – the hormone that supports emotional connection and trust’.
Rosey stressed there should not be a ‘breast versus formula debate’; however she argued people ‘stay quiet about breastfeeding out of fear of upsetting others’.
‘The answer isn’t to stop talking about breastfeeding. The answer is to offer better support, better education, and more honest conversations,’ she said.
‘But when you’re given a public platform – especially on national television – there’s a responsibility to ensure what you say is informed, respectful, and accurate.
‘Misinformed opinions shouldn’t be broadcast in a way that adds controversy to an already emotionally loaded topic. It’s personal, yes – but we can’t argue with science.
Elsewhere on social media, mothers have defended their ‘selfless’ decision to continue breastfeeding their babies beyond six months.
Kayleigh, a mother from the UK, posted a clip on TikTok in which she was breastfeeding her baby and wrote: ‘The RAGE I felt when I saw this interview.’ She branded Karen’s message ‘extremely uneducated and selfish’.
Responding to Kayleigh’s clip, one mother shared: ‘Breastfed my second for 3.5 years! It wasn’t selfish, it was the most selfless thing I’ve ever done.’
Another mother, Jasmine Stevens, also posted a reaction clip aimed at ‘normalising extended breastfeeding’ in light of Karen’s controversial interview.
She explained: ‘Breast milk adapts to your child’s needs – even after infancy. It still provides nutrients and immune protection, adjusting when your toddler is sick. That’s why the WHO recommends breastfeeding up to the age of two and beyond.’
A third woman, Abbie, also hit out at Karen – who has since apologised for her comments – and said she’s so ‘sick of hearing people bashing breastfeeding’ in the caption of her TikTok.
Alongside a video of her breastfeeding her baby, set to the audio of Karen’s interview, she wrote: ‘Mums, if you’re expecting or have just started your breastfeeding journey, PLEASE do not give people like this even a second to sit in your minds.’
After the interview was broadcast on Wednesday, TikTok was flooded with videos addressed to Karen that showed women happily breastfeeding their babies past the six-month mark.
Over on Reddit, users declared ‘nothing is selfish about this act of pure love’ while reiterating the need to dispel the societal stigma around extended breastfeeding.
‘I didn’t tell anyone and continued nursing mine until 27 months. If someone found out inadvertently their jaw usually dropped, further proving my point of keeping quiet,’ one mother confessed.
While another noted the word ‘selfish’ was the ‘aggravating’ factor, a third said: ‘It’s okay to be selfish about wanting to experience this with your child.
‘We’re allowed to enjoy motherhood.’
One person declared a mother’s decision to breastfeed is entirely her choice and should not be up for comment or criticism.
‘When I see mother-shaming of any kind, I think, who cares?
‘If that baby is happy, healthy, and loved, you’re doing fine.’
Mumsnet users also expressed that Karen’s comments were ‘icky’ and in poor taste, with one person suggesting her apology also missed the mark.
In a statement posted on her social media, Karen defended her comments by saying they were ‘aimed at a three-year-old being breastfed’ and claimed ‘I do respect your choices’ while addressing her critics.
However, one Mumsnet user felt Karen simply reiterated her stance rather than using her platform to ‘emphasise the guidance, the benefits’ around breastfeeding.
Some questioned why Karen was asked to weigh in on the debate in the first place, considering she is not a parenting expert.
‘If people are going to spout stuff like this it should always be balanced with researched facts, because this could be damaging to young women still making up their minds about whether to breastfeed or not,’ one comment read.
