What Should Have Happened After Karen Millen Said What She Said About Breastfeeding
I have re-imagined the chat, so you can sponge the original from memory
Hello and welcome to my whirling vortex of abject outrage, thanks to the above clip.
*Gives you time to watch.*
I KNOW!
*Gives you time to calm down.*
Now, let’s rewrite the narrative.
(And yes, I know this news is – as Hillary Duff would say – so yesterday, but I’ve been on holiday and I have three kids, so… *shrugs* I’m trying.)
*
‘OK To Breastfeed A Three-Year-Old?’
{A Re-Imagining}
The segment begins
We are on the set of Vanessa, a Channel 5 talk show that airs around lunchtime in Britain, and the host (Vanessa) is sat on a pink sofa. She is wearing pink. The scene is sugary and feminine and calming. Vanessa looks happy. Vanessa – with her beautifully applied make-up, her assured demeanour – is showing us a video of a mother on TikTok, who she states has been branded a p****phile for breastfeeding her three-year-old daughter.
“She’s now weaning off breastfeeding,” says Vanessa, “after the intense backlash, and she’s accepting, she says, that maybe [breastfeeding] was becoming an addiction [for her daughter.]”
She goes on.
“The World Health Organisation says babies should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of their lives, and then they can be breastfed for two years or longer,” she says – misquoting the World Health Organisation, whose wording is “should be” not “can be” – before turning to her panel to pose a question:
“Is three years pushing it somewhat?”
The first guest weighs in
The camera pans to Karen Millen, a fashion designer dressed to match the sofa. Karen laughs. “Oh god yeah, absolutely,” she says, in response to Vanessa’s query, “there’s no benefit is there, for a child to be breastfed beyond six months?”
She pulls a righteous face. “I think it’s quite a selfish thing on the mother’s part. That’s not good emotionally for that child. What does that child do, later in life? And the attachment.
“Like you said, it becomes an addiction. And an addiction for that child, too, ‘cause they only know the boob. It’s just not normal is it?
“I find it very weird.”
The expert speaks
Widening the angle, the camera takes in a new guest, a breastfeeding expert who isn’t actually there – who I am in fact making up for the sake of this post.
“First of all,” she says, “breast milk – according to WHO – provides one half or more of a child’s energy needs between 6 and 12 months, and one third of energy between 12 and 24 months.”
She goes on. “The immunologic properties of breast milk continue to be important in the second year of life, with breast milk promoting sensory and cognitive development, and protecting the infant against infectious and chronic diseases.
She sips her tea. “Breast milk adapts alongside a child’s needs, too – it’s a living food that changes as they change. This happens at any age – that ability, that mechanism, if you will, doesn’t expire at two.”
The expert turns. “To your point on attachment, Karen, the research is very clear – co-dependence breeds independence, and – to my knowledge – no child has ever gone on record as being addicted to their mother’s boobs.”
Vanessa regards the breastfeeding expert
“OK – you’ve said about them feeding until two but what about when they’re THREE?” Vanessa says, “isn’t that too long?”
The breastfeeding expert smiles. “Not at all,” she says, “as long as mother and child are happy, it’s completely fine to breastfeed for as long as both feel comfortable. Normal, in fact.”
She leans in. “Now a quick one for you, Vanessa,” she says, “if that's ok?”
Vanessa chuckles. “Absolutely!” she says.
“What made you think it was acceptable to have this discussion without me?” the breastfeeding expert asks, “or is that too big a question to unpack?”
Until next time 🎤
I feel these conversations are irresponsible when the number one most powerful benefit to our population’s health is breastfeeding.
It’s also irresponsible to not have an expert correcting the ridiculous misinformation. Karen Miller’s input should be cut.
To imply that breastfeeding is selfish when it protects optimal health- physical, emotional and mental for both mother and child is irresponsible.
The other misinformation is that breastfeeding has no value after 6 months. Breastfeeding and breast milk is the most biologically active and healthiest food on the planet for humans. That biological benefit doesn’t stop at a certain age. In fact the benefits grow with age as the immunological and nutritional value adapts to the needs of the growing child.
The panel’s comments are very concerning as they represent our culture’s fear of interdependency, co-regulation and emotions which contributes to our mental health crisis.
Well done for writing about this and challenging it.
Oh wow, I’m relieved that I didn’t see the original interview. How do they get paid to spout such nonsense?! It makes me so sad because some mothers will see this and sodding BELIEVE it! I mean, I used to think that babies were too old to breastfeed as soon as they had teeth. What an idiot I was. Scary thing though - five years at medical school didn’t put that right. In fact what I learned at med school about breastfeeding would fit on a postage stamp, and my writing isn’t small. Thankfully, by the time I had my own children I had access to a community of knowledgable women who supported me to continue bf for as long as my children wanted to. Turned out to be around 4-5 years each. Imagine Vanessa and Karen’s horror at that.