Did anyone else feel rage at Karen Millen's comments on breastfeeding?

[Hoooray]

According to Karen Millen (who is, notably, a clothing designer and not a child development expert), breastfeeding beyond six months has no benefit for the child, is selfish, and is a sign of addiction.

You're not allowed to get it right as a mother, are you? Bad if you don't breastfeed but also bad if you breastfeed for too long, apparently.

God knows why Karen Millen was being asked for her opinion on the subject in the first place 🙄

You honestly think mothers are going to be taking advice from a fashion designer? People have the choice to make up their own minds and make informed decisions. I like farms but I’m not stupid enough to take advice from David Beckham just because he has a few chickens.

Well she's wrong for a start. There's load of evidence that the benefits for the child don't just stop at 6 months.

She is an idiot but as a pp said I am most surprised that she is an actual person.

On the one hand you're saying nobody will care about what a fashion designer says about breastfeeding, and then on the other you're saying that in America thousands of people are listening to incorrect information given by RFK, who is not a medical professional. Aren't those two positions in direct contradiction to one another?

Im assuming she thinks that it is better for her to introduce formula at this point. Maybe she did because of her lifestyle. Maybe she feels bad about it! Any way it’s not for the health of baby.

Either way she is so wrong in literally every aspect of what she is saying (as you know, from your comment) and she shouldn’t even be in the public domain spouting such rubbish!

No I didn’t feel rage - it’s her opinion, I can choose to agree or not to agree. I could only breastfeed one of my children and I didn’t do it beyond six months, but if that’s what other people choose to do then that’s none of my business.

This is why we need better education on breastfeeding. The formula companies have brainwashed people.

What do you feed them then, 1. If they don't eat solids at all (DC2 refused), 2. They don't get sufficient nutrients from solids so you would then need to introduce formula?

I also think the the issue isn't one of 'advice'. It's not that women are going to be like 'oh well if Karen Millen doesn't think there's any benefit to breastfeeding beyond six months so I won't bother'. It's about the fact that these comments contribute to a culture where women feel uncomfortable breastfeeding beyond six months / one year / whenever for fear of what people think about it. If you're hearing the message that you're only feeding your 8 month old baby because you're selfish and addicted, then even if you KNOW that it's the best thing for your baby you might still feel very anxious about feeding your baby (especially in public).

Boycott the brand and her ambassador the nauseating Lydia.

Only on mumsnet would raising a topic of discussion on a discussion forum result in you being told you need the help of a doctor 🙄

My point is people are not stupid. Let them make their own decisions. You honestly think a washed up fashion designer and a Kennedy, who only got the job because of his surname, a known conspiracy theorist, dead dog eater and known drug addict are creditable sources for information? HELL NO.

It pisses me off when someone famous with an audience spouts shite that negatively affects women. I BF DS for 2 years, I wasn't addicted I was actually really happy to stop and I certainly wasn't selfish - I only did it that long because he absolutely adored it.

Sadly the world is full of poorly educated people.

all that can be done is to keep countering their inaccurate information.

Sometimes people are, though. 😁

This really. People really don’t care if you do or don’t. But people love to be offended.

It's not about advice, though. It's about adding to the already huge pressures breastfeeding mothers face.
She should not be able to spout such nonsense as fact without being challenged.

I know someone who keeps saying this. I know her quite well though and the real reason she says this is because she found breastfeeding too difficult and she gave up at 6 months as she was touched out and exhausted. So she now spouts this bullshit as a way to make herself feel better. Sad all around.

This. It's only her personal opinion. She's not obliged to fly your flag. Who is she anyway? A fashion designer. Who cares what she thinks?

Well more fool them for listening to even stupider people. I would be more concerned that these people who are so “poorly educated” are even having kids in the first place.

I laughed heartily as I breastfed my almost-3-yr-old!

Actually, in my experience, especially when it comes to health and nutrition, people are terribly misinformed. And people ARE stupid, generally. People DO listen to celebrities on all kinds of topics and becoming a mother doesn't make you smarter, so a celebrity spouting out nonsense is everyone's problem.

If people don't care, why discuss it?

I don't care about lots of things, I also don't go on television shows and talk about those things.

Maybe reading one or two studies on the topic could open your mind.