100 Facts Karen Millen Needs to Know About Breastfeeding (a 3 Year Old)
- Danielle Facey
- Jun 11
- 4 min read
(Because misinformation is more dangerous than a 3-year-old asking for “boobie”)
Note: I rage write this article around 6am this morning before my son woke up & I was absolutely seething about Millen's comments. Honestly, my stance has since softened - but these facts are too important not to share. You can read my follow-up piece, here.
Let’s be clear. Calling breastfeeding a 3-year-old “selfish” is not just tone-deaf. It’s scientifically wrong, socially irresponsible, and, quite frankly, exhausting. And when it comes from a public figure on national TV, it does real harm. To mothers. To babies. To anyone trying to parent in alignment with instinct and evidence.
So Karen, since you’ve got opinions, here are some facts.
Consider this your crash course in breastfeeding. The extended, evidence-backed, nothing-to-be-ashamed-of edition.
🧠 For our Children
The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years and beyond.
The American Academy of Pediatrics supports breastfeeding beyond age two.
Breastmilk contains live antibodies that adapt to a child’s environment, even after age three.
It continues to provide immunological protection against illness.
Toddlers who breastfeed get fewer infections including respiratory, ear, and gastrointestinal.
Breastmilk’s fat and energy content increases in the second year.
It remains rich in zinc, iron, protein, and other micronutrients.
It supports healthy gut microbiome development.
Breastfeeding beyond infancy reduces the risk of childhood obesity.
It lowers the risk of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
It decreases the likelihood of childhood leukaemia.
It’s linked to higher IQ and better cognitive outcomes.
It promotes better school performance later in life.
Breastfeeding supports secure attachment.
It helps toddlers manage emotional overwhelm.
Breastfeeding offers a built-in way to co-regulate the nervous system.
It comforts during teething, illness, and overstimulation.
It’s associated with better sleep patterns.
It provides hydration during sickness.
It’s a known pain reliever due to oxytocin release.
It lowers the chance of allergies and asthma.
It continues to be a source of comfort, not just nutrition.
It supports the development of oral motor skills.
Breastfeeding toddlers often experience fewer dental issues, not more.
It supports language development through attunement and responsiveness.
It encourages bodily autonomy and respectful boundaries.
It’s deeply soothing to neurodivergent children.
It reduces cortisol, the stress hormone.
Breastfeeding is an anchor during major life transitions like moving or starting nursery.
Toddlers naturally self-wean when supported.
It helps children develop empathy and trust.
Breastfeeding teaches emotional regulation through co-regulation.
It fosters independence through connection, not forced separation.
It’s a tool, not a crutch.
It’s a moment of pause, presence, and peace.
🤱 For the Mamas
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer.
It lowers the risk of ovarian cancer.
It’s protective against endometrial cancer.
It reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
It helps regulate blood pressure and cholesterol.
It supports cardiovascular health long-term.
It contributes to postpartum weight regulation.
It enhances maternal mental health through oxytocin and prolactin release.
It lowers rates of postnatal depression.
It can ease postpartum anxiety.
It supports uterine contraction and recovery after birth.
It helps prevent anaemia by delaying menstruation.
It offers natural contraception under certain conditions.
It creates space for stillness in otherwise frantic days.
It can be a mother’s only moment to rest.
It fosters maternal confidence and connection.
It reconnects mother and child after time apart.
It aids gentle toddler discipline and emotional redirection.
It helps mothers navigate transitions like returning to work.
It meets the emotional needs of both mother and child.
It reduces stress-related illness in mothers.
It supports matrescence, the transformation into motherhood.
It’s empowering, not restrictive.
It provides real-time comfort with no prep or expense.
It’s sustainable, portable, and always available.
It’s adaptable in sickness, stress, or calm.
It helps mothers stay attuned to their child’s cues.
It creates lifelong memories of closeness and trust.
It eases the weaning process through mutual readiness.
It allows for child-led transitions, not abrupt severance.
It is, when supported, a joyful and beautiful experience.
🌍 For Society
Breastfeeding reduces healthcare costs.
It decreases hospital admissions for infants and toddlers.
It reduces the use of antibiotics and prescriptions.
It lowers the burden on public health systems.
It supports healthier families over time.
It’s environmentally sustainable.
It creates zero waste.
It doesn’t contribute to plastic pollution.
It reduces reliance on manufactured food sources.
It provides food security during economic hardship.
It’s a vital tool in emergency response and disaster zones.
It contributes to climate-resilient health systems.
It aligns with global sustainable development goals.
It supports long-term public health and child wellbeing.
🌎 Social and Cultural Realities
Most people who judge full-term breastfeeding were never taught the facts.
Cultural discomfort is not biological abnormality.
In many cultures, weaning happens between ages 2 and 7.
The average global weaning age is over 4 years.
Shame around breastfeeding is modern and manufactured.
Western discomfort with extended breastfeeding is rooted in colonialism, not science.
Sexualising breastfeeding feeds stigma, not children.
There is nothing scandalous about secure attachment.
Just because something is rare doesn’t make it wrong.
Extended breastfeeding is stigmatised, not harmful.
Media often misrepresents full-term nursing.
Public shame keeps mothers silent, not informed.
Most mothers feel pressure to stop too early.
Many mothers breastfeed in secret past a certain age to avoid judgment.
Children remember being loved, not being weird.
No child has been harmed by too much nurture.
No mother has ever regretted comforting her child.
Public support for breastfeeding improves outcomes across the board.
The real scandal is how unsupported mothers are.
The solution isn’t shame. The solution is support.
Let’s be real. You don’t have to breastfeed. You don’t even have to understand it.
But if you’re going to go on national television and talk about it, you should at least know what you’re talking about.
Calling breastfeeding a 3-year-old selfish doesn’t make you bold or honest. It makes you wrong.
Mothers don’t need more headlines. We need more hands. We need more science. We need each other.
And Karen - we need you to sit this one out.
With respect,
Danielle
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