Vogue Williams calls out people who shamed her for stopping breastfeeding

'I won’t be made to feel guilty'

Vogue Williams has spoken about being parent-shamed on social media over her decision to stop breastfeeding.

The 33-year-old model has been documenting her journey as a first-time mother on social media ever since she welcomed her first child, Theodore, with husband Spencer Matthews in September 2018.

In a recent Instagram post, the TV presenter, spoke honestly about feeling “embarrassed” when she breastfed in public for the first time and revealed to her 555,000 followers that she would stop breastfeeding her son when he reached six-months-old.

“I’ve dropped my daytime breast feeds and am now only doing the night and morning,” she wrote.

“I always wanted to get to about six months but I never thought I would feel this sad about stopping.”

To Williams’ surprise, the post sparked a debate among her followers about when mothers should stop breastfeeding.

The conversation got so out of hand that she was forced to turn the comments off.

Now, the model has hit back at those who criticised her decision, stating she “won’t be made to feel guilty”.

“I was lucky to be able to feed – Theodore took to it quite easily. But some mothers’ milk never comes in, some babies are tongue-tied and some mums just don’t want to,” she told Grazia.

“Good on every mother, whether they breastfeed or not, because this is not an easy job and as long as you and your baby are healthy and happy, that’s all that counts.”

Williams went on to explain that the last thing new parents need is to be shamed and said the negative comments made her question if her decision was selfish.

“Getting to six months feels like a massive achievement that I’m really proud of,” she explained.

“I don’t need to have women putting me down, or saying they’re a better mother than me. I won’t be made to feel guilty about being a working mum; it’s my choice, and I know I’m doing a good job.”

Williams concluded by admitting she has become more careful about what she shares online and called for women to be more supportive of each other.

“What you choose to do with your baby is up to you,” she said.

This isn’t the first time Williams has experienced parent-shaming. The model also revealed to the publication that people had publicly judged her for going back to work so quickly after giving birth.

“Two weeks after I gave birth to my son Theodore last September, I attended a work event one evening,” she explained.

“I was only there for 45 minutes and went straight back home to him. But the next day there was uproar online.”

Becoming parents was the culmination of a life-changing year for Williams and Made In Chelsea star Matthews.

The couple got engaged in January 2018 before tying the knot at the Matthews family's 30,000-acre Glen Affric estate in Scotland in June.