Tamara Ecclestone: 'My 4.5-year-old has stopped breastfeeding now'

After all, who can forget the uproar some of her breastfeeding Instagram snaps caused, 3 years ago?

‘When I first posted a picture of me breastfeeding Fifi, I never in a million years dreamt to be where we are now, for it to be such a topic, and that people would be so opinionated about it. I kind of thought I was [just] posting a picture,” she tells MFM, looking back.

“From there on in, I knew it was gonna create division and a bit of a stir, but I was actually really happy with that because it’s something I’m passionate about.

“And I’ve had so many messages and positive feedback from people saying they felt encouraged, or they felt it was more normal…”

Being an advocate, she says, is “something that I’m actually really proud of”.

Since the first wave of criticism and backlash, Tamara’s really found her feet in speaking publicly on the subject.

But now, she’s revealed exclusively to us, her breastfeeding journey has come to an end. Sophia naturally stopped a few weeks ago.

“She’s now stopped altogether, actually,” she says, sounding at peace, maybe a little wistful. “It was fine because it was something that was dying out.

"She was breastfeeding only at night, or sometimes every other day, or once a week – and it was becoming quite infrequent, over the summer.

“She hasn’t breastfed maybe the past 10 days or 2 weeks. She just lies on my chest now and that’s how she falls asleep.

“It’s not anything we talked about, or it wasn’t like, ‘a decision made’, it just happened.

“And that’s why I think I feel so OK about it, because it happened when the time was right for her and it was her decision.

“I can definitely tell [stopping before you’re ready to, or because you have to] would be so emotional. This was much more led by her, so, it was fine.”

Indeed, Sophia’s growing up fast, and has started big kid school (which, Tamara confesses, she found much easier to deal with than sending her off to nursery for the very first time.)

So, now that life’s moving on, will she be resigning from her unofficial role of spokesperson for those continuing to breastfeed their toddlers?

“For me, it’s been an amazing experience to be able to help people,” she adds.

“There are people who are still outraged by it [breastfeeding], which is completely ridiculous, and I have no idea why. It’s so strange.

“I think it says more about them than anything else.” Maybe not just yet, then ??

Images: Instagram/Tamara Ecclestone

Read more:

• Tamara hits back at beach breastfeeding backlash
• 2 years into breastfeeding, Tamara says: "My boobs are like a tap"
• Tamara slammed for 'struggling' to leave 3-year-old Sophia