Backlash Over Breastfeeding Selfie Trend

A trend of breastfeeding selfies has caused an online backlash from mothers who feel "judged".

"Brelfies" have swept the internet with many celebrity mothers including model Miranda Kerr and singer Gwen Stefani among those posting photographs.

Mothers have now launched a "brelfie backlash" campaign on social media to encourage more tolerance for the choices parents make.

Instead of posing breastfeeding their baby, they are posting pictures with a one-word slogan on how feeding their child, and the judgement around it, has made them feel.

Jen Townsend desperately tried to breastfeed her baby son Milo for six weeks but he would not latch on. She has been bottle-feeding him ever since.

She said: "Breastfeeding shouldn't be rammed down everyone's throat at the cost of everything else.

"In a Western society I have never come across anything which is so dogmatic and not pro-choice.

"I think the problem lies in the fact that women who choose to bottle-feed are feeling victimised, for whatever reason, and 'brelfies' can be just another reminder."

A new survey by Channel Mum has found that 39 % of bottle-feeding mothers have been the target of negative comments and looks by strangers.

Some 41% said they feel they have "failed as a mum and failed their child" because they do not breastfeed, with 15% admitting to being forced to lie about breastfeeding and 5% even being subjected to attacks on social media.

Siobhan Freegard, co-founder of parenting website netmums and the recently launched Channel Mum, warned mothers are facing increasing "bressure", or breastfeeding pressure.

She said: "Putting new mums under 'bressure' benefits no one and swapping abusing mums who breastfeed in public for mums who bottle-feed isn't progress.

"Most mothers desperately want to breastfeed - but not all can. What should be a personal choice is being turned into a political issue with mums feeling judged at every turn.

"Those mums who do choose to bottle-feed - for whatever reason - must not be made to feel second class citizens."

The "brelfie backlash" campaign will culminate in a national day of action on Thursday with thousands of mothers taking part using the hashtag #Bressure.