Brelfies - are breastfeeding selfies wrong or right?
Is sharing breastfeeding selfies on social media a way to normalise breastfeeding, or is it simply another attention-seeking trend?
Forget the selfie, right now it's all about the brelfie – that's a self-portrait of you breastfeeding. But are they lovely personal baby pics to enjoy when you've got an unruly teenager or something to share proudly with the world on social media?
It's a growing debate - among mums.
Emma Taylor, mum-of-2, took to the This Morning TV sofa to explain why she's happy to post pictures of her children breastfeeding on Facebook. "I don’t just post breastfeeding pictures," she said. "I share pictures of my children doing all sorts of things – so why not a picture of them breastfeeding?"
She went on to say that the photos aren't even that revealing. "You can’t see a lot, the baby’s in the way," she explained.
Wrong or right?
But broadcaster and columnist Angela Epstein argued fiercely that while she's pro-breastfeeding, she doesn't think brelfies are appropriate.
"It smacks of naked exhibitionism. It is an attention seeking spectacle which uses children almost as a commodity, parading them around and saying 'Isn’t it great, I can breastfeed'. There are a lot of women who can’t so it’s almost rubbing their faces in it. I accept Emma’s photos are discreet, but some of the photos are deliberately militant."
As always, where there's a trend, there are a few celebs joining in. Pro-brelfie celebrities who've posted breastfeeding selfies on their social media, including models Miranda Kerr, above left, and Giselle Bundchen, above right.
#Brelfie trending
As the #brelfie craze spreads on Twitter, those who support it say it helps to normalise breastfeeding. "This is one of my favourite pictures of myself and my son #Brelfie #normalisebreastfeeding ," Zoe Cripps tweeted. "Why hide it? We love our breastfeeding journey. It's made us closer #Brelfie #breastfeedingselfie," Lady Lazurus added.
However, one tweeter replied "I've got #Brelfie, wouldn't put them on social media. Wasn't able to breastfeed for long, so I cherish those pictures."
And it all coincides with an announcement from Facebook that it will no longer ban pics of women breastfeeding.
But what do you think of the craze? Is it just flaunting your breastfeeding or helping normalise it for other mums? Let us know in the comments below…
Read more:
Authors
Create the perfect wishlist for your baby with MyCrib
Are you expecting and don't know where to start? Discover how MyCrib can help you build your dream wishlist. You can add products from any site with just one click and even use MyCrib's buying assistant to help get you started.