A ‘brelfie backlash’ campaign was launched earlier this year on social media to get mums talking about the pressure they feel (from themselves and others) to breastfeed.
Mums who want more tolerance for the feeding choices that parents make are taking part in the movement by using the hashtag #bressure (breastfeeding pressure) and posting pictures with a one-word slogan that describes how feeding their child, and the judgement around it, has made them feel.
This came after a survey found that 39 per cent of mothers who bottle feed have been the target of negative comments and looks by strangers, compared to 28 per cent of breastfeeding mums. Just over 40 per cent said they feel they have “failed as a mum and failed their child” because they do not breastfeed, with 15 per cent saying they felt forced to lie about breastfeeding, and five per cent revealing they have been subjected to attacks on social media.
The study also revealed that 37 per cent of mums felt pushed into trying breastfeeding by friends they met at baby classes when questioned about it, as well as pressure coming from their own mothers.
Mothers who admitted they needed help (57 per cent) said they couldn’t find the right advice and information and ended up turning to video tutorials to find out more. The most common reason for quitting breastfeeding was pain, with one in five mums (19 per cent) finding it too tough to continue, along with 13 per cent whose child failed to gain enough weight.
Online video community Channel Mum, which commissioned the survey, has made a video featuring stories from mothers about their feeding choices and experiences. One mum featured says, “Everyone is different. Every baby is different. All of our experiences are different. We all know that a mother feeding her baby is the most natural thing in the world, and we know that breast is best for many reasons. If you want to breastfeed, it’s lovely when it works for you and your baby, but it’s helpful to know that the reality can be very different from the textbooks.”
You can listen to their breast and bottle feeding stories by watching the video below…
