Why #TreeofLife Pics Are Trending + How You Can Create Your Own Brelfie
Breastfeeding is challenging, wonderful, life-changing and (*deep breath*) a bit controversial. Haters tried to shame Chrissy Teigen for publicly breastfeeding her daughter Luna on Snapchat, and Mila Kunis was getting shade for not bringing a nursing cover when breastfeeding in public. For breastfeeding mamas, you know how important breastfeeding is for both you and baby, and you’re trained in the art of dealing with breastfeeding gawkers who just don’t get it. Now, proud mamas are showing off their #brelfies (short for “breastfeeding-selfies”) using the app PicsArt to post artsy shots of their babes feeding under the hashtags #treeoflife and #normalizebreastfeeding on Instagram, Facebook and blogs.
The #treeoflife movement was started by mom Cassandra who wanted to commemorate her first year of breastfeeding her daughter with a piece of art. She experimented with flower images over her breast but opted for a tree to show the roots from her breast turning into a tree over her daughter’s face. She tagged it with #treeoflife and the viral social media trend was born. Since then, she’s helped hundreds of other moms create their own #treeoflife pics, posted on her @keeponboobin Instagram account.
Thousands of moms have been sharing their best brelfies all across social media and proudly displaying their loving images of feeding their babies.
Dinner-time for baby is on display in this starry pic.
Even supermodel Natalia Vodianova (@natasupernova) jumped on board to show her support with her own brelfie.
To create your very own #treeoflife brelfie, PicsArt created this simple tutorial (also, available as a video tutorial).
How to Create Your Own #TreeofLife Brelfie
1. Download the PicsArt app (Free on iOS and Android).
2. Download Tree of Life sticker pack (Free on iOS and Android).
3. Open the PicsArt app and tap on “Edit,” then select your breastfeeding photo.
4. On the bottom panel, tap on the sticker icon, and choose a tree from the Tree of Life pack.
5. Add the sticker onto your photo and adjust to your liking.
6. Rotate your image or sticker to your liking. You can also tap on the eraser button and erase parts of the tree that extend out too far.
7. Tap on “Apply.”
8. Then, click on “Magic” on the bottom panel and choose the effect you like. Rainbow, Flare and Midnight are the most popular. You can also adjust the blending modes or opacity.
9. Tap on “Apply,” then save to your device and share on PicsArt photo editor and your social channels.
10. Don’t forget to add the hashtags #treeoflife and #normalizebreastfeeding to your pic!
Would you post a #brelfie of you and your little one? Share your #brelfies with us on Instagram!
(Featured photo via @keeponboobin)