Meet the mums who breastfeed each other's children

Two young mothers have revealed how they breastfeed each other's children - and are now calling on others to do the same.

Stefani Tatavitto and Chrystal Klein claim they can see nothing wrong in feeding the other mother's children from their breasts and that it helps the youngsters grow.

Stefani, 23, regularly feeds both her own two-year-old son and her friend Chrystal's, also 23, 19-month-old daughter while her pal works at a factory.

The friends, from Connecticut, USA, - who met on Facebook five years ago - started their unusual arrangement when Chrystal's daughter, Ariana, was just ten months old.

However, the shared nursing does cause problems for Stefani's son Gage, who lashes out in jealousy when Ariana nurses from his mum.

Neither women's partners are fazed by the wet nursing and although Stefani nurses Ariana in public, passersby are oblivious to the fact that the child is not her own.
Stefani, who also has a four-year-old son, Noah, said:

"I don't think it's shocking to nurse another woman's child - breastfeeding is natural.
"I think it helps Ariana, it keeps her calm and helps her when she's teething. It's a big comfort and helps keep her settled. If anyone has a problem with it I have not nice words to say to them. You drink breast milk from animals, it's not that weird to drink breast milk from another human." Because of Stefani wet nursing I don't need to pump milk for my daughter or worry about her not having any milk.
"It also makes me feel better to know that my daughter still has that comfort even while I am away from her."
"I don't care what anyone else has to say - we do what's best for our families."

Now Stefani breastfeeds Ariana up to six times a week, but Chrystal insists she isn't worried about her friend forming a stronger bond with a daughter than she has.

Stefani, who also has a four-year-old son, Noah, said:

"I don't think it's shocking to nurse another woman's child - breastfeeding is natural.

"I think it helps Ariana, it keeps her calm and helps her when she's teething. It's a big comfort and helps keep her settled.

And despite the bond that comes with breastfeeding, Chrystal isn't worried about Ariana becoming overly close to her friend.

Chrystal said:

"I am not worried about my daughter becoming too attached to Stefani. I believe my daughter realises that I'm mommy and Stefani is just offering her milk. Whenever we are both with her and she wants milk, typically she will ask me to nurse. I would say there are no drawbacks. I only see positive from this."

So far Stefani and Chrystal haven't received any criticism for their arrangement, but they realise that some will regard cross-feeding as controversial.

Chrystal said:

"My family and friends don't know that much about our wet nursing arrangements.

"When it comes to breastfeeding though my family is supportive with every decision I make.

 Mirror UK