An American couple has once again gone viral after the wife shared why she breastfeeds her husband.
According to the New York Post, parent of three Rachel (30) started breastfeeding her husband Alexander (30) in 2016. Initially starting as a way for Alexander to help an over-lactating Rachel who was nursing her children, the couple have continued as a way to strengthen their bond.
“When my eldest child, Troy, now seven, was breastfeeding, I went away on a cruise with Alexander,” said Rachel, who always feeds her kids first before giving her husband the remaining milk. “However, I forgot my breast pump and was badly engorged for two days. I was in so much pain and I was scared about getting an infection, so we decided that my husband was going to try drinking the milk to relieve me.”
She continues, “We were nervous about the idea of him breastfeeding from me as we thought it seemed weird, but as soon as we did it, we realised it was perfectly fine.”
While many view breastfeeding an adult as perverted, others view the act as perfectly normal.
According to the lifestyle publication Shape, research on adults consuming breast milk is lacking. However, a 2019 scientific review looked at some of the unexpected uses for breast milk in adults, such as its topical use for dermatological conditions such as eczema and dermatitis. It found that breast milk can ease the above-mentioned conditions.
Registered dietician and family food expert Angela Wallace told Shape that breast milk is made and designed for babies, who are very different from adults developmentally. “I have no doubt about the benefits of breast milk during infancy and early childhood, even when coming from donor milk, but supplementing with adults is a whole other ball game,” says Angela. “A lot more research is needed to ensure its safety and effectiveness.”
Despite the limited research, Rachel shared, “He [Alexander] didn’t get a cold for two years after he started drinking my milk and so many people said his skin was so much better too. He ended up loving the taste of my breast milk and even prefers it to cow’s milk now.”
Having appeared on TLC’s My Strange Addiction in 2017 concerning breastfeeding her husband, Rachel shares that it is not a kink for them. “It started as Alexander just helping me out when I was in pain, but it turned into more of an emotional bonding thing. I love breastfeeding him as it allows us to spend quality time together. It’s definitely brought us closer as a couple.”
The unashamed mom adds, “It’s a bit of a taboo subject, but we wanted to share it because we don’t think it’s bad and we aren’t ashamed. It was an instant relief when Alexander latched on, and it stopped me from being in pain.”
Also see: The benefits of conscious parenting
