A MUM of three who bizarrely says she breastfeeds her HUSBAND says it has made them closer and him healthier – despite the backlash.
Rachel Bailey, 30, was on holiday with her family but forgot her breast pump. The pain she felt meant she was in need of relief and her husband Alexander, also 30, was standing by to give her a helping hand.
Alexander and Rachel found the experience brought them closer together, so they kept doing it. He thinks he now has better skin and the milk tastes much differently to what he is used to. This is likely because he is used to drinking milk that comes from a cow, rather than a human woman.
Rachel said: ‘When my middle child, Aria, now six, was breastfeeding, I went away on a cruise with Alexander… 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.
‘We were nervous about the idea of him breastfeeding from me but as soon as we did it, we realised it was perfectly fine… Alexander said that the milk was really different from how he expected it to taste, compared to the normal milk he is used to drinking.’
Rachel continued: ‘We realised there was nothing wrong with me breastfeeding him, and it would actually be good for him as it is so nutritious. He 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.’
Despite some potential for backlash, the Florida couple, whose story has gone viral across the US and UK, insists the act is purely to bring them closer together and it is ‘not a kink.’ Alexander gets his fill around three to four times a day.
‘It’s not a kink for us. 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.’
Eventually, Rachel fell pregnant once again and began lactating. It was once again too much and she was in need of some help. The couple said that her diet now affects his and he gets gas if she eats something spicy. The couple also insisted that their children get fed first before Alexander has his turn.
‘Shortly after giving birth, when I was producing the most milk,’ Rachel said. ‘Alexander was drinking my milk three to four times a day…. Obviously the babies are always fed first before it’s his turn.’
The couple has said that breastfeeding is a bit of a ‘taboo.’ It is usually for babies exclusively until they are six months old, until a process of weaning that can last into two years takes place. After that, children can start to rely on solids for their nutrition.
‘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,’ Rachel said. ‘It was an instant relief when Alexander latched on, and it stopped me from being in pain. On top of that, it has also created a more special bond between us which we never would have had if we didn’t start this.’
