Some mothers partner with other mothers in taking care of each other's babies. Stefani Tatavitto and Chrystal Klein took this partnership to another level.
The two mothers have started breastfeeding each other's kids up to six times a week, Parenting reports. Tatavitto's two-year-old son is Gage while Klein's 19-month-old daughter is Ariana.
"I don't think it's shocking to nurse another woman's child," Tatavitto says in a YouTube video via PARENTING. "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."
Klein explained that the reason behind their breastfeeding partnership is to provide the babies with the necessary breast milk even if one of them is at work. "Because of Stefani I don't need to pump milk for my daughter or worry about her not having any milk," she explained.
Although many people have supported Tatavitto and Klein's practice, some people are resistant to the idea of "cross-breastfeeding". A host of the TV show "The View" even described the practice as "yucky". "I don't care what anyone else has to say. We do what's best for our families," Tatavitto responded.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF support "cross-breastfeeding", according to Baby Gooroo. Socioculturalist James Akre explained that "cross-nursing" was practiced by prehistoric mothers for sharing and sparing of the breast milk supply in a community.
Breastfeeding has plenty of health benefits for babies. Breast milk is very rich in antibodies which prevent infections and diseases in babies, lower the risk of asthma and allergies and prevent the development of ear infections, respiratory problems and diarrhea, according to WebMD. For mothers, breastfeeding can help in losing weight, assist in returning the uterus to its normal size, decrease bleeding in the uterus and help prevent breast and ovarian cancer.
