A lesbian couple has been taking turns breastfeeding their newborn daughter. Claire Eden-McIlroy, 29, and Steph Eden-McIlroy, 26, who are same-sex parents from Australia, admitted they both naturally feed their child even as only one of them got pregnant and gave birth. So, how did the other partner begin lactating?
Claire and Steph sat down as guests on an Australian TV morning show and revealed this surprising detail. They explained that while it was Claire who had given birth to their baby girl in January, Steph also wanted to breastfeed her and so they prepared for this.
The couple researched information about breastfeeding without giving birth and learned of another couple who successfully did it. It also helped that Claire has a background and knowledge in use of natural and organic medicine. The fact that Steph also gave birth to a child before heightened her chances of being able to produce milk again, as per MDaily Mirror.
"Towards the end of Claire's pregnancy I took Domperidone, which is a drug they give to mothers with low supply," Steph explained. She said the drug treated nausea but its side effects boost milk production.
Steph also took fenugreek to increase milk supply. Women since biblical times used this herb as its compounds affected the hormones that increase milk flow, according to Breastfeeding Online.
Steph also has a hospital grade breast pump to stimulate lactation. She pumped persistently every two hours for 10 minutes at a time, News Corp Australia reported.
The Eden-McIlroys feel that because they are so close as a couple, their bodies eventually got in sync. They do not have any scientific fact to prove this, however, yet they strongly believe this is the case.
"I guess being in a same-sex relationship [Steph] understands what's happening in my body and potentially that connects us and maybe made it a bit easier for her," Claire said. Watch Claire and Steph talk about their story in the video below.
