X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

"Breast friends": Meet the young mums who nurse each other's babies

3 min read
"Breast friends": Meet the young mums who nurse each other's babies

"You drink breast milk from animals; it’s not that weird to drink breast milk from another human, " says one of the mums. Do you agree?

Chrystal Klein and Stefani Tatavitto are more than just best friends. They are also “breast friends” — because they breastfeed each other’s babies!

The 23-year-old mums from Connecticut USA, who first forged their friendship five years ago via Facebook, are now encouraging other mums to similarly share their milk.

According to Metro, Stefani will often nurse Chrystal’s 19-month-old daughter along with her own two-year-old son when Chrystal needs to work night shifts at the factory where she is employed.  In fact, Stefani breastfeeds her friend’s daughter up to six times a week.

And Chrystal returns the favour whenever Stefani needs to go out.

Chrystal says, “I don’t think it’s shocking to nurse another woman’s child – breastfeeding is natural”.

She adds, “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. I don’t care what anyone else has to say – we do what’s best for our families.”

Chrystal also says that it’s reassuring to know that her daughter still has the comfort of breastfeeding and the goodness of breastmilk when they are apart. She also isn’t worried at all that her child will become overly-attached to her friend.

friends breastfeeding each others babies

Picture on the left: Chrystal breastfeeds Stefani’s youngest son while Stephani holds Chrystal’s daughter.
Picture on the right: Stephani breastfeeds her own son and Chrystal’s daughter.

Are there risks?

Medical experts caution that giving your baby another mother’s breastmilk may pose some health risks. For example, certain viruses and infections including hepatitis and HIV can be spread through breast milk.

But, Stefani and Chrystal say “they trust each other and what they put in their bodies.” Chrystal knows that Stefani eats a well balanced diet and that she doesn’t drink or smoke. Also, both of them were pregnant at the same time and tested for infections — neither have any.

The practice of giving your baby another woman’s breastmilk is actually not new and is known as “wet nursing”. It was done quite commonly in many cultures in the past.

However, what Stefani and Chrystal practice is probably better described as “cross nursing”, which the experts at La Leche League International define as “the occasional nursing of another’s infant while the mother continues to nurse her own child, often in a child care situation.”

Watch the video below where the two mums talk about their decision to breastfeed each other’s babies. 

So mums, the million dollar question is, would you nurse someone’s baby? And would you let someone else breastfeed your baby? Let us know in a comment below. 

Partner Stories
UHT vs Fresh Milk for Toddler: 5 Things You Should Know About Milk for Your Child
UHT vs Fresh Milk for Toddler: 5 Things You Should Know About Milk for Your Child
MFGM: Role In Strengthening Your Child Immune System. Here’s How!
MFGM: Role In Strengthening Your Child Immune System. Here’s How!
MFGM and Milk : The Link between Nutrition and Brain Development
MFGM and Milk : The Link between Nutrition and Brain Development
5 Reasons Your Child Should Get MFGM: Brain Development in Children, Immunity and More
5 Reasons Your Child Should Get MFGM: Brain Development in Children, Immunity and More

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

theAsianparent

  • Home
  • /
  • Breastfeeding & Formula
  • /
  • "Breast friends": Meet the young mums who nurse each other's babies
Share:
  • Shocking! Do You Know Some Men Love to Drink Breast Milk

    Shocking! Do You Know Some Men Love to Drink Breast Milk

  • Is breast milk still the best?

    Is breast milk still the best?

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • ‘How Can I See My Child Get Hit and Not Do Anything?’ Police Called In After Maid and Employer Get Into Fight at Home

    ‘How Can I See My Child Get Hit and Not Do Anything?’ Police Called In After Maid and Employer Get Into Fight at Home

  • Shocking! Do You Know Some Men Love to Drink Breast Milk

    Shocking! Do You Know Some Men Love to Drink Breast Milk

  • Is breast milk still the best?

    Is breast milk still the best?

  • Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

    Wife Forgives Husband Who Had Two Affairs And Got A Woman Pregnant

  • ‘How Can I See My Child Get Hit and Not Do Anything?’ Police Called In After Maid and Employer Get Into Fight at Home

    ‘How Can I See My Child Get Hit and Not Do Anything?’ Police Called In After Maid and Employer Get Into Fight at Home

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.