A Florida woman who made headlines for breastfeeding her husband revealed that the couple is considering having another baby so she can start breastfeeding again.
Rachel Bailey, 31, and her husband Alexander, 30, said they have “regretted” their “bonding experience” with breastfeeding since their body stopped producing milk last year.
The couple’s three children stopped drinking milk, which meant Alexander had to do it too.
Now, they are considering having a fourth child to maintain the habit, which began in 2016. Ms Bailey forgot her breast pump on a couples cruise, causing her breasts to swell painfully.
Rachel Bailey, 31, started breastfeeding her husband, Alexander, 30, after she started producing too much milk in 2016.
The couple had to abandon the practice after Bailey stopped producing milk, although they have found other ways to connect.
“I was in a lot of pain and afraid of getting an infection, so we decided that my husband was going to try drinking milk to get relief,” she said.
“We were nervous about the idea of him breastfeeding me because we thought it seemed strange, but as soon as we did it, we realized it was perfectly fine.”
The couple continued the practice after the birth of their two youngest children, with Mrs. Bailey breastfeeding her husband at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Once her supply dwindled, they switched to night feedings.
Mrs Bailey claims that because her milk is “very nutritious”, it kept Alexander from catching a cold for more than two years and left his skin glowing.
“He ended up loving the taste of my breast milk and now even prefers it to cow’s milk,” she said.
While breast milk is packed with nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium to strengthen a baby’s immune system, there is limited evidence to suggest it is equally beneficial for adults.
One review 2019 suggested that the anti-inflammatory effects of breast milk could improve skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis, although the team noted that larger studies are needed to confirm this.
An article published in Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine stated that any health benefits in adults “are not clinically supported” and that no study has shown any concrete benefit “other than the placebo effect.”
“Where breast milk offers great promise to researchers is at the component or stem cell level,” the team said.
“The benefits of breast milk are found in the laboratory, not in drinking a bottle ordered online from a pumping (mother).”
The team warned that drinking breast milk could spread diseases such as hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis, as well as foodborne illnesses, especially if an adult buys milk online from someone they don’t know.
Researchers looked at breast milk samples purchased online and found that 93 percent contained bacteria and 74 percent contained gram-negative bacteria, which have been shown to cause problems such as pneumonia and diarrhea.
Experts have also suggested that breast milk has less protein than regular cow’s milk.
“It was never something sexual for us. We did it because it was an amazing way to come together and share something special as a couple,” Ms Bailey said.
Although they briefly considered growing their family to continue breastfeeding, the Baileys ultimately decided against it.
“We regret that bonding experience we shared, and even talked about having one more baby so we could do it again,” Ms Bailey said.
“However, we realized it was a drastic action and a lot of work, so we started looking for other ways to come together as a couple.”
Instead, they now get up at 5 a.m. each morning to catch up and meditate before continuing with the rest of the day.
“It was never something sexual for us. We did it because it was an amazing way to come together and share something special as a couple,” Ms Bailey said.
“We really miss the breastfeeding moments we shared, but we have found new ways to connect.”