BOSOM BUDDIES

Same sex couple who have a daughter together reveal they take it in turns to breastfeed

Claire and Steph Eden-McIlroy both breastfeed their newborn daughter LJ

By JENNIFER NEWTON

1st March 2017, 11:38 am

Updated: 1st March 2017, 12:53 pm

A SAME-sex couple who have a baby daughter take it in turns to breastfeed their newborn.

Claire Eden-McIlroy, 29, and her partner Steph, 26, welcomed their daughter LJ in January after Claire gave birth.

Same sex couple Claire and Steph Eden-McIlroy who take it in turns to breastfeed their daughter

When Claire, left, found out she was pregnant, the couple decided they both want to be able to feed their daughter

But the couple decided that they both wanted to breastfeed LJ and researched ways in which they could share the load.

They found that if Steph wanted to breastfeed, she would have to take a herbal remedy and stimulate her breasts.

And the treatment worked, meaning that when LJ was born, both Claire and Steph were able to breastfeed.

Claire, left, say that both of them breastfeeding is totally ‘natural and comfortable’

Now the Australian couple have posed for an intimate photoshoot with Melbourne photographer Lacey Barratt and their four-week-old baby.

Claire told the : “It’s totally natural and comfortable and something we do every day in our house and we wanted to raise awareness of same sex couples.

“Even without carrying a child you can still nourish and feed your child from your body.”

After LJ’s birth, Steph began using a hospital grade pump to stimulate her breasts every two hours for 10 minutes, to produce milk.

She also started taking a herb — fenugreek — which is said to stimulate prolactin, the hormone that triggers breast milk production, as well as a prescribed drug to stimulate milk supply.

To be able to breastfeed, Steph had to take a herbal remedy as well as stimulate her breasts

Now she is able to breastfeed twice a day – once in the morning and once at night.

Photographer Lacey took the photos as part of the Humans Uncensored Project, an online photo series that promotes body diversity.

Posting the pictures on Facebook, she wrote: “Can we talk about breastfeeding and same sex couples for a minute?

“Can we talk about how NORMAL this should be? Having a desire to share the responsibility with your partner is normal and POSSIBLE.

“Ladies, did you know, that you DO NOT have to be the birth mother in order to breastfeed? Adoptive parents, surrogacy parents, you can breastfeed your baby!