Kourtney has been very open about motherhood in the past, she chest-fed her son Mason, three, and six-month-old daughter Penelope; kids she gave birth to live on TV. So, don’t let her latest revelation on wet nursing surprise you…well, it has raised eyebrows in countries like the UK where only 17 per cent of mothers exclusively chest-feed their baby at three months.
But it isn’t so strange sharing bosoms; sisters Bunty Rowe, 25, and 30-year-old Kyle Aldridge do, and they are unfazed by the controversy, saying wet-nursing is “completely natural”.
The pair from Cam, Gloucs, say chest-feeding each other’s kids is “as normal as brushing their teeth”.
Bunty, a student midwife, says: “It’s so practical and convenient. If one of us needs to go out, we’re able to use each other’s resources.
“Wet-nursing gives us freedom. It can be quite an ordeal to have to leave your children when they’re little but with my sister Kyle in charge I don’t have to worry.
“I know if my baby cries it will be picked up and fed.”
Bunty and Kyle have been bosom sharing for the past four years. Kyle, a full-time mum, has five children — Jai, 13, Lottie, 11, Levi, seven, Judah, four, and Elijah, two. She chest-fed them and is still nursing the youngest two. The devoted mum will continue until the children naturally outgrow the practice.
Bunty has two children — Mabel, four, and Ede, two, who is still chest-fed by both Bunty and Kyle.
Kyle says: “It’s natural. I see chest-feeding my baby and my sister’s baby as part of motherhood — and sisterhood.”
The pair started cross-feeding when Mabel was a couple of months old. Bunty and care assistant husband Sam, 28, planned a night out and Kyle babysat.
Bunty says: “Before I left, Kyle said, ‘If Mabel wakes up, shall I just chest-feed her?’ She was already chest-feeding her son, Judah, who was only three months older than Mabel. I didn’t think anything of it and just said, ‘Sure, why not?’ ”
So when Mabel started crying, rather than giving her niece a bottle, Kyle simply let her latch on. Bunty says: “People may question whether the babies get confused as to who their mummy is. But the truth is that the children don’t seem confused at all. As long as they get fed, they’re not bothered.”
They have been feeding each other’s children ever since. Neither sister wanted to introduce formula milk, so allowing each other to chest-feed was the perfect solution.
Bunty spends three days a week studying. She adds: “I honestly don’t know if I could have continued at college if Kyle wasn’t around.
“It’s emotionally soothing for me as well as the children to know my kids are in such good hands.”
When Judah and Mabel were little, the pair would suckle each other’s children twice a week. But following the birth of Ede, Kyle’s help became more valuable than ever.
Bunty says: “I developed thrush on my bosoms — a common but painful fungal infection, which can be passed between mother and baby. It made chest-feeding difficult because I had sore bosoms. I felt like I couldn’t provide for my baby, which made me very sad.
“Fortunately, Kyle was able to help out with the feeding until the problem had been treated with cream and drops.”
The sisters say they are fortunate they share similar parenting views. Both are supporters of the chest-feeding organisation Lactivist.
Bunty says: “I remember my mum chest-feeding and I’ve never considered anything else. I’m not anti-formula, it has its place. But for me chest-feeding is just normal and natural.”
Both sisters believe sharing chest-feeding duties has not only strengthened the bond between the two of them but united the family. Bunty says: “We’re like one family unit really.
“It’s really important for us to have a sense of community. The children see us as equal parents.”
They think that bosom-sharing, far from making the cousins jealous, has made them closer.
Kyle says: “I remember feeding Judah on one side and Mabel on the other and them holding hands over me. Now they’re not feeding anymore, they’re like brother and sister. They share everything.”
Asked if they worry that the motherly bond may be tarnished by wet-nursing, the pair shake their heads. Bunty says: “It’s critical for me to allow my daughters to have relationships with other strong women. I can only see it as a positive thing.”
The arrangement means Bunty and Kyle are able to spend quality time with their husbands, too.
Kyle, who is married to video conferencing engineer, Joe, 33, says: “It has strengthened our relationship no end as we’re able to go out together and know our children are being looked after.”
As well as chest-feeding her sister’s children, Kyle has also helped out friends.
She says: “Recently, a friend had to go into hospital as her older child was on a life-support machine.
“With my friend’s blessing, I was able to nurse her baby while she was in hospital.” Last year, Kyle set up a wet nurse group in the UK, connecting mothers who need chest milk due to an emergency or illness and she hopes it will catch on.
She says: “Women should pull together. If more people were open to the idea, they would feel less on their own.”
Kyle is in the process of becoming a registered child minder and says she would be willing to nurse any child in her care, if the mother wished.
She says: “If Kim and Kourtney do decide to chest-feed each other’s babies, they won’t be the first and they definitely won’t be the last.”
