Sisters-in-law Holly and Becky Stevens appeared on U.K. show ‘This Morning’ to discuss their unique setup
Credit: Moms-Breastfeed-rachothers-babies
NEED TO KNOW
- Sisters-in-law Holly and Becky Stevens began breastfeeding each other’s babies seven years ago
- The pair, who have known each other for over 30 years, said the experience has strengthened their bond and connection with each other’s children
- The two moms appeared on U.K. show This Morning to discuss their unique setup, sharing that the experience has felt “natural” and they have ignored any negativity
Two moms have opened up about their experience of breastfeeding each other’s babies.
During an appearance on U.K. show This Morning on Wednesday, Sept. 9, Holly Stevens, 43, and Becky Stevens, 49, who are sisters-in-law, discussed how feeding one another’s children began when Holly had her first child — son Freddy, now 7 — and it has continued as they have each gone on to have more babies.
Holly shared that the first occasion occurred when her son Freddy was just five days old. The family were in a park and Holly and her then-partner were on a pedal boat with some other family members, while Becky watched Freddy on the side with her husband Ed, who is Holly’s brother.
“Freddy started crying and she WhatsApped me and was like, ‘Oh he’s crying, what should I do?’ And I was like, ‘Well, feed him,’ ” Holly, who is a PR director and fertility coach, explained. “It didn’t even occur to me, because she was already breastfeeding her 7-month-old boy Foy. It kind of just went as a convenience thing and it was just a bit of a nothing.”
“Then we were working together and I would leave Freddy with my nanny and then I’d get to Becky’s and be like, ‘Oh I forgot my pump,’ and she’d say, ‘Oh just pop yourself on Foy,’ ” Holly continued. “And then later when I’d broken up with my son’s father, Becky would often help with babysitting and it was so easy to just drop him over, no bottle.”
“Less to pack,” Becky, who is also a PR director, added.
While Holly is mom to son Freddy, 7, and daughter Violet, 1, Becky shares twins Lettice and Edith, 17, Ottilie, 16, Tattie, 11, Foy, 8, Scout, 5, and Pearl, 2 months, with husband Ed, per U.K. newspaper The Times.
When asked by This Morning co-host Ben Shephard how she felt when Holly initially told her to feed Freddy, Becky shared, “Secretly I just wanted her to say, I don’t know why,” adding that before that instance the pair had recently joked about breastfeeding each other’s children.
“And the thing is, when you’re in the breastfeeding zone. Everything slightly changes…” Becky continued.
“You only have to hear a baby cry…” interjected co-host Cat Deeley.
“Yeah, and your boobs explode,” Becky explained. “It felt a natural thing to do and it didn’t feel odd. But when I did put him on the breast I was like, ‘Am I overstepping my mark here? Will Holly be a bit cross?’ Even though she said put him on, but he was crying. And I was like, ‘Well there’s nothing I can do right?’ “
“And my husband was stood next to me and said, ‘Oh I know what you’re going to do … Are you going to breastfeed Freddy?’ And I was like, ‘Yes probably. But there’s not much else I can do really.’ I had nothing else. I had no formula,” she added.
Credit: Moms-Breastfeed-rachothers-babies
Deeley then asked the duo how other family members had reacted to their unusual setup.
“Oh they think we’re coco. They think we’re so kind of hempy and earthy. And we also do placenta pills so everyone is like, ‘You’re so kind of earthy.’ But it sort of works. It’s so convenient,” explained Holly.
As for how they have dealt with the more negative comments from outside of their family, Holly said she ignores those who think it’s controversial.
“Oh, I ignore it. I think it’s such a silly reaction. Milk is milk. When you open the fridge and you have cow’s milk, you don’t think twice, do you? And then back in the day people had wet nurses,” Holly said. “It’s kind of ruffled a few feathers.”
“The more you talk about it, the more people [come forward] who actually have a story,” Becky continued. “People say, ‘Oh actually, my great-grandmother did the same.’ So there are stories, the days of yore, where it was much more natural.”
Dr. Zoe Williams, This Morning’s resident doctor, was then asked to offer her thoughts on the sister-in-laws’ setup as she commented on the safety of what the two mothers were doing.
“In this particular scenario, I can see how this has made sense and historically wet nursing was very common, it was a paid job,” Williams shared. “I think the key thing to say is that there are some safety considerations here. Obviously, you’re sisters-in-law, you know each other very well, I wouldn’t recommend people start feeding each other babies willy nilly as there is a risk of transmitting infections.”
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Williams, who is mom to a 5-year-old son called Lisbon, continued, “You might not know about that person, if they’re smoking, alcohol, what prescription medication or non-prescription they might be taking, so it is not something that is deemed to be safe to do, but actually inherently in and of itself it is not unsafe.”
Holly, who has known Becky for over 30 years after she started dating her brother Ed in her teens, also commented on how the experience had strengthened the bond they have with each other’s children.
“I am really close to your kids,” Holly told Becky. “And I probably am closer to the kids I’ve fed, probably because I’ve spent more time with them, but I don’t know if it’s because I’ve nursed them, I think it’s just i’ve spent more time with them.”
Holly then shared how she had also breastfed Becky’s baby daughter Pearl when she was five days old, just like Becky had done for Freddy.
“It’s our thing,” quipped Becky. Five-day-old breastfeeding and we’re off. Here we are!”
PEOPLE has reached out to Holly and Becky for comment.
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