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Nine years ago, the “nursery” opened, with many of Stephanie’s clients coming from their circle of friends.

The couple’s friends are mostly drawn from the adult baby community. For them it is a relief to be among people who know about Roy’s interest – it is a closely guarded secret, which almost no one outside the adult baby community know about.

“There are a hell of a lot of people who are interested in it but unfortunately it’s one of the least recognised fetishes,” says Roy. “People make the mistake of thinking you’re interested in children but it’s got nothing to do with that.

“I know hundreds of people who are interested in it and even in the area I know 40 or 50 people.”

The adult baby community has become central to Stephanie’s life, and although it is not a fetish she shares, she has found a place for herself within what she says can be a lonely world for a woman, providing care and support to adult babies.

Stephanie’s customers may come for an hour visit or an overnight stay.

“People come from all over the country to see me. It’s a small business because I’m not everyone’s idea of a nanny. I only look after ‘soft and fluffy’. I don’t do any ‘sexual services’.

“I’ve seen a wide range of people over the years. My youngest baby is 20 and my oldest is 77. It’s mostly men but I see some women, too.

“It’s the act of someone changing their nappy they want. It’s the idea of being looked after and not being in control.

“They’re being taken care of and they don’t have to worry about anything.”

Stephanie says she thinks that a big part of the appeal of the “nursery” is that it’s somewhere that adult babies can be honest about themselves.

“People say they feel safe here. They feel accepted, which I think is the biggest thing. Some people are very unhappy with themselves. They feel it isn’t normal – it’s not macho. My answer is ‘what is normal?’. As long as you’re not hurting anybody, it’s OK.

“When people come to me, often they’ve got to the point that they feel they’re going to explode because there’s such a big part of themselves they can’t understand. My husband calls me a regression therapist!”

Stephanie and Roy’s names have been changed.