Lesbian couple's stunning maternity portraits go viral

Here's your mid-week dose of warm-fuzzies: lesbian couple Melanie and Vanessa Iris Roy have found viral fame after they shared their side-by-side maternity portraits on Instagram.

The pictures, featuring Melanie on the left and Vanessa Iris on the right, were taken a year apart: the first in January 2014, when Vanessa Iris was pregnant with their son, Jax, and the second in January of this year, while Melanie was carrying their daughter, Ero.

The couple, who have impeccable baby-name game, posted the shot back in February, but it's only reached viral status in the past fortnight, owing largely to its appearance on a number of LGBT advocacy websites. One such post earned it over 160,000 likes on Facebook.

"It's crazy to see that people were referring to my family as an inspiration. We are still in complete shock," Melanie told the Huffington Post.

She added that she and Vanessa Iris always wanted to carry a child each, and hopes their family will encourage other same-sex couples to start families of their own.

"The woman's body is incredible. The way it creates and grows another human being is amazing. We hope that our picture is that sign that some women may need to encourage them to carry a child."