A lesbian couple has shared a gorgeous paternity photograph of themselves "trading places".

Taking to Instagram to share the snap, Mel Roy posted a picture of herself while pregnant with her daughter Ero and positioned it alongside a picture of her wife Vanessa when she was pregnant with their son Tax the year prior.

The couple, from Charlotte, North Carolina, decided to mimic the original paternity photograph when Mel became pregnant a year after her wife.

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"We decided to mimic the maternity photo in which Vanessa was pregnant while shooting MY pregnancy pictures," Melanie told ABC. "Vanessa thought it would be a great idea to pose exactly the same so that she can join the pictures together."

The couple shared the viral image in the hope of encouraging other women to carry a baby.

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

The gorgeous photograph was reposted to Facebook by Grupo Arco-Iris, an LGBTQ+ rights organization based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and at the time of writing, it has garnered over 157K likes and counting.

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Reacting to the picture, one Facebook commentator wrote: "I found it's beautiful... I am evangelical and know what is in the Bible and I also know that everyone should take care of your life and only God to judge... Who are we to say what is right or wrong?"

"We are extremely grateful for all the positive support we have been receiving," Melanie told ABC. "Our hearts are filled with joy because we have influenced so many people. We would have never imagined that a single picture of ours could make such a difference."

The happy couple is now using their Instagram accounts to give an insight into what it's like being same-sex parents.

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If you'd like to support this gorgeous family this Pride Month, follow Melissa Roy and Vanessa Iris Roy's Instagram accounts for more!

Featured image credit: Pexels / Marta Branco

Gay couple share stunning pregnancy photos showing each of them carrying a child one year apart