wet nurses

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I think, realistically, necessity (maternal death/illness) aside, only
a small percentage of women in MOST cultures used wet nurses. It was
simply too expensive for most women. (And most doctors did speak out
against it.) And I don't think they were used so much because bfing was
seen as 'low-class', but because the women who used them (mostly
'society-women' and royalty/nobility) had lives that made it impossible
(or seem impossible) to cope with the restrictions and limitations that
nursing would impose.(There was typically a long list of things that
nrsing moms were NOT supposed to do -- keep late hours, dance, eat much
meat, get excited, wear low-cut dresses, etc.) Also, especially among
royalty/nobility was the perceived necessity of having as many babies
as possible, so they didn't want to do anything that would reduce
fertility. (And, to add to the problem, some doctors counseled against
sexual intercourse while mom was nursing, so that, of course, would
have a profound effect on fertility!)

Naomi


I don't think this practice was restricted to 'society-women' and
royalty/nobility, as Jane Austen's parents sent all their children out to
nurse in the village (NOT in their home) and her father was only a country
parson. Austen was born in 1775, in England.

Liz

good

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Linda дµÀ£º

I was just thinking about how in the past the upper class employed wet
nurses to feed their babies (crazy - missing out on such a special bonding
experience). I personally can't imagine nursing someone elses baby (or
letting someone else nurse mine) but I suppose they would have become
attached to the child and wouldn't have been too bad a job really - would
they have had more than one family on the go at once? Can anyone here
imagine working as a wet nurse?