wet nurses

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?

"Linda" wrote in message
...
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 else's 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?


Actually in the final week that DD2 was in the NICU I was tempted to try and
feed another woman's baby. We were all in the lounge feeding our babes and
one women in particular was forever saying how her daughter couldn't
breastfeed and that it was the babies fault not hers. DD2 was a great
little latcher so I was very very tempted to offer to try and feed her baby
to see if it really was the baby having problems or it was just her
technique.

I personally don't think I would have a problem feeding another woman's baby
but I don't think I would feel very comfortable with someone else feeding
mine. Strange double standard I know but I'm not sure why I feel that way.


--
Pip

My girls :
DD1 Jasmine - 5 weeks early - 21 March 02 -
Still as small as a peanut but as smart as a whip!

DD2 Abby - 8 weeks early - 3 Feb 05 -
"Uhhhhh ohhhhhh" is my new favourite phrase, now what other trouble can I
find!

"Yes you can drive me insane just by talking to me!"

"Me Myself and I" wrote in message
news:1160981634.440532@ftpsrv1...
"Linda" wrote in message
...
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 else's 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?


Actually in the final week that DD2 was in the NICU I was tempted to try
and feed another woman's baby. We were all in the lounge feeding our
babes and one women in particular was forever saying how her daughter
couldn't breastfeed and that it was the babies fault not hers. DD2 was a
great little latcher so I was very very tempted to offer to try and feed
her baby to see if it really was the baby having problems or it was just
her technique.

I personally don't think I would have a problem feeding another woman's
baby but I don't think I would feel very comfortable with someone else
feeding mine. Strange double standard I know but I'm not sure why I feel
that way.



Thats interesting, I had also wondered about lactation consultants doing
that, teaching babies how to latch etc of course there would be too many
regulations to make it practical even if they were willing - medical, diet,
hygiene etc etc

In article , "Linda" wrote:

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?

Well, in the 19th century there was a part of society that perceived
breastfeeding as low-class. You paid for someone to do it, just like some
people now pay others to iron their clothes. I think the doctors generally
felt that women ought to feed their own babies, but Society wasn't keen on it.
Also, you must remember that maternal mortality in childbirth was quite high,
so it was sometimes necessary to engage a wet-nurse because the mother was
dead. And sometimes the wet-nurse's baby had died (my mother has a friend
who, 50-60 years ago, fed all the babies in the hospital after a still-birth
-- apparently it was comforting to her too). Otherwise, the wet-nurse was
supposed to feed the rich woman's baby *instead of* her own, hence the rise of
the notorious 'baby farmer'. Wet-nurses themselves were treated well, but
probably lived very circumscribed lives: AFAICT they lived-in with the baby.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

Also, you must remember that maternal mortality in childbirth was quite
high,
so it was sometimes necessary to engage a wet-nurse because the mother was
dead. And sometimes the wet-nurse's baby had died (my mother has a friend
who, 50-60 years ago, fed all the babies in the hospital after a
still-birth
-- apparently it was comforting to her too).

Yes that makes sense. So being lower class, I guess wages would have been
pretty low - just board maybe?

Otherwise, the wet-nurse was
supposed to feed the rich woman's baby *instead of* her own, hence the
rise of
the notorious 'baby farmer'.

Baby farmer?

Wet-nurses themselves were treated well, but
probably lived very circumscribed lives: AFAICT they lived-in with the
baby.

And were they kept on as nanny afterwards, or would they have been kicked
out when the kid weaned?

Chookie wrote:
In article , "Linda" wrote:

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?

Well, in the 19th century there was a part of society that perceived
breastfeeding as low-class.


This is still the perception in a number of countries in the developing
world. Only difference is they use formula instead of hiring a wet
nurse.

As to the original question - I couldn't imagine feeding someone else's
baby only because my boobs get enough of a work out as it is. Call me
selfish ;-). In a pinch, however, I would. In theory I'm not against
someone else nursing my baby, but in practice Ithink I could only
handle it in a desperate situation.

After Alli was born, and I ended up pumping for her, one thing I wished was
that someone had suggested that I pump after Brian died, and donate the milk
to a bank. I suspect that emotionally, it would have really helped in that
first month or so, when I was on bedrest recovering and not doing much
anyway except watching old TV shows and moping-and maybe it would have
helped regulate my hormones so I wouldn't have been hit with a major PPD on
top of the reactive depression. At least something positive could have come
out of the whole experience.

--
Donna DeVore Metler
Orff Music Specialist/Kindermusik
Mother to Angel Brian Anthony 1/1/2002, 22 weeks, severe PE/HELLP
And Allison Joy, 11/25/04 (35 weeks, PIH, Pre-term labor)

Linda wrote:
Yes that makes sense. So being lower class, I guess wages would have been
pretty low - just board maybe?

With excellent food. The rich family would
make sure the wet nurse ate well.

And were they kept on as nanny afterwards, or would they have been kicked
out when the kid weaned?

I believe they were kicked out when the child
weaned. I believe some wet nurses would then
look for a new child to nurse.

-- Anita --

cjra wrote:

As to the original question - I couldn't imagine feeding someone else's
baby only because my boobs get enough of a work out as it is. Call me
selfish ;-). In a pinch, however, I would. In theory I'm not against
someone else nursing my baby, but in practice Ithink I could only
handle it in a desperate situation.

Most wet nurses *were* in a desperate situation...

There are some parts of the world where any female
lactating relative was fair game for the child to
nurse from. I feel squicky about both nursing another's
child or having someone else nurse mine, but people
do and both parties are just fine.

-- Anita --

Irrational Number wrote:
cjra wrote:

As to the original question - I couldn't imagine feeding someone else's
baby only because my boobs get enough of a work out as it is. Call me
selfish ;-). In a pinch, however, I would. In theory I'm not against
someone else nursing my baby, but in practice Ithink I could only
handle it in a desperate situation.

Most wet nurses *were* in a desperate situation...

By desperate *today*, I meant mother dead/incapacitated and no
ebm/formula available (eg in a natural disaster). Not desperate
financial straits.


There are some parts of the world where any female
lactating relative was fair game for the child to
nurse from. I feel squicky about both nursing another's
child or having someone else nurse mine, but people
do and both parties are just fine.

yeah, which is why in theory, I have nothing against it. Nor do I think
it's weird that anyone chooses this. In practice, however, I know I'd
have to be really pressed to do it. I can totally see the situation
arising - eg, Katrina, the tsunami, so it's not so far fetched. Just
not something I'd consider on a regular basis. With that, I'm off to go
feed my daughter