Buzz
In modern times, mothers can conveniently visit a nearby store to purchase baby food or formula, or opt to breastfeed their child directly if possible. However, in the past, the only two choices parents had for feeding their babies were breastfeeding or hiring a wet nurse.
Societal views greatly influenced parents' decisions on infant feeding, with beliefs surrounding the best way to nourish babies evolving over thousands of years. A significant factor was advertising, with safety being a key concern. This summary offers a glimpse into how societies over time made choices about what to feed their children.
10. Wet Nursing
The practice of using a wet nurse was widespread before the advent of formula and bottle feeding. It began as far back as 2000 BC and persisted into the 20th century. During this time, a mother’s decision to hire a wet nurse often depended on necessity or preference—some mothers had no choice, as they were unable to produce milk themselves. Wet nursing became a formalized profession, governed by contracts and legal frameworks. The creation of the feeding bottle in the 19th century offered an alternative and gradually led to the decline of wet nursing.
In ancient Israel around 2000 BC, breastfeeding was considered both a blessing and a sacred act, often treated as a religious ceremony. The Papyrus Ebers, an ancient Egyptian medical text, provided remedies for mothers struggling with lactation, such as ‘warming the bones of a swordfish in oil’ and massaging it onto the mother’s back. Alternatively, a mother could sit with crossed legs, eating bread soaked in durra (a type of millet), while rubbing her breasts with the poppy plant.
9. Classical Antiquity
In ancient Greece around 950 BC, women of high social standing frequently employed wet nurses, who eventually gained considerable authority and were even held accountable for managing household slaves. The Bible mentions several instances of wet nurses, including the well-known nurse hired by Pharaoh's daughter to nurse Moses, who was discovered among the bulrushes.
During the Roman Empire, from 300 BC to AD 400, contracts were established for wet nurses to care for abandoned children, typically girls, who were bought by wealthy families as future slaves. These wet nurses, who were also slaves, would nurse the children until they turned three.
8. The Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, a 13th-century Franciscan friar named Bartholomeus Anglicus offered advice on how to be a wet nurse. He suggested that the nurse should behave like a mother: 'She picks him up when he falls, gives the little one milk when he cries...washes and cleans the little one when he makes a mess of himself.' We owe our thanks to the guidance of Franciscan friars.
In the Middle Ages, childhood was once again seen as a delicate and precious phase, and breast milk was believed to have nearly magical qualities. Mothers were urged to nurse their own babies as part of their saintly duty, as it was believed that breast milk could transmit both psychological and physical traits to the child. This belief continued during the Renaissance, with the concern that infants might bond more with the wet nurse than with their own mothers.
7. No Redheads
In 1612, the French surgeon and obstetrician Jacques Guillemeau advised in *The Nursing Of Children* that wet nurses with red hair should be avoided, as their temperamental nature could be passed on through their breast milk. He recommended that wet nurses be 'mild, gentle, courteous, patient, sober, chaste, not quarrelsome; not choleric, neither proud nor covetous, nor a blabber.'
6. The Later Years
From the 17th to the 19th centuries, wet nursing remained popular, especially among the wealthy, who viewed breastfeeding their own children as unfashionable and feared it would harm their figures. The clothing styles of the time made breastfeeding difficult, adding to the challenge of pursuing socially accepted activities like card-playing or attending the theater. Even those in lower social classes, such as the wives of doctors, lawyers, and merchants, employed wet nurses because it was less expensive than hiring someone to manage their husband’s business or household.
During the subsequent Industrial Revolution, many families moved from rural areas to cities, where peasant wet nurses were frequently employed. William Buchan’s *Domestic Medicine* (1779) revealed a strong mistrust of wet nurses, particularly those who preferred home remedies, including using opiates like Godfrey’s Cordial to lull babies into a state of 'quietness.'
5. Early Bottles
In the 19th century, the profession of wet nursing began to decline as the popularity of animal milk and bottle-feeding grew. Bottles for feeding, though, have ancient origins, and many ancient vessels have been found, some dating back thousands of years. For example, Greco-Roman terra-cotta feeders from 450 BC were used to give children a mixture of wine and honey. Tests on many of these containers revealed traces of milk products, leading archaeologists to conclude that animal milk or its substitutes were used as early as the Stone Age.
Issues related to cleaning feeding bottles are discussed in historical literature from Roman times, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. The Industrial Revolution was pivotal in making bottles both hygienic and safe for infant feeding.
4. Bubby Pots And Pap Boats
Before the modern baby bottle design came into existence, there were numerous alternatives available. Some of these were crafted from ceramics or wood, but the most common form of feeding device was made from a cow’s horn, carefully perforated to allow milk to flow. During the 1700s, materials like pewter and silver gained popularity, with a notable example being the 'bubby pot' (pictured left), which was invented by Dr. Hugh Smith, a physician from London. Unfortunately, this device was notorious for being extremely difficult to clean, often leading to infections and fatal consequences.
Pap boats (shown right above) were similarly hazardous, typically filled with a mixture of bread soaked in water or milk (known as pap) or a cereal-based broth called panada. These nutritious meals were given to sickly, malnourished babies as a strengthening food, but the vessels used for feeding were so difficult to clean that nearly a third of infants passed away within their first year due to infections.
3. Advances and Enhancements in Safety
By the end of 1883, a total of 27 different patented formulas had been introduced, following the example set by Liebig’s brand. However, many of these formulas lacked sufficient nutritional value, despite the inclusion of sugar to increase calorie content. Over time, as knowledge of vitamin fortification advanced, the formulas became more effective. The popularity of formula feeding was especially high during the summer, when milk tended to spoil more quickly, leading to a rise in infant mortality. This issue was mitigated only with the widespread acceptance of germ theory between 1890 and 1910.
As hygiene improved and rubber teats became more widely available, infant mortality rates began to decline. Additionally, the increasing presence of iceboxes in households allowed milk to be safely stored for later use, which helped further reduce health risks.
2. The Advent of Early Infant Formulas
Today, breastfeeding is widely regarded as the best nutritional option for infants. However, when infant formulas first became available, they did not adhere to the research standards we have today and were often nutritionally inadequate. Public interest in alternative milk sources grew, partly due to advertising. Throughout the 19th century, animal milk became the preferred choice and was commonly added to pap and panada to nourish sickly infants.
In the 18th century, comparisons between animal milk and human milk were made based on the animals available to different communities, such as horses, pigs, camels, donkeys, sheep, and goats. However, cow’s milk was the most favored. In 1865, an infant formula was created that aimed to replicate human milk. Known as Liebig’s formula, it was made from cow’s milk, malt, wheat flour, and potassium carbonate.
1. Infant Bottles of the 19th Century
In the mid-19th century, glass bottles became the new standard for infant feeding. Many of these bottles were beautifully crafted, some even shaped like cones or gourds, replacing the porcelain bottles that were used previously. These intricate designs earned the nickname 'murder bottles' due to the difficulty of cleaning the rubber tubes and pipes, making them ideal breeding grounds for bacteria.
In a notable invention, an artificial breast was created, allowing milk to be stored and kept warm for the child by being worn by the mother throughout the day and night. In 1863, inventor Matthew Tomlinson introduced 'The Cottage,' a pear-shaped, colored glass bottle which he sold for a shilling. Tomlinson believed the design was well-suited for working-class households.
