I'm sure the rest has been done to death, so I'll just focus on this.
"I was talking about wet nurses being available historically for women who wouldn't or couldn't bf'd."
Who "wouldn't" bf? Let's look at this:
1. Aristocratic women- some didn't bf because it inhibited their abilities to conceive again quickly. I assure you that their opinions on the matter were of little importance and they had very little decision-making power in this regard anyway. 2. Lesser noble women (or gentlewomen in England)- may have been chosen to be a wet nurse for higher nobles or royalty. Then she'd have to find someone else to bf her baby- probably a peasant woman.
That represented about 5% of the population (more or less, depending on the area and period). I'm talking about European history because that's what I study. Everyone else pretty much had to bf unless they were dead or dying. Regular women who lacked the desire to bf didn't have the means to hire a wet nurse until the 19th century in most places, and by then Rousseau's arguments about women bf their babies had taken a strong hold and women were more likely to want to do it anyway.
"It wasn't uncommon for a woman to take in a well to do child to nurse and hire an even poorer woman to nurse her own child."
What's "uncommon"? It certainly wouldn't have been that common either, considering that a "well-to-do" child would have come from a group that represented less than 5% of the population.
"Only based on my limited reading on it so far, it seems if you were wealthy you could hire a wet nurse, if you were poor and needed one you'd look to your sisters or cousins or neighbors."
Remember that your first choices of verb were "did not want" and "wouldn't," not "needed one." Of course there were ways that communities could step in to help a family in *need*. I only felt compelled to address your comments because you were arguing it from a "want" standpoint first.
"Also if you look even now at poor developing nations there are problems with breastfeeding rates, breastfeeding practices, and you will find wet nursing going on there too."
Ah, but your word choice was "historically." I tend to chime in when that word is used.
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I'm sure the rest has been done to death, so I'll just focus on this.
"I was talking about wet nurses being available historically for women who wouldn't or couldn't bf'd."
Who "wouldn't" bf? Let's look at this:
1. Aristocratic women- some didn't bf because it inhibited their abilities to conceive again quickly. I assure you that their opinions on the matter were of little importance and they had very little decision-making power in this regard anyway.
2. Lesser noble women (or gentlewomen in England)- may have been chosen to be a wet nurse for higher nobles or royalty. Then she'd have to find someone else to bf her baby- probably a peasant woman.
That represented about 5% of the population (more or less, depending on the area and period). I'm talking about European history because that's what I study. Everyone else pretty much had to bf unless they were dead or dying. Regular women who lacked the desire to bf didn't have the means to hire a wet nurse until the 19th century in most places, and by then Rousseau's arguments about women bf their babies had taken a strong hold and women were more likely to want to do it anyway.
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I had the "ick factor," but I had to get over it, and I did many years ago. I had the ick factor with people touching me
I still have the ick factor when people touch me.
CL for Reflux
"That's the
My DH isn't Jewish, so we probably won't use any "Jewish" names, although I love Miriam and Esther.
Now that's random, my Hebrew name is Esther Miriam!
"It wasn't uncommon for a woman to take in a well to do child to nurse and hire an even poorer woman to nurse her own child."
What's "uncommon"? It certainly wouldn't have been that common either, considering that a "well-to-do" child would have come from a group that represented less than 5% of the population.
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"Only based on my limited reading on it so far, it seems if you were wealthy you could hire a wet nurse, if you were poor and needed one you'd look to your sisters or cousins or neighbors."
Remember that your first choices of verb were "did not want" and "wouldn't," not "needed one." Of course there were ways that communities could step in to help a family in *need*. I only felt compelled to address your comments because you were arguing it from a "want" standpoint first.
"Also if you look even now at poor developing nations there are problems with breastfeeding rates, breastfeeding practices, and you will find wet nursing going on there too."
Ah, but your word choice was "historically." I tend to chime in when that word is used.
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Migraines suck, I've had them since I was 6.
<<Now that's random, my Hebrew name is Esther Miriam!
<Sorry for ruffling any feathers.>
Be flattered, some of us regular posters get like 5 responses to anything we start.
Amen.
<>
I think that is giving up on people too easy. Sometimes you don't know you can do it until you try.
~*~ Catherine, mom to three grown men - Jason, Michael & Joshua and Granma to Christopher & Leia.
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