This article explores the practice of wet nursing in the modern era, featuring personal stories from women who have either breastfed another woman's child or had their child breastfed by someone else. It delves into the reasons behind this practice, highlighting instances where it was driven by necessity, convenience, or a commitment to providing breast milk.
New moms are inundated with information about feeding their babies. There’s breastfeeding, there’s pumping, there’s formula, there's donor milk. But there is another method that is not often discussed publicly but still happens quietly: wet nursing .
Before the invention of infant formula and feeding bottles in the 19th century, mothers who couldn't — or didn't want to — nurse their babies turned to Would you let another woman breastfeed your child? Would you breastfeed someone else's child? TODAY.com talked to three women who shared their personal stories about wet nursing to demonstrate why and how women are wet nursing today. The practice may not be as uncommon as you think.Arkansas therapist Terri Albert didn't plan on having someone else breastfeed her son. It just ... happened. Albert gave birth to her son when she was 18 years old. When the baby was just two months old, Albert started classes at a college that was almost two hours from home. Her infant lived with her mother and 2-year-old sister full time. Albert lived near school during the week and traveled home on the weekends. After Albert left, the baby went on bottle strike and refused to eat. Albert's mom tried everything to encourage him to drink from a bottle, but he screamed for hours. Ultimately, Albert's mom, who was still breastfeeding her own toddler, decided to breastfeed her grandson. Albert found out about it after the fact. Though she was surprised, she was also grateful. "He was a spoiled little baby," Albert laughs."He did not want that artificial nipple. He just did not want it, and he was making himself sick." Since wet nursing worked so well for the baby, Albert's mother continued to feed him whenever Albert was away at school. Now 24 and in basic training for the Army, Albert’s son brushes off jokes his grandmother makes about breastfeeding him."My child's needs come first and they're always going to come first," she says."If it ever came to that point to that point to where I had needed her to do it again, I would be totally open to it." received a message that another mother in her community was undergoing medical treatment that would prohibit her from breastfeeding her 14-month-old, who was still nursing regularly. "She asked if I would be willing to help her out," LeClaire recalls."I was a new mom at the time, and I was very pro breastfeeding. And I was like, 'Absolutely.'" LeClaire breastfeed the child just a few times while his mother was unable to nurse him herself. She says the nursing sessions were less about nutrition and more to help him"remember how to latch," she shares."You don't really hear of modern-day wet nursing," LeClaire adds."So it was exciting to check that off my mom bucket list."Hope Donovan, a New Jersey teacher, struggled to produce enough milk to feed her two boys. "When I was much younger, I had a breast reduction, which can make some of your milk production difficult," she says."I was triple-feeding: I nursed, then I pumped, then I fed him a bottle, just so that he could have enough." One of Donovan's sisters had given birth just a few months before. As an overproducer, she was able to gift Donovan plenty of frozen breastmilk. But that's not all — when Donovan visited her extended family in New Orleans, her sister would occasionally breastfeed Donovan's son directly. Donovan says there were"plenty of times" when she would be on an outing and got to play"the cool aunt" with her nieces and nephews while her sister stayed home to oversee the babies' naps."She would babysit, and she'd be like, 'If he wakes up, I'm just going to feed him to put him back to sleep so I don't have to call you to rush home,'" Donovan recalls.A third sister was also breastfeeding her own baby at the same time. When all three families got together and babies cried, one of the three breastfeeding moms would feed them. Donvan's sisters work in the medical field and placed a great deal of importance on breastmilk; they wanted to make sure all the babies in the family had their fill — who the milk came from was less important. "It took a load off of my brain and body because I had this medical thing where I couldn't produce as much as my sisters — or as much as really needed," she says."I felt like I didn't have to do much formula and saved money." Conveniently, when Donovan had a second child, her sisters did too, so they once again supplied her with frozen and fresh breastmilk as circumstances allowed. Donovan, who is"super close" with her sisters, jokes,"I wouldn't have been sourcing breastmilk from neighbors because I refused to use formula. But this was offered with love from family." recommends exclusively breastfeeding your baby for at least 6 months. But if you cannot breastfeed your baby, should you consider finding someone else to do it?, cautions,"There are not necessarily any safeguards in place to ensure the person sharing the milk lives a healthy lifestyle and is free from disease, or that their collection and storage practices are safe." While milk banks screen donors and process the milk to make sure it's safe, there are more risks associated with wet nursing, especially if you don't know the lactating woman well. In the end, Pearson says,"It is up to parents to decide what method of feeding makes the most sense for their situation."Dylan Dreyer Opens up About Separation, Co-Parenting and How Her Boys Are 'Surrounded by Love'
Wet Nursing Breastfeeding Infant Feeding Mothers Breast Milk
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Are Women Still Wet Nursing? The Answer May Surprise YouRosie Colosi lives in New Jersey and is a reporter for TODAY Parents. She has bylines in The Atlantic, The Week, MSNBC, and PureWow, and she has written 33 nonfiction children's books for Scholastic, Klutz, and Nat Geo Kids. Once upon a time, she played Mrs.
Read more »
Sydney Sweeney's Wet Blunt Bob Looks Edgier Than EverDanielle Jackson is the senior beauty writer at Marie Claire. She has nearly a decade of experience covering beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment and was previously the senior beauty editor at Women's Health, where she thoughtfully covered topics related to skincare, haircare, aesthetics, and wellness.
Read more »
Sydney Sweeney Makes Waves With the Wet Hair Trend at GQ Men of the Year 2025The 28-year-old actress opted to style her new bob haircut in the wet hair trend with gelled ends at GQ Men of the Year 2025.
Read more »
Tali's Weather Forecast for Friday, Nov. 14: Wet,messy weekend beginsTali is a Multimedia Journalist and Producer at ABC 10News.
Read more »
High school football scene & heard: Rain holds off as Dons leave Mission Hills all wetHighlights from Friday’s CIF San Diego Section Open Division semifinal game.
Read more »
Modern Wet Nursing: Stories of Mothers Helping MothersThis article explores the experiences of women who have engaged in wet nursing, a practice that involves breastfeeding another woman's child. The stories reveal the motivations, benefits, and challenges of wet nursing in the modern era, highlighting the role of family, community, and personal choice.
Read more »