I love Tuesday. I get to “talk” about something near and dear to my heart – breast feeding! This week Joy of Momma Joyner and I have picked the topic of wet nursing. If you aren’t familiar with wet nursing, it is when a woman breast feeds another woman’s child. Apparently this is becoming more and more common and I hadn’t even heard of it until recently.
As a mother who has nursed all three of my children, I truly wish every woman could have the positive experience I have had with nursing. I’ve had my challenges, but overall, it’s been positive. I realize there are times that mothers cannot nurse their baby due to supply issues or what have you. I know there are mothers who purchase or get donated breast milk for their infants and I think that’s great, but what about someone doing the action of breast feeding your baby? How do you feel about that? I’m going to discuss how I would feel about this in two ways: a woman wet nursing my baby and me being the wet nurse.
First, I wouldn’t want someone wet nursing my baby obviously if I were around. If something happened to me and I were no longer in the picture I would want my baby to feel that closeness: that bond with a mother and I would want him/her to be nursed and getting only breast milk. Of course (this pretty much goes without saying) I would want the mother tested for drugs, alcohol, and everything else because I obviously wouldn’t want just anyone’s milk nurturing my child…it has to be doing just that: nurturing.
Second, how I feel about nursing another woman’s baby. I would do it. I think with anything that’s new there would be an adjustment period. I believe that breast milk is a miracle worker and helps babies get through some difficult times. If the baby’s mother was not able to nurse I would absolutely do what I could to help that baby.
That’s pretty much it for me this week. My opinions on this are simple and to the point. I’d love to hear what you have to say about wet nursing. Do you agree with it, would you do it? If you are a blogger, please link up and I’ll stop by and read what you have to say! If you aren’t a blogger, please leave a comment below so I can hear your thoughts!
If you are a blogger posting about this and linking up, you can grab the linky here.
Wow, this is an interesting topic and I am sure it is going to generate a wide range of views.
As for me I don’t think that I would feel comfortable having someone else breastfeed my children. If I am around I will be the one to do this. I have been very blessed with the process of breastfeeding and have had very few hiccups along the way. As for hiring a wet nurse, I cannot imagine myself doing it. But I guess you never know until you are put in that situation.
As for me being a wet nurse. I don’t think that I could do that either. It is just outside my comfort zone. Although I would have no problem donating breastmilk.
My great grandmother was a wet nurse for her neighbor’s baby. Her neighbor contracted TB and was sent to a quarantine hospital, leaving behind a baby that needed to eat. Great Grandma was already nursing her twins so it must have been a lot of work to nurse all three! I would do the same thing if I was asked.
I guess I would probably agree that if I was not around anymore that I’d like my baby to have breastmilk for sure.. a wet nurse maybe. Its so hard to say. I feel its so intimate between a mom and baby that its hard to think of someone else having that relationship with my baby.