Breastfeeding has existed since humans have inhabited the earth. Depending on the time period you lived, it could have also been considered either good or bad to breastfeed. Throughout history there have been three primary ways to feed an infant; breastfeeding, bottle and formula and wet nursing. Breastfeeding through time has remained the medically preferred method of infant feeding. (1) For as long as breastfeeding has been around, bottle feeding has been in existence as well. 4000 years old clay pots have been found from ancient civilizations. “Europeans around the time of the Renaissance outfitted cows ' horns with leather nipples, while small vessels with elaborate china patterns or crafted in pewter or silver were used in the 18th and
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A wet nurse or a “woman who breastfeeds another’s child” was common well before the introduction of the modern bottle. Earliest accounts date it around 2000 BC and as late as the 20th century. The introduction of the bottle in the 19th century started the decline of wet nursing even though it was well organized with contracts and laws to regulate its practice. (1) Wet nursing has varied in status over the years. Some cultures gave wet nurses more accountability and allowed them authority over slaves. Women of greater social status frequently required wet nurses for their children. Contracts were written as early as the Roman years for wet nurses to care for abandoned children. Numerous early medical writers composed qualifications for wet nurses. Some cultures wanted a wet nurse that was “a healthy 25- to 35-year-old woman who had recently delivered a male child.” As time went on wet nursing remained as one of the viable options for women who could not breastfeed. However through the ages from the Romans to the Renaissance period, there were objections to wet nurses. French obstetrician Jacques Guillemeau stated “four main objections to a wet nurse: 1) the child may be switched with another put in its place, 2) the affection felt between the child and the mother will diminish, 3) a bad condition may be inherited by the child, and 4) the nurse may transmit an imperfection of her own body to the child that could then be …show more content…
For the child breastfeeding can help reduce allergies and provides all the proper nutrients and vitamins, protein and fat. It is more easily digested and contains antibodies that help fight viruses and bacteria. They will have fewer ear infections, and trips to the doctor. It is also stated to help raise IQ scores. Mentally and physically it helps with bonding between the mother and child. There is more physical contact and a more secure feeling for the mother and child. (3) Breastfeeding started a resurgence again in the late 1960s and 1970s as well and continues today. However, I think social media has more of a hand in the deciding factor to breast feed or not. More articles, are accessible through online sources, and more people, especially expectant mothers post articles about benefits and risk of breastfeeding vs bottle feeding. Breastfeeding seems to becoming a socially acceptable norm now as employers are starting to have nursing rooms for lactating mothers.
In the end, it is the mothers decision to breastfeed or not. As with any other decision regarding your child you should make an informed one. It is best to consult with a medical doctor about the pros and cons for both breastfeeding and bottle feeding. While breastfeeding is certainly the preferred way, bottle feeding has come a long way since the pap boats and is now almost identical in nutritional value as breast
A wet nurse or a “woman who breastfeeds another’s child” was common well before the introduction of the modern bottle. Earliest accounts date it around 2000 BC and as late as the 20th century. The introduction of the bottle in the 19th century started the decline of wet nursing even though it was well organized with contracts and laws to regulate its practice. (1) Wet nursing has varied in status over the years. Some cultures gave wet nurses more accountability and allowed them authority over slaves. Women of greater social status frequently required wet nurses for their children. Contracts were written as early as the Roman years for wet nurses to care for abandoned children. Numerous early medical writers composed qualifications for wet nurses. Some cultures wanted a wet nurse that was “a healthy 25- to 35-year-old woman who had recently delivered a male child.” As time went on wet nursing remained as one of the viable options for women who could not breastfeed. However through the ages from the Romans to the Renaissance period, there were objections to wet nurses. French obstetrician Jacques Guillemeau stated “four main objections to a wet nurse: 1) the child may be switched with another put in its place, 2) the affection felt between the child and the mother will diminish, 3) a bad condition may be inherited by the child, and 4) the nurse may transmit an imperfection of her own body to the child that could then be …show more content…
For the child breastfeeding can help reduce allergies and provides all the proper nutrients and vitamins, protein and fat. It is more easily digested and contains antibodies that help fight viruses and bacteria. They will have fewer ear infections, and trips to the doctor. It is also stated to help raise IQ scores. Mentally and physically it helps with bonding between the mother and child. There is more physical contact and a more secure feeling for the mother and child. (3) Breastfeeding started a resurgence again in the late 1960s and 1970s as well and continues today. However, I think social media has more of a hand in the deciding factor to breast feed or not. More articles, are accessible through online sources, and more people, especially expectant mothers post articles about benefits and risk of breastfeeding vs bottle feeding. Breastfeeding seems to becoming a socially acceptable norm now as employers are starting to have nursing rooms for lactating mothers.
In the end, it is the mothers decision to breastfeed or not. As with any other decision regarding your child you should make an informed one. It is best to consult with a medical doctor about the pros and cons for both breastfeeding and bottle feeding. While breastfeeding is certainly the preferred way, bottle feeding has come a long way since the pap boats and is now almost identical in nutritional value as breast