File:Louis_XIV_as_an_infant_with_his_nurse_Longuet_de_la_Giraudiere.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
wet nurse
Sign in to saveAlso known as milk mother, milkmother, wetnurse
woman employed to breastfeed and care for another's child
A wet nurse is a woman hired to breastfeed and care for another person's child. This practice was historically important because it allowed mothers who couldn't or chose not to breastfeed to ensure their infants received necessary nutrition and care.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
In the Vinony graph
Vinony's link graph records 624 inbound references to wet nurse, and connects out to lactational amenorrhea, female breast and Mughal Empire.
Vinony files it under Breastfeeding, Child care occupations and Gendered occupations.
Vinony links it to 53 Wikipedia language editions.
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Nadar, Paul Nadar and his nurse.jpg
- Patron saint
- Agatha of Sicily
- Field of occupation
- breastfeeding
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- Wet nurses
- female form of label
- ama de crianza
- topic's main category
- Category:Wet nurses
- P8168
- cupric chloride
- described by source
- Pauly–Wissowa
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~27 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Louis XIV as an infant, with his wet nurse Longuet de la Giraudière
A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, if she is unable to nurse the child herself sufficiently, or if she chooses not to do so. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some societies, the families are linked by a special relationship of milk kinship. Wet-nursing existed in societies around the world until the invention of reliable formula milk in the 20th century. The practice has made a small comeback in the 21st century.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “wet nurse” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.