Several centuries ago, noble ladies considered breastfeeding an indecent activity unworthy of their status. Queens and noblewomen handed their newborns over to wet nurses, who became not just servants but true confidantes of high society.
The Role of Royal Mothers
The primary purpose of royal and aristocratic women was to bear children to ensure the dynasty. To be able to conceive again as quickly as possible, a woman would hand over her newborn to a wet nurse — this allowed her to return to married life sooner.
For example, Queen Charlotte, the wife of British King George III, although she had 15 children, did not breastfeed any of them — this was the norm of the time. She, like other royal mothers, personally participated in the selection of the wet nurse.
How Wet Nurses Were Chosen
Wet nurses were chosen very carefully, as the position of "royal wet nurse" was extremely prestigious. They received good salaries and sometimes even a lifelong pension.
Candidates were screened: whether they were healthy, whether they had any serious illnesses, and whether the children they were currently nursing were healthy. Often, after selection, wet nurses would move to live in the palace to be closer to the royal infants.
Life of Children with Wet Nurses
Aristocratic children often grew up in the countryside — they were sent to wet nurses in the provinces, where these women cared for them until the babies were weaned. It was believed that rural women were healthy, strong mothers capable of giving children a "good start in life."
Parents sometimes visited their children, as evidenced by paintings from that time.
Honorable Profession and Famous Wet Nurses
The role of a royal wet nurse was considered so honorable that many of these women were depicted in official portraits.
For example, the well-known Madame Longue de La Giraudière was the wet nurse of Louis XIV. Little Louis teethed early and often bit, which led to changes in wet nurses, but she remains in history as the most famous of them.
