wet nurse
Borrowed maternal nourishment
A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds another woman's child.
Before infant formula, wet nurses were essential when mothers couldn't nurse—due to death, illness, or social custom.
Wealthy families historically employed wet nurses so mothers could avoid the demands of nursing.
The verb wet-nurse means to act as a wet nurse, or figuratively, to coddle or overprotect: Stop wet-nursing him; he can handle it himself.
Lactation-based infant nourishment
- sucklingUnweaned infant mammal
- colostrumInitial postpartum milk
- milkMammalian nursing fluid
- lactateProduce milk naturally
engorgement · letdown · feeding · wean · formula · bottle · nipple · latch
Nursemaid or mother
- amahAsian domestic servant
- baby farmingPaid care of infants
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
Victorian · Renaissance · class · servitude · Rousseau
Infant just delivered
- swaddlingWrapping babies snugly
- cradleRocking bed for infants
- bassinetPortable infant bed
- nurseryRoom for infants
pacifier · teething · colic · diapers · burping · rocking · soothing · lullaby
Encourage development of
- proxyAuthorized substitute
- stand-inTemporary human placeholder
- replacementWhat takes another's place
- alternateOccur in succession
Domestic child caretaker
- nannyHired child caretaker
- governessPrivate household teacher
- au pairForeign live-in childcare worker
- childminderProfessional youth caretaker
doula · mother's helper · domestic service · household staff · live-in · wages · contract · hiring
breastfeeding
Lactation-based infant nourishment
lactate · engorgement · letdown · feeding · wean · formula · bottle · nipple · latch · expressing
mammy
Nursemaid or mother
- amahAsian domestic servant
- baby farmingPaid care of infants
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
medieval · Victorian · Renaissance · class · servitude · Rousseau
newborn
Infant just delivered
nursery · pacifier · teething · colic · diapers · burping · rocking · soothing · lullaby · feeding schedule
foster
Encourage development of
- proxyAuthorized substitute
- stand-inTemporary human placeholder
- replacementWhat takes another's place
nursemaid
Domestic child caretaker
childminder · doula · mother's helper · domestic service · household staff · live-in · wages · contract · hiring · placement
- caretakerscaretaker, caretakers, caregiver, guardian, minder
- castle staffchamberlain, chambermaid, butler, guard, handmaiden
- femaleswoman, girl, lady, mother, daughter
- household staffmaid, butler, housekeeper, cook, nanny
- old occupationsblacksmith, carpenter, miller, farmer, shepherd
- infant feedingbaby bottle, baby formula, bottle feeding, formula feeding, infant formula
wet nursedry nurse
Caretaker who doesn't suckle
birth mother · biological mother · formula feeding · bottle feeding · bottle feeder