Understanding the Role of a Wet Nurse

Understanding the Role of a Wet Nurse A wet nurse is a lactating woman who breastfeeds a child who is not her own. Once a highly organized and well-paid profession, wet nurses had all but disappeared by 1900. Before the invention of infant formula and feeding bottles made wet nursing virtually obsolete in Western society, aristocratic women commonly hired wet nurses, as breastfeeding was seen as unfashionable. The wives of merchants, doctors, and lawyers also preferred to employ a wet nurse rather than breastfeed because it was cheaper than hiring help to run their husbands business or manage a household. A Career for Poor Women Wet nursing was a common career choice for poor women among the lower classes. In many cases, wet nurses were required to register and undergo medical exams. During the Industrial Revolution, lower-income families used wet nurses as more and more women began working and were unable to breastfeed. The rural poor- peasant women- began to assume the role of wet nurses. The Advent of Formula While animal milk was the most common source for replacing human milk, it was nutritionally inferior to breast milk. Advances in science enabled researchers to analyze human milk and attempts were made to create and improve on nonhuman milk so that it could more closely approximate human milk. In 1865 chemist Justus von Liebig patented an infant food consisting of cows milk, wheat and malt flour, and potassium bicarbonate. The introduction of infant formula, the greater availability of animal milk, and the development of the feeding bottle reduced the need for wet nurses throughout the latter half of the 19th century and well into the 20th century. What's Different Now? After the rise of formula and the decline of wet nursing, the once common service has become almost taboo in much of the West. But as breastfeeding is an increasingly acceptable practice once more, mothers of infants are feeling the pressure once again to nurse. However, uneven maternity leave benefits around the nation and the real difficulties of breastfeeding mean that some women would likely benefit from returning to the age-old tradition of wet nursing. As The New Republic reported in 2014, sharing nursing responsibilities- whether by formally hiring a wet nurse or by figuring out an informal arrangement among friends- was looking to be a reasonable solution that could relieve the burden on working mothers without compromising their babies’ feeding. The practice remains controversial. Even the breastfeeding advocacy group, La Leche League, was discouraging the practice in 2007. According to spokeswoman, Anna Burbidge: There are very strong reservations against it, both medically and psychologically. There are potential hazards. The biggest risk is that of infection being passed from the mother to the child. Breast-milk is a living substance expressly designed by your body for your baby, not someone elses. Despite these risks, its not surprising that in this age of ridesharing and spare-room sharing, milk sharing is a phenomenon that some families are now trying. A Facebook group and milk-sharing sites have appeared, and according to a Netmums.com piece from 2016, the practice is on the rise. Their 2016 informal poll found that one in 25 women had shared their milk, and 5 percent of families had used milk from the more regulated source of a milk bank. As the taboo slowly lifts, this age-old practice may just make a real comeback. Source Stevens, Emily E., RN, FNP, WHNP, Ph.D., Thelma E. Patrick, RN, Ph.D., and Rita Pickler, RN, PNP, Ph.D. A History of Infant Feeding. The Journal of Perinatal Education at the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Spring 2009.

It Isnt About Luck

It Isnt About Luck You were lucky to have FundsforWriters to sell your books. I dont have that luxury. I hear this so much, in one version or another. First of all, there is no serious luck in this business. Its a matter of constantly putting yourself out there in terms of writing, publishing, appearing, working social media, fighting to be current, taking chances. There is no one right way or best way, only the way that happens to work for you at that moment in time. Frankly, I started FundsforWriters because I could NOT sell my mysteries. I wanted to be a writer and make an income from writing, so I figured any sort of reputable recognition could only help me in becoming a professional writer. As someone who loved stringing words, I walked through whatever door opened for me, wrote whatever might help me take one step further in my career. However, I had my conditions and parameters in who I wrote for and what I wrote and how I proceeded: 1) Markets had to pay. Even as a beginner, I recognized that being paid mattered not only in my pocketbook but also in the eyes of editors I pitched. They knew who paid and who didnt, and that mattered in their judgment of me. I wrote a column once for nothing, hoping to aid my resume, but after several issues, when the editor still could not afford to pay, I stepped away. And I learned that nobody cared that Id written that column. 2) I had to build and retain a following. I couldnt just write and build up credits. I had to have someplace to flaunt those credits (website, then social media) and some means to retain those people who read my work and liked it (newsletter). 3) Repetition matters. I wanted to become Google-able, which meant frequent and reputable appearances. If I wasnt on the first page of a Google search for my name, I strived to submit to enough magazines, websites, newsletters, and blogs to improve my search ranking. A book a year wasnt going to work. 4) Quality matters. Its a given that your writing quality matters, but be careful where you make your appearances. I wish I knew way back when what I know now about that. I wouldve been a tad more selective in some instances as to whom I wrote for. You might be new. You might be a struggling mid-lister. You might be seasoned and coming back into the fold, trying to remain pertinent. Fight to present yourself as strong, diligent, and reliable. Keep putting yourself out there, but dont give it away. People will respect you so much more.