Alternative names for Wet-nurse

[Ziggysmama]

I have been thinking ever since our discussion on the "rhetoric of formula feeding" thread that connatations of the word wet-nurse aren't actually very nice ones. For me, and I dare to say most people, the word conjures up images of slavery and classist divide.

I was wondering if we could come up with a few alternate names to use instead.

One that springs to mind straight away is "Breastfeeding Surrogate".

Is there other terms used for wet-nurse already in use? Excuse me if there is.
What do you think?

[Staciemao]

As a "breastfeeding surrogate" I LOVE it!

[Ziggysmama]

Yay! I am glad you like it! And right-on for being one too! You rock!
I think "breastfeeding surrogate" is a fairly normalizing term too.

I mean, if the mainstream is to accept that breastfeeding surrogacy is a viable and acceptable option if breastfeeding isn't possible, we need to make it sound... normal...
is anybody picking up what I'm putting down?

[Hippie Mama in MI]

Woops! Double post

[Hippie Mama in MI]

I've read (older) books in which surrogate breastfeeders were simply called "nurses"... However this would probably cause confusion with the R.N. and L.P.N. sort of nurses...

Isn't it funny (and sad) to think that the job title "Nurse" had such a humble origin. Many modern nurses that I've encountered are anything but humble, and some even sabotage breastfeeding... the very act that gives their profession its name!

[Mama2Bug]

I have heard individual children (in literature, documentaries and such- not IRL) call their nurses "Auntie" "Nanny" and the like. I imagine you are looking for an all-encompassing professional title though....

[eclipse]

Just yesterday, I read the term "Breastfeeding Surrogate" in a medical report - it was about a child contracting HIV from a Breastfeeding Surrogate.

Here it is:

http://www.popline.org/docs/292950

[MamaVolpe]

I would vote for Boobie Buddy however I doubt it sound professional enough.

"I'll be your boobie buddy!"
"Say who is your sons boobie buddy?"
I met the best boobie buddy the other day!"

Doesn't that sound great ?

[mamajake]

Are you looking for a word that still describes a for-profit relationship? Sometimes I see a lot of the negativity in the debate arising from the distinction between "wet nursing" and "co-nursing," the latter being simply nursing someone else's child without any exchange of money. "Wet nursing" has a past mixed up in slavery, capitalism, and exploitation. "Co-nursing" has a history as a cultural norm involving friends and family members. My FIL told me stories about growing up surrounded by women who all nursed each others babies without a second thought if the hungry baby's mom had her hands full at the stove or with another child.

I think even a substitute term using "surrogate" would end up with a negative connotation since that too is now associated for many as a "womb for hire."

I'm not really answering - just asking a clarifying question, I guess. I don't think there has been another word for co-nursing since the people doing it were called "sister" and "friend."

[Ziggysmama]

Originally Posted by mamajake

Are you looking for a word that still describes a for-profit relationship? Sometimes I see a lot of the negativity in the debate arising from the distinction between "wet nursing" and "co-nursing," the latter being simply nursing someone else's child without any exchange of money. "Wet nursing" has a past mixed up in slavery, capitalism, and exploitation. "Co-nursing" has a history as a cultural norm involving friends and family members. My FIL told me stories about growing up surrounded by women who all nursed each others babies without a second thought if the hungry baby's mom had her hands full at the stove or with another child.

I think even a substitute term using "surrogate" would end up with a negative connotation since that too is now associated for many as a "womb for hire."

I'm not really answering - just asking a clarifying question, I guess. I don't think there has been another word for co-nursing since the people doing it were called "sister" and "friend."

Thank you mamajake
I think co-nursing is a beautiful term I had never heard of it before. I think that term is just fine when it come to describing a not-for-profit nursing relationship.
I was also worried about the megative connatations surrounding the word surrogate. That why I opened this thread for discussion of alternatives.
I think that what I was mostly talking about is when we speak of wetnursing/co-nursing as an alternative to going formula.
When people speak of '4th best', the first 3 options being "Breastmilk straight from mama, breastmilk from a sippy and the breastmilk from another woman."
I saw a LOT of people in the other thread jsut using the term wet-nurse over and over again, even though it is an antiquated term and bring with it some pretty awful history.
I guess in a perfect world we would be surrounded by people who were willing to co-nurse if you were having problems breastfeeding. BUT, i think that more liekly you would have to hire someone (on some level). Soooooo I really wanted to change the word for a for-profit relationship I guess. One that doesn't conjure up images of exploitation and capatalism. A more emporing word I guess....

[saimeiyu]

Milk-mother is the word that I personally like best, but probably doesn't sound very professional, and might be associated too much with the past...

How about milk-provider?

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by Ziggysmama

Thank you mamajake
I think co-nursing is a beautiful term I had never heard of it before. I think that term is just fine when it come to describing a not-for-profit nursing relationship.
I was also worried about the megative connatations surrounding the word surrogate. That why I opened this thread for discussion of alternatives.
I think that what I was mostly talking about is when we speak of wetnursing/co-nursing as an alternative to going formula.
When people speak of '4th best', the first 3 options being "Breastmilk straight from mama, breastmilk from a sippy and the breastmilk from another woman."
I saw a LOT of people in the other thread jsut using the term wet-nurse over and over again, even though it is an antiquated term and bring with it some pretty awful history.
I guess in a perfect world we would be surrounded by people who were willing to co-nurse if you were having problems breastfeeding. BUT, i think that more liekly you would have to hire someone (on some level). Soooooo I really wanted to change the word for a for-profit relationship I guess. One that doesn't conjure up images of exploitation and capatalism. A more emporing word I guess....

Oh yeah, "co-nursing" is frequently used these days and I always get angry when it is used to describe a paid relationship. Recent news articles have used "co-nursing" and "wet-nursing" interchangably but I think they are very different. Also "co-nursing" is sufficiently clinical and non-judgmental a term that I think it can satisfy many.

I think we do live in a world where much more of this is possible than happens. I am reading a book now by a fellow Kiwi of yours (okay, she may be Australian ) who reports in her book on the answers to a bunch of questionaires she collected from breastfeeding women and a very large proportion (can't recall precisely) would be perfectly happy to nurse another woman's child just because the child is hungey. I've done it and frankly I have a very hard time not reaching for crying babies whose mothers aren't responding to them.

[Ziggysmama]

Originally Posted by mamajake

Oh yeah, "co-nursing" is frequently used these days and I always get angry when it is used to describe a paid relationship. Recent news articles have used "co-nursing" and "wet-nursing" interchangably but I think they are very different. Also "co-nursing" is sufficiently clinical and non-judgmental a term that I think it can satisfy many.

I think we do live in a world where much more of this is possible than happens. I am reading a book now by a fellow Kiwi of yours (okay, she may be Australian ) who reports in her book on the answers to a bunch of questionaires she collected from breastfeeding women and a very large proportion (can't recall precisely) would be perfectly happy to nurse another woman's child just because the child is hungey. I've done it and frankly I have a very hard time not reaching for crying babies whose mothers aren't responding to them.

I would be happy to nurse another persons child, no question!
It break my heart sometimes when I'm holding a ff baby and he/she strart rooting near my breast. I get let-down and my whole body just aches to nurse. I wonder what the child feels...