What happened before formula?

Question

I know of women that were unable to produce breast milk after giving birth. If this is true, then what did these babies eat before there was formula? Cow's milk doesn't have all of the nutrients a baby needs.

Answer 1

before formula, infant mortality rates were high. there were women called wet nurses. they were women who had lost thier own baby but were still producing breast milk, they would get paid to breast feed other peoples babies. for the people who could not pay for someone to breast feed their baby, they would give them cows milk, and sadly most of them died. : (

Answer 2

There were very little women that did not breast feed. Back in the day, if the mother coudn't breast feed they would pay a "surrogate" mother to feed the baby. So a neighbor, a family member would do it. It was very common, of course if you didn't have the money, there's milk.
Think about other countries and people that are poor, it's not the best for the baby, but they grow up just fine with cow's milk.

Answer 3

Women nursed. There were virtually no women who were "unable to produce milk" for a few reasons. Those with actual hormone problems weren't able to get pregnant. Women didn't have breast surgery. (These two are almost the only reason women *can't* produce enough milk.)

In cases where, for instance, the mother died, the adoptive mother nursed the baby instead. And in cases (primarily among the very rich) where a woman considered herself too important to nurse her baby, she hired a woman (wet nurse) to nurse the baby for her.

Babies in orphanages (primarily the extremely poor) generally died.

Answer 4

Yes goats milk...and in some cases they use another mom's breast milk. Goats milk is most like a humans breast milk, and is easily digested.

Answer 5

Most women have always found it very easy to nurse. How on earth would the species have made it? Or any other mammalian species besides us? Sheeshh... With a little lactation assistance, most women can nurse.

It's every baby's birthright and using formula causes lower iq, higher rates of cancer and diabetes.

Answer 6

my dad was raised on goats milk because he was reacting badly to his mother's. also there was something called a wet nurse where someone else who was lactating would be paid to feed the child. i hope that was helpful

Answer 7

I think they used wet nurses, people who had their own babies and were able, for a fee, to feed your baby as well.

Answer 8

They were given PET milk or goat's milk. My sisters were all on PET.

Answer 9

they would use cows milk and sometimes there were wet nurses that ppl could hire :)

Answer 10

goats milk