The Cleavage Countdown: 8 Facts About Breasts

Back-Up Breasts

In the days before formula, a woman who struggled to nurse could see her child starve. Fortunately, there was often a solution: wet nurses, or lactating women who were paid to nurse other women’s babies. Upper-class women throughout history have often called in wet nurse to avoid the hassle of nursing themselves, or because it was simply the norm in their culture. In ancient Rome, for example, a structure called the Columna Lactaria may have been a site where wet-nurses for hire gathered, or perhaps it was a charity site where poor mothers could get extra milk for their babies.

Wet-nursing was a common practice in western Europe up through the 18th century, but it’s now seen as unusual. Nevertheless, “cross-feeding,” as it’s known, is still done. In one high-profile incident in 2009, for example, actress Salma Hayek breastfed another woman’s newborn in Sierra Leone during a charity trip. And some women informally share nursing duties with friends who also have babies (though pediatricians recommend turning to a milk bank instead, to ensure that milk is free from disease).