The Tradition and Controversy of Wet-Nursing in 19th-Century Upper-Middle-Class Hungarian Families

The choices made by upper-middle-class families regarding breastfeeding, hiring wet nurses, or using early forms of artificial feeding reflect a complex interplay of various factors. These include class identity, contemporary medical ideas, family roles, and social traditions. For example, in the 19th century, many people believed that breastfeeding was harmful to a mothers health or that it was not the duty of upper-class women to feed their own children. Others viewed the hiring of a wet nurse as a sign of wealth and status. At the same time, doctors and medical literature began to highlight the risks associated with wet-nursing, such as poor hygiene, inadequate care, and the transmission of disease. This paper draws on family archives, private diaries, and 19th-century medical texts to examine these challenges in depth. It analyzes the social and cultural reasoning behind infant feeding practices and explores how these ideas evolved over time. Through a micro-historical perspective, this study reveals how the everyday lives of Hungarys upper-middle-class families were influenced by broader processes of modernization, developments in medicine, and changing social values.