I agree with the last line.
Over in Switzerland, 97% of mothers breastfeed and it's almost impossible to buy more than a few days' worth of formula milk at a time (even with this being the home of Nestle...).
Wet nursing was most often used in rather well-off families, rather than mostly out of medical necessity. Child mortality rates were also mostly due to diseases we've nearly wiped out through vaccination.
Not everyone can get on with breastfeeding and there's no shame in not being able to do it, but I'd like to get those people who won't even try it because "it'll make my breasts saggy" and smack them with a big fucking salmon round the face. Similarly, I don't like those who make a big guilt trip over those that try and can't do it.
The Mrs breastfed both of ours and found the biggest problem was the conflicting advice from the midwives - every shift change would bring a new chorus of "you're doing it wrong." When we got her out of there, it became a lot easier without the stress of being stood over while trying to get on with it. One thing the midwives forget about is that it's a learning process for the baby and the mother - the instinct is there, but it needs a little work at first.
Also, nipple confusion isn't a problem - we mixed in a few bottles as well and it was fine. It meant the Mrs could go out to relax for a bit and I could feed the little blighters.
If nothing else, we got far more sleep than other people who bottle fed (especially as we had them in the bed with us when they were small). No getting up to make bottles, no sitting up feeding at whatever time - just a case of roll over, plug in and doze off. As such, from a week old, they were both sleeping a solid eight hours a night, apart from feeds which meant that the Mrs only had to wake up for a minute or two each time.
( Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...", Thu 3 Jun 2010, 0:07, Reply)