wet nurse
woman employed to breastfeed and care for another's child
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A wet nurse is a woman hired to breastfeed and care for another person's child. This practice was historically important because it allowed mothers who couldn't or chose not to breastfeed to ensure their infants received necessary nutrition and care.
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Louis XIV as an infant, with his wet nurse Longuet de la Giraudière
A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, if she is unable to nurse the child herself sufficiently, or if she chooses not to do so. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some societies, the families are linked by a special relationship of milk kinship. Wet-nursing existed in societies around the world until the invention of reliable formula milk in the 20th century. The practice has made a small comeback in the 21st century.