Breastfeeding: a cultural history

Breastfeeding may seem like an innate human experience that transcends history. But, according to art and cultural historian Joanna Wolfarth, experiences of feeding babies have always been embedded in social and cultural customs. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne about her new book Milk, Joanna examines how attitudes to breastfeeding have changed over time, touching on ancient baby bottles, the moral dangers of wetnursing, and why the Virgin Mary was sometimes depicted with a breast on her shoulder.

Joanna Wolfarth is the author of Milk: An Intimate History of Breastfeeding (Orion Publishing Co, 2023)