What Nursing Mothers Wore: Period Options for Nursing Garb

Annora le Spindler (Vicki Spindler) 

E-mail: reldnips(at)verizon(dot)net

*For larger, more clear images, please look up the work of art on the "Images used for research" page. There is a link at the bottom of this article.

Breastfeeding is period. So how did women manage to nurse while wearing tunics and other period clothing? This class examines representations of nursing mothers in period artwork and explores plausible techniques for providing access for nursing in garb.

It is important to note that financially well off women did not typically nurse their own babies in the SCA period. One reason for this is the restrictions in what you could wear and the fact whatever was worn was likely going to be soiled. So we are not likely to see clothing that is considered very fashionable or in fine fabrics in period nursing wear.

Also important to note that since virtually all works of art referenced in this class are religious or mythological icons, there is some question as to the authenticity of the garb itself as portrayed in the works. However, I believe that the prevalence of the methods of providing nursing access makes them credible, even if the representations of the garb itself are not.

Birth of St. John the Baptist by Domenico Ghirlandaio ~1486-1490

This work is a good example that shows the difference between the style of clothing of the wealthy and the lower class wet nurse.

Pulling Down

The following are examples of pulling down a low neckline for nursing access:

 Maria Lactans by Hans Melming (1487-1490)

 Virgin and Child by Dieric Bouts the Elder (~1465)

 Le Famille et Serviteurs by Barthelemy l’Anglais (1338-1380)

These next examples are of unlaced-type gowns that are pulled down to provide nursing access. In the first the chemise is pulled down, in the second we see a chemise that has a slit at the neckline which allows it to be lowered (this is consistent with some late-period Venetian chemises in non-nursing art) and the third shows a nursing slit in the chemise.

 The Holy Family by Joos van Cleve (1485-1540)

 Virgin and Child by Jan Gossaert (1527)

 Virgin and Child by Pedro Berruguete (1500)

The following examples are of nursing through a long neckline. The first one (hard to see in this small example I’m afraid), is with a long neckline but a slit in the under dress. The second and third have a long neckline for both. The Crosier is hard to see but I wanted to include it as one of the earliest examples of nursing in art that I found within the “typical” SCA period.

 Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints by Bicci di Neri (1400s)

 Virgin Suckling the Christ Child by John of Berry (1300s)

 The St. Nicholas Crosier, Unknown (1150-1170)

These next two examples are of possible closures for long necklines or of slits added to a neckline:

 Charity by Andrea del Sarto (1489-1530)

 Madonna and Child with the Young St. John also by Andrea del Sarto (1518)

     

Pulling Through

By far the most prevalent option in the works, often used in combination with the above methods was the use of nursing slits. Here are some general examples:

 Charity by Tino da Camiano (1321)

 Madonna with the Child by Panicale da Masolino (1383-1447)

 Nativity by John of Berry (1300s)

There were a few works that had a single nursing slit, both by Sandro Botticelli

 The Virgin and Child Enthroned (1494)

 Virgin and Child (1493)

Typically, however we see two slits, placed directly over each breast, as in these examples:

 Madonna with Child by Francisco de Zurbaran (1658)

 Virgin and Child by Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio (1493-1499)

The most speculative aspect for period plausible nursing garb is how to keep the nursing slits closed. There is one work where it is obvious that lacing/sewing (I suspect lacing) was used to keep them shut:

Madonna Litta by Leonardo Da Vinci (1490-1491)

I believe from some works such as these examples that a brooch or button of some sort may have been used to keep them closed.

 Madonna with Child by Luis de Morales (1570)

 Holy Family with St. John the Baptist by Sassoferrato (1600s)

 Madonna del Velo by Raphaello Sanzio (1509-1510)

Also in talking with other nursing mothers in the SCA, the option of folding and using a belt to keep the slits closed was mentioned more than once as being used to keep their nursing slits closed. This is a distinct possibility as it seemed than many works with belts seem to be belted higher than normal waist. I do not have good pictorial evidence for it at this time, though it does seem logical.

Bibliography:

Images used in nursing research

Background sources

Image galleries

Home