¶ … Feeding Baby Motherhood conjures up images of a plump round female body surrounded by plump round babes playing about at feet while another suckles at breast, much as one sees in Victorian paintings. It is a common belief that bottle-feeding is a modern phenomenon, and although most images of motherhood do depict breastfeeding, it seems even in the Victorian era and earlier, substitutes for nursing babies was not uncommon.

The horn, which was commonly used as a drinking vessel for adults during the Middle Ages, was used to feed infants by tying a soft leather scrap to it to make a teat (History pp). In 17th Century Europe, leather or wood feeding bottles were used, then later pewter bottles and pap boats, most of which were flask shaped with screw on tops to form a hard round nipple (History pp).

Over the...

Moreover, milk supplies were so contaminated that the mortality rate for babies under two years of age was "horrendous" (History pp).
Nevertheless, pap boats and cups were still popular feeding utensils during the 18th and 19th century (History pp). Pap, by the way, was made of boiled water and flour, with perhaps an egg or bread added -- Yum! (History pp).

Then during the mid-1800's vulcanized rubber was invented, however, it produced a strong odor and it was some years before suitable rubber teats were manufactured in mass along with mass-produced glass bottles, yet, again the design prevented proper cleaning and even doctors condemned their use (History pp). In…