Jacie says: we saw a pewter nipple shield!
If youall look in Valerie Fildes "Bottles Breasts and Babies" you will see her
pics including silver and (my favourite) *lead* nipple shields in use from the
17th century.
The mix of fascination and horror at the idea of using these rigid objects --
not to mention the idea of the lead residues! -- to facilitate breastfeeding is
matched for me only by uneasy wonderings: what practices or devices of ours
will future generations of women/breastfeeding helpers regard with the same
feelings of "How ON EARTH did they come to think THAT was going to help???"
Magda Sachs
Breastfeeding Supporter
The Breastfeeding Network, UK