I am somewhat behind on Lactnet so this may already have been mentioned.
I have heard the 50% mortality rate, just as I have heard (read) that no
birth control results in 12-20 children in a womans lifetime.  Both of
these statistics come from the upper class of  European society.  Actually,
many of our ideas about how things would be if we did not have modern
medicine come from here. We need to understand that a womans role was to
produce as many heirs as possible.  Because of that she did not breastfeed
her own baby.  They were often sent our to a wet nurses home in the
country.  The wet nurses often cared for several children, and cared very
little about the children.  Therefor, many died, and she produced another
baby the following year.
        While, much of what we consider our history came from these influential
people, they were but a small part of mankind.
Patty Spanjer, RN, IBCLC
Dalton, Georgia  (almost in Tennessee)