The Shadow of the "Second Mother" explores why there has been such little interest, in psychology, social history, and biography, in the important contribution that ‘second mothers’, such as wet nurses and nannies, have had upon the emotional life of the children they have nursed. For the last three thousand years and throughout most civilisations, they have nurtured the children of the privileged, and kept alive the abandoned and unwanted child. Yet, there has been a profound silence surrounding the influence they may have had.
Key Features
- Explores the emotional impact of ‘second mothers’ on children.
- Investigates the lives of well-known individuals who were wet nursed, including Michelangelo and Rousseau.
- Combines attachment theory with neurology for a deeper understanding.
- Offers insights relevant for psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, sociologists, and students of social history.
Additional Information
The author speculates that they all were affected emotionally by their ‘second mother’ and concludes that a universal feature of such delegated mothering seems to be that the bond between mother and child is broken, leaving the child with a life-long distrust of close relationships. This intriguing new approach to an ancient practice will be fascinating reading for those interested in the emotional and social dynamics of caregiving.
