Wet Nurse

A **wet nurse** is a woman who breastfeeds children that are not her own. This may be due to the death of the mother in childbirth, or because the mother may not have enough milk, or for cultural reasons. Most noblewomen do not nurse their own children, but there are dozens of examples otherwise, among both nobles and royalty.

Children of different parents who breastfeed from a wet nurse at the same time are called 'milk brothers'. A wet nurse may come to love the children she nurses. Wet nurses are known for telling fanciful tales to their charges.

## History

In 7 A.C., Prince Aenys Targaryen was born to King Aegon I and Queen Rhaenys. Aenys was weak and sickly at birth, and cried all the time. He rejected wet nurses, and would only nurse at his mother's breast.

In 47 A.C., King Maegor I Targaryen married his Black Brides, three women of proven fertility whose husbands he had killed. Elinor Costayne's sons were sent away from her after her wedding to Maegor; her eldest was fostered at the Eyrie, her second son went to Highgarden, and her youngest was given to a wet nurse, as Maegor was annoyed by Elinor nursing him.

Queen Alyssa Velaryon did not breastfeed any of her children, who were thus all fed by wet nurses.

It was said that Queen Alysanne Targaryen had learned to read before she was weaned, and the court fool would make jokes that she had spilled milk on Valyrian scrolls while drinking from her wet nurse.

Queen Alysanne and King Jaehaerys I Targaryen's daughter, Princess Daenerys was talking and running before the age of one and a half, and her wet nurse described her as being in a great hurry. When the six-year-old princess was stricken with the Shivers in 60 A.C., a wet nurse was summoned even though Daenerys had long been weaned, because some believed mother's milk could curse the disease.

Prince Baelon's wet nurses complained that the baby sucked harder than any other they had encountered. Princess Saera was a difficult child, and refused to be weaned until past the age of four. She wanted her mother's milk, and would scream and throw fits when Queen Alysanne had to dismiss another wet nurse. Prince Valerion was a small and sickly baby who never thrived, despite the attempts of half a dozen wet nurses.

In 77 A.C., Prince Baelon and his wife Princess Alyssa Targaryen welcomed their first son, Viserys. He was described as a plump and pleasant baby, who drank his wet nurse dry.

In 82 A.C., Princess Daella Targaryen gave birth to her daughter, Aemma Arryn, and though she wished to nurse her child, childbed fever had dried up her milk, and a wet nurse had to be sent for.

In 114 A.C., King Viserys I Targaryen ordered his son Daeron and his grandson Jacaerys Velaryon to be nursed by the same wet nurse, because he hoped to prevent enmity between them by raising them as milk brothers. Unfortunately, the plan was unsuccessful.

In 130 A.C., during the Dance of the Dragons, Prince Aemond Targaryen fell in love with Alys Rivers, a mysterious woman and reported woods witch who was also a wet nurse at Harrenhal. Though reputable historians say Alys was the bastard daughter of Lyonel Strong, the fool Mushroom claims that Alys was far older than she looked and had nursed Lyonel's sons, and perhaps even Lyonel himself. By 132 A.C., Alys was known as the "witch queen" of Harrenhal.