One of my biggest nitpicks in fiction concerns the feeding of babies. Mothers dying during/shortly after childbirth or the baby being separated form the mother shortly after birth is pretty common in fiction. It is/was also common enough in real life, which is why I think a lot of writers/readers don't think too hard about this. however. Historically, the only reason the vast majority of babies survived being separated from their mother was because there was at least one other woman around to breastfeed them. Before modern formula, yes, people did use other substitutes, but they were rarely, if ever, nutritionally sufficient.
Newborns can't eat adult food. They can't really survive on animal milk. If your story takes place in a world before/without formula, a baby separated from its mother is going to either be nursed by someone else, or starve.
It doesn't have to be a huge plot point, but idk at least don't explicitly describe the situation as excluding the possibility of a wetnurse. "The father or the great grandmother or the neighbor man or the older sibling took and raised the baby completely alone in a cave for a year." Nope. That baby is dead I'm sorry. "The baby was kidnapped shortly after birth by a wizard and hidden away in a secret tower" um quick question was the wizard lactating? "The mother refused to see or touch her child after birth so the baby was left to the care of the ailing grandfather" the grandfather who made the necessary arrangements with women in the neighborhood, right? right? OR THAT GREAT OFFENDER "A newborn baby was left on the doorstep and they brought it in and took care of it no issues" What Are You Going to Feed That Baby. Hello?
Like. It's not impossible, but arrangements are going to have to be made. There are some logistics.
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lowkey obsessed with this man…
@imdamagecontrol you know which one is for you <3
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"I am going to put a stop to your fornication with the sea. She belongs to me."
-- Spartan general Callicratidas to general Conon of Athens for various reasons but none that justify this phrasing.
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how can a 26 year old man be this cute
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why are skirts inherently evil and oppressive in historical fiction until men are wearing them
I've never heard anyone going on at length about how Universally ImpracticalTM the garb of a Scotsman or an ancient Roman politician are
suddenly everyone has a concept of situational practicality that previously was not there
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Another year of a wonderful partnership (Happy birthday Ink!)
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I've been listening to a lot of Ghost lately so here's my prediction for october
the headband also lights up!
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Here, have more Dad Maul--i hope it helps the dopamine because it for sure helped mine ;u;;
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