Story: Te whānau tamariki – pregnancy and birth

Māori mother breastfeeding

Māori mother breastfeeding

A Māori mother (centre) breastfeeds her child in an 1849 image. Before the arrival of Europeans breast milk was the only suitable food available for young babies.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: PUBL-0032-6
Artwork by Richard Aldworth Oliver

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Hope Tupara, 'Te whānau tamariki – pregnancy and birth - Rites and baby care', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/27629/maori-mother-breastfeeding (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Hope Tupara, published 5 May 2011, updated 1 Jun 2017