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Sucking glass

ARTEFACT DESCRIPTION

For centuries, mothers have used a number of tools to relieve the pain of engorged breasts, correct inverted nipples, and increase milk production.  Some of the first breast pumps were found at Greek archeological sites dating from the 6^th to 5^th centuries BCE.  These dual purpose feeding bottles and breast pumps, called guttus, could be filled with water, placed against the breast, and then drained, creating a vacuum that would draw out the woman’s milk.

Sucking glasses or pipes are generally believed to have become popular in the 1500s, although some may have been found at Eastern European sites dating to as early as 200 CE.  Their design was first published in 1577 and changed very little until the late 19^th century (see image).  Women used sucking glasses on themselves to draw out inverted nipples.  The bulbous end was placed over the nipple and suction was created by sucking on the end of the long pipe stem.  Alternatively, one could fill the bulb with hot water, empty it, and place the heated vessel over the nipple to create a vacuum as it cooled.  In addition to correcting nipple inversion – a problem that increased with the fashion of restrictive corsets – sucking glasses were also employed when nursing was painful or otherwise impossible due to cracking or mastitis.

By the late 19^th century materials and technology had advanced and new breast pumps were available, varying from the syringe pump to the “bicycle horn” hand-pump to the more recognizable electric pumps.

Related: Breast Pump; Women